Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-08-15
Record of the Republican Party in
Behalf of Liberty and
Equal Rights.

From Fred. Douglas New National Era, July 20
A brief rocapitlation of the variou,
measures enacted by the Republican
party, during its ten years Of power
in behalf Of the cause of liberty anC
equal politica' and civil rights to al
men, without regard to race or color
will be matter of useful information
to our readers at this time, and aiC
them in coming to just and correc
decision as to the party they can The
most safely trust hereafter.
The first blow at the Divine" in
siilution Of slavery was Il bill which
became q law in August, 1861, con
fiscaling all property and setting free
all slaves used in aid OF the rebellion
January %, 1862, a law was pas
sod prohibiting the use Of the jails OIL
this District for the imprisonment Of
fugitive slaves
The great measure emancipating
the three thousand slaves of this Dis
trict passed both Houses Of Congress
and was signed BY the President in
April, 1862
On the 18th of March, 1862, bill
became law forbidding and punish
ing the return of fugitive slaves, com
ing into our lines. by naval aud mil
itary officers.
March 6, Of the same year, the
President had recommended the pas.
sage of joint resolution proposing q
cooperation between tho General
Government and the slave States for
the gradual abolition Of slavery, on
principle Of compensation to the
owners. During the month a bill
covering this suggestion passed both
Houses, and was signed by the Pres
ident April 10.
The bill abolsbing the long exist
ing odious distinction in this Distric:
against the colored people, such as
taxing them for the education of
white children and denying them all
benefit from the tax, became law
in May, 1862.
June 10Th, 1862, the President
signed bill, which had passed both
Houses prohibiting slavery forever
in all the Territories Of the United
States.
June, 1862, law was enacted es-
tablishing diplomatic relations with
the republics Of Liberia and Hayti.
In July, of the same year, a law
was passed comforting upon the col
ored persons the right to testify in
courts of justice also, prohibiting
the interstate coastwise slave trade.
In July 1862, bill became law
emancipating slaves coming within
our lines whose masters were in re-
bellion and all slaves found in places
captured by our troops.
July z, 1862, President Lincoln APP
proved q bill furnishing the infamous
practice Of using the American flag
for the protection OF vessels engaged
in the slave trade, in open defiance,
as had grown to be The practice, Of a
plain constitutional provision. I'M
der tho provisions of this act, one
Gordon, captured while engaged in
the slave trade, was tried, convicted,
and executed.
July 16, 1862, law was enacted
authorizing the enlistment and mill
tary organization Of colored men.
September %, 1862, President Lin
coin issued proclamation declaring
that on the lst of January ensuing
he should issue another proclaiming
all persons free in such States as
might be named. And on that day
the immortal declaration declaring all
SldUeS f0reUer free in Arkansas, Texas,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Flor
ida, North and South Carolina and
Virginia was issued.
March, 1868, law was enacted in
cooperating an institution for the
education Of colored youths, to be
located in this District, from which
has grown up the Howard Univer.,
sity.
A law was enacted in February,
1864, enrolling all colored men
whether slaves or not, into the ma
tional forces, allowing loyal masters
bounty Of $500 for their slaves
afterwards reduced to 500 bounty.
But this was wholly repealed in 1867.
On the 18th of June, 1864, a bill
became law placing colored soldiers
on footing OF equality in all respects
with white soldiers.
June 2S, 1864, bill was signed re-
pealing the infamous Democratic
iugitive-slave law.
In 1864 law was passed allowing
coored men to contract for carrying
the mails.
The year before the act was pass
ed proclaiming all distinctions on
account of race or color in the public
conveyances of this District.
The law creating the Freedmen /
Bureau was passed early in the year
1868
January 27, 1865, the famous thir'
teenth amendment to the Constitu'
titution, which had previously beer
approved by the Senate, passed the
House of Representatives, forever
abolishing slavery in the United
States.
During this year acts were passed
repeating the various measures enac
ted by the Southern States upde
Johnson's rule, designed to reestab
lish slavery in another form, author
izing the disgraceful Apprenticeship
system, the law in regard to vagran
cy, and authorizing the whipping o
negroes.
The same year law was passe,
abolishing the system Of peonag
slavery in New Mexico.
In December, 1865, resolution
passed both Houses of Congress ap
pointing the joint Committee on Re
construction to whom was referre,
the credentials of oil persons claim
ing seats from Johnson's reconstrue
ted States, and all measures in re
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