St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-06-28

vented any action, but this also has at
last been accomplished. and IL tribunal
f"r the adjustment of such claims been
established. trust and believe that it
will not be found brSct with such dan
ger or loss to the Government us has
been predicted.
have alluded to these things. Mr..
Speaker, tor the purpose of showing
that have been actIIatcd 10y no feeling
nt hostility to the people of the South
thai have ever desired not only to
deal Justly. hut generously and mag
unanimously 10y them. And that when
| WAS placed at the head OF this com
mittcc on the pant of the House. there
wI~ no feeling or desire on my part to
Il" amy thing or 10 report anything i'll re
lation To the condition of affairs in the
South not absolutely required 10y truth
and fairness. or III any way do them in
Justice. And | think | may safely ap-
peal to gentlemen of the other side. and
/" all the people of the South who have
taken amy pains to watch my course in
Congress, fol the entire truth of my as
rcItiuIs III this behalf. Now. sir.
have no time. and there is no occasion
to 90 back and talk about the culIScS
and origin of the war. how it came
about. or how it was put down. Every
body understood then: every body un-
dcrstandS now that the war grew ont of
slavery and all now know that the
war resulted in the abolition of slavery.
and that the colorcd people who have
been slaves and property became free
men and women.
When the southern States were set
up aS State governments 10y President
Johnson. and they began to legiSlatt
for themselves. although in terms they
acknowledged that slavery no longer
existed and the negroes were free, still
they were very far from acknowledging
that they possessed or were entitled to
any kind of equality. even ofciNil rights
with the whites. Laws were passed i'll
many if not all the late rebel States
whereby the negroes were hampcred
and shacklcd in every possible way.
In the ownership of land. in the making
of contracts. and Il thousand ways. they
were forbidden the free exercise of all
those rights which are supposed t" he
long To- all free men in all free Govern
mrmto Their old state of slavery was
far prctrrlhi.. To such freedom Is they
aud overthrow these unjust diScrimina-
tioll> made 10y State laws 10y the pas
>;r"r of the civil rights hill but RENE
dN 10y action or prosecutions IN courts
WAS found utterly insufficient against
their more intelligent aud powerful OPP
prc>>nrs. and the c"l"rcd people were
likely To continue ''hcwcI~ of wood and
drawers of water" to their old owners
and task masters. | = t" this time the
Republican party had no idea or Pur-
post, of b,.>toWinT the ballot upon the
freedmen. ut least not until after Il long
probation and training. and 10y slow and
gradual steps.
such WAS the theory and purpose of
the fourteenth amendment. which al
the time WAS supposed L" hc the ilnall-
II of amendment. But the hostility ot
the " hitc To the culurcd race. and their
determination to continue them III
condition of SeIfdom. convinced the
Republican party that the only way the
race could maintain the freedom which
had been granted them MAS 10y invest
ing them with the power of the ballot.
That there were, very serious objections
To this nobody denied. That 4 very
large prupoltion of them were too de
graded and ignorant t" hc able Ia make
th,. best list. Of this rirht all had To con
fcSs. But il was seen that it was intcn-
dcd they shnuId never ht in Il better
ru,ditinu and fine. only hop,. of impro\ -
inc, th,u,. was Il, mo Them this uov-
r,. nt. inInnl,m,nf Whatever of evil
th.,,. WAS IN il th, Suuth rnuu.lI.d II,
thr;r avn conduct
Cnuuu,rium th,. S,uth did MOI change
tb.ir t,.liuu> on their npiuiuns; they
were IiL, other u,uplr "cnu\iIirrd
,p.,iust th,ir will 10 all th, hatr
md I,itt.r,,,Ss "a I,i,h , Inur and hIn,,L>
war had ,.u"rud,r,d were. added the
un,titicotioI and humiliation of defeat.
The, v.ut tu war to STRENGTHEN and
p,.,I,.tu,t. slavery The. result had
L.,u that shaver, ,,,s totylI, nN.I.
tL,,,,,, .,,J tL.i,. slaves m,d, free,
The. ,ud,.,t,nk Ia St,t. I,n,s tn still
Keen, ,I,,.n, d,.,,;,,d nr all ,i, ,ipIts
and in :, ,,.,,ti,..J .,,,dit;,u uf .I,>,.r,
Th. ,,.suit v.,s tI,.t th,. col,,,d p,,pI,.
h,,..,u,,. th,i, u,Iitir;,l canals and ,u
titl.d +, .,,, ,.n,,.,l ,i,,. in lin. admins
t,,,ti,,, .,r,L.. .E,,,.,,,n,.nt ,rh.., Lu,v
,.',.t.,,,l, ,.II .I.,t L,I,. ,,,,.
r.. ,.,',,,.,,l,;.,. - ,L. uL,J.. ,.,J,,r..d
,.,,... ;tI, tI,,, I,mi,, .,,J tL.,t .n
far 49, th., rnnIJ th.y rendered il all
th.. t -" Ill ~ ~ ,hn;r n,w,t Th., knew th,t
tI,. ,.,J,,r,.J ,,.,,,,I.. ,..;,,i,..J i, am, vie,
t.,,;,.. ,,,,I .,f,t. .rJ t,;n,,,J,
,.J .,I,mJ MI, ns II, tL, t;n.I ,y.rtLr,v-
nf in, rebellion Thrir farmer mrui,Is
and nrnnrrt, h,J hrrnmr tLrir noIitic,I
..nm.,I. i,nd IN St,trs and nI,n,iu,Iiti,.s
,,h"r,. ,hn, n,r. ,h. u,n., n,m.rnu.
th., h,J Le.nna then. ,ml.rs
That .,II tLi. w,s saxr.aJ;noIx ur,tinu
,,.n r,.rnIt;mn tn tL,. f.nIinIS of thr
nenml. If the South cam easily he he