The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-08-03
From Fred. Douglass New National Ere
July TO-
RECORD or THE RnPUDIICAN
PARTY IN BEHALF OF LIDERTY
AND HQUAL RIGHTS. rsr4. +

~ 81 V0hN0Ay ~, Iowa q A0w Woo pSCSC>
prohibiting the use of the jsils 0
this District for the imprisonment o
fugitive slaves.
/ The great measure emancipatin.
the three thousand slaves of this Dis
trict passed both Houses Of Congress
and was signed by the President il
April, 1852.
On the 18th OF March, 1862, bill
became law forbidding ami punish
ing the return of fugitive slaves
coming into our lines. BY naval and
military officers.
March s, Of the came year, The
President had recommended the pas
sage OF q joint resolution proposing q
co operation between the General
Government and the slave States for
the general abolition of slavery, or
the principle Of compensation to the
owners. During the month q bill
covering this suggestion passed both
Houses, and was signed by the Pres.
iient April 10.
The bill abolishing the long-exlst.
ing, odious distinctions In this Dis
trict 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 the Territories of the UniteG
States.
June, 1862. law was enacted ss-
tablishing diplomatic relations with
the republics of Liberia and Hayti.
In July, of the same year, a law
was passed comforting upon colored
persons, the right to testify in courts
of justice; also, prohibiting the inter-
State coastwise slave trade.
In July, 1862, bill became law
emancipating slaves coming within
our lines whose masters we're in re-
bellion and all slaves found in places
captured by our troops.
July Z, 1862, President Lincoln
approved q bill furnishing the infa-
nous practice of using the American
flag tor the protection of vessels on
gagged in the slave trade, in open de-
fiance, as had grown to be the prac.
tice, of plain constitutional provis
ion. Under the provisions Of this
act one Gordon, captured while en-
gagged in the slave trade, was tried,
convicted, and executed.
July II, 1862, law was enacted
Sathorising the enlistment and mill
tary organization Of colored men,
September %, 1862, President Lin
coin issued o proclamation declaring
that on the 1st 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 decldr-
ing all Slaves toreUer free in Arkansas,
Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ala
bama, Florida. North and South
Carolina, and Virginia was issued.
March, 1868, q law was enacted
incorporating 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
tionsl forces, allowing loyal masters
bounty of $500 for their slaves
afterwards reduced to Sl0e bounty.
But this was wholly repeated in
1867.
On the 1lth of June, 1864, q bill
became law placing colored sold
iers on q footing Of equ .lity in oil
respects with white soldiers.
juno 30, 1864, y bill was signed
repeating the infamous Democratic
iugit tive slave law.
In 1864 law was passed allowing
colored men to contract for carrying z
the mails.
The year before the act was passed
p, ohibiting all distinctions on &C.
count of race or color in the public
conveyancss of this District.
The law creating the Freedman's
Bureau was passed early in the year
1865.
January "a, 1865, the famous
thirteenth amendment to the Consti.
tuition, which had previously been
approved by the Senate, passed the
House Of Representatives, forever
abolishing slavery in the United
States.
During this year acts we're passed
repeating the various measures on.
acted by the Southern States under
Johnson's rule, Designed TO re-cstab
lish slavery in another form. author
izing the disgraceful apprenticeship
system, the law in regard to vagran-
cy, and authorizing the whipping OF
negroes.
The same year law was passed
abolishing tho system Of peonage
slavery in New Mexico.
In December, 1865, a resolution
passed both Houses of Congress APP.
pointing the joint Committee on
Reconstruction, to whom was refcr.
red the credentials OF all persons
claiming seats from Johnson's recon
structed States, and all measures in
regard 10 reconstruction.
February %, 1866, an act was
passed declaring that mono OF tn.
rebel Ststes were entitled to repre-
senta,ion in Congress until Congress
shall have declared such right.
In April 1866, the civil rights bill
which johnson had vetoed, became {
law by receiving the necessary two
thirds majority.
June Is, 1866, the fourteenth
amendment was passed, making al
persons born or naturalized IN the u
s., citizens, prohibiting tho States
from passing any law which shal
| abridge the annuities OF privileges o
such citizens, defining who shall b,
Senators or Representatives, protect
ing the civil rights OF all citizens, dc
, claring that the validity OF the puk
a.