Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-06-09
Henry Wilson's Opinion.

return from the South, and tells what he
thinks about the situation. AS to politics,
he does not believe that it is in the chapter
Of accidents. for President Grant to be
nominated for a third term. But he has
no idea who the man will be- and thinks
that it will hurt any mans chances to be
urged us a candidate at this early day.
He advises a liberal course towards the
Greeley republicans, and wants them taken
back into the rarity, if concessions will do
1t, and he also wants such papers rs the
New York Tribuhc, to have reason to see
that the republican party means to live up
to its opportunity so thatthey will snstainit.
He says the less the friends of any
less they press him into the field, the bet
ter for the party" Make the party all
right and the question of candidates will
come out all right. Here is good plain
common sense, and we trust Mr. Wilson's
words will he needed He is very well
~ i~tied with Grants letter on the third
term question, but thinks, the agitation
should have beer crushed in the BEGINNING.
'
have settled the principle in the minds of
the people. and no man could be lected
third time. 1t i useless to talk about it
and damaging to the party that can be suS
pected of harboring such an idea. The
closing words of vicc-Prrsi,lrnt Wilson in
this interview deserve t. be inscribed in
letters of gold on the Republican banner,
aud kept before the eyes of its leaders for
/ The NEXT y,rr and :. IN If ;it least
! You cannot carry a party by PARTY measures
and by alliances to party obligations. The people
nave that the party is going with the
/ advancing questions Of til If time
A. to the condition of the South, Mr..
Wilson says | took occasion to talk
with all classes and conditions Of men.
eonvcrscd with army officials, and with the
southern people generally. on the condi-
ton of the country, talked especially
with the colored people, sometimes indi
| virtually, and sometimes to deputa;ions
who were appointed to wait upon me.
converted freely with the lpaling men of
al Glasses in Kentucky. Tennessee, Az
kansas, and I'll through the South, and the
testimony of all WAS to the effect that
affairs We're improving, and everything
wolc u better aspect than it has done
since the war. | also convcr>ed with
northern gentlemen who had been tray
cling or We're living in the Sou b, and
heir testimony WAS >imillr. They said
that there had been Il decided improve
ment in every place which they had seen
IN Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama
the universal testimony Is that there Is Il
general and decided Improvement through
out these states. Good feeling seems to be
on the increase. and the feeling is better
now than III any time since the war.
Things look very favorable. The crops
his year are especially good the people
of the South are working hard and mani
fest great sien> of industry. This is one
feature especially noticeable. The spirit
of industry is stronger than perhaps it has
been at any peri Il since or even before
the war | was glad to hear that more
than anything else, because industry is
one great essential in the future prosperity
If the country. his is one of the most
hopeful signs in the South, because, with
refer, nee to the question of industry. the
southern people-owing to their former
habits and modes Of living have no idc;.
of this term u we understand it up North.
they don't know anything about it.
The prejudice against tn colored man
exercising the franchise am happy to say.
:. ,.I,; a.. a. ,,,;.,. =, ,I,, ;,r,,.,r,,,, ,I.,-.
rhorn Il" :,.o f,r ,na .n i Nissisl;,,,
who sill adhere TO the horrible doc,rin,
If ,.,~ta ~, th,. linz. uf distinction in r,,.e
H,t L,li,.v, hi. elias. nf mon arc lnsino
,rnnnI and fine. fl;no !, hroinninr to III,
Inuf Men of thi, ri.s, are, or.,du,llv
IoSin~ more of 1h,ir bower while :, better
sentiment is getting the ascendant. From
III CIV ,nI coT}J hear | r,me away
i with the conclusion that PROGRESS ha,
been made. Such f.elinr a. rem,ins in
Tho. South is only natural and what moh,
have been cxln,ctrd from the former con
dition of the country.
They were very GOOD to me: they could
not possibly have been kinder. no matter
who mad been. | met men there who
. had been actively engaged in the rebellion
strong democrats ~ well rs republicans
who all I~llavcd a feeling of the utmost
Kindness and >Ociablitv. They all knew
one thing all who know me = that | had
p always been an nnti-~lvrrv man. Whpr
they said 10 me, We know what voul
princl Piles have been in the plst-we kGo"
: that You were strongly opposed to us. bu
, we feel and knowledge tFIrt You hav,
adopted Il kindly and charitable cours,
4 toward Us. and t,Ivo atcd peace and goo,
order. | took occasion to say to them, il
+ all 1rlnknr>~. that kind words and act
4 toward me would not he deemed by oul
= people satisfactory evidence that the,
e were willing to accord to the black mel
/ their rights, and that if they wished It
; rive such satisfactory evidence to tn
North, they should >how by their action
AMI by facts that the col"red man WI
! accorded his Just rights; if they did no
: act IN this practical way. there would b.
= people watching them and ALWAYS tindin,
u fault. and it would have the tendency t,
i increase the difficulties of which they nov
complain
found in some localities that there wa
probably some lingering feeling of pref
uIicr. but in I'LL localities it WIS Gradual
e passing away. | found that there WI
more intercourse. and n better frtlin.
generally. Northern men told me 50 ri
most universally. Some had an idea th:,
: this might perhaps be policy on the part O
= the southern men, but whatever may hay
been tn. motive (anl that mirht hav
been part of it. it is unGupStionablv tru