New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-05-04

Nothing on the part Of the South in the dark
and terrible days of slavery did half so much
to arouse the hatred of the North against the
Internal institution, and to excite prejudice
against the Southern people, as their absolute
denial of the freedom of speech in their midst
upon everything touching that question. Ii
was privilege they had enjoyed and priced
next to liberty itself, and to be denied its ex.
ercise the moment they crossed Mason and
Dixon's line, or to exercise it at the risk Of
their lives, was an outrage they could not
endure. 1t made slavery appear ten-fold more
odious than it otherwise would and did more
to open their eyes TO its terrible and brutal
character than everything else. Liberty of
speech and of the press is a right which no
ruehearted American will consent long to be
denied
Just this is what the ex-slaveholders and
rebels of the South are still denying the North
ern people and all others who do not swear by
the dead carcass, but living spirit, of slavery
Even the terrible lesson of the rebellion has
not taught these worse than Bourbons that
liberty of speech and the press is one of the
y
Northern man. They have murdered not less
than ten Thousand loyal men since the rebel
lion closed for daring to exercise this privilege
They ventured to declare themselves friends of
the Government; and for this liberty of speech
they have been murdered in cold blood No
Northern man can now 60 through the South
ern States and boldly avow himself Republi-
can without the certainty of being murdered.
Until man can express his opinion upon
all possible subjects as freely and as safely at
the South as he does at the North, freedom is
the merest farce, and reconstruction failure
All the rights possessed by the citizens of one
State must be freely enjoyed in every State.
We have heard men claiming to be Republicans
declaring that g if man will keep his mouth
closed when visiting the South, and not " irri.
tate the chivalry by expressing any opinion
they DO not approve, there is no danger of his
being murdered Northern people they are
shameless and craven enough TO say, have no
right to express their views upon political Ques
tons in the rebel States, and that If they do
they must expect 10 be murdered, or subject to
other outrages. Such men are only fit for
slaves, and deserve the lash az often as their
meals
This is not the Republican idea. This is not
what the Republicans engaged in the war for
the Union for. This is not that kind of liberty
which they are determined to have The Re
publican creed as set forth in its platform Of
principles as well as in all its practices is that
1t knows nothing Of classes, but deals with all
men alike, considers them as citizens entitled
to equal rights and privileges, not only in their
own State but in every other. By that creed
the humblest citizen in the Union, whether
black or white, is made as perfectly secure in
his person and property as the highest. All
this is denied by the rebel Democracy. Liberty
aud equal rights are only intended for those who
once owned slaves and fought four years to de-
stroy the Government. All this must be re-
formed before we are free country.