The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-09-25

/ has been done, fully ana unreSerVed-
! ly ; and it is now expected that the
colorcd voter, after all this expe
ricnce of ruin and disaster caused
by his blindly and implicitly follow
ed the adventurcrs, who have I'M
dcrtakcn to rule in this State, shall
not allow his prejudice to the dom
inant race in the Union to cause
him to decline to cooperate with
that race in securing good govern
ment.
The plea that the whites are not
TO he trusted, because of the IcgiS-
lation of 1868, will not be received
as Il good one The answer to it
will be found in the legislation of
the Northern States themselves, in
the action of the L. S. Congress
and Executive, preparatory to cman-
cipation during the late war, and
in the example of Great Baitain
when she abolished slavery in the
West Indies.
"a short review of this legislation
will be we'll; Tor it will be found
after all, that the legislation of 1865,
has in most its provisions, its pro-
totypc in tho legislation of the
Northern States, and taken all to-
gether, was more moderate IN its
character, securing greater and
more substantial rights to the freed
men, and that, at shorter period,
than the legislation attending cman-
cipation in any other country.
1t will be seen that this legisla-
ton was, in fact, an attempt to solve
n great problem, to evadc a great
difficulty, and that this solution and
evasion, were wrought out, or at
tempted to be so, with less infringe
mcnt on the rights of the colored
people than III any other State
where slavery had once been es-
tablished."
Where the slaves were set free
in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Con-
necticut and Rhode Island, they
were not allowed to select homes
at all, but wero required to live
with and serve their old masters,
without pay, those then living for
life, and their children, from u to
% years.
Indiana and Illinois prohibited
the coming of free negroes a,ld mu-
lattoes into their borders, end Ohio
prohibited it without q bond being
given that they would not become
public charge.
Oregon prohibited their coming
and deprived item of the power to
own land, to make contracts or to
maintain suits in the courts.
1t is again objected to the leg.
islation OF 1865, that our colored
friends We're unnecessarily dcgrad
ed by the provision in relation to
their being witnesses. This pro.
vision allowed them to be witness
es in all cases where colorcd people
were interest cd, or had been MUIR
ed, although white people were
also interested in the suit or pro
ceeding. This was ample to pro
tcct tie rights of the colored peo
pie "a all cases where they had in
ter est. If any were injured by theil
exclusion from being witnesses in
, cases where whites only were in
terestod, it is clear that only The
whites themselves were the suffer
ers. But this law is more liberia
than that which obtained in the
Northern States for many years af
ter slavery had been abolished there
ain Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and
Kansas, negroes and mulattoes were
not allowed to testify in any case
in which white person was inter
ested, although free negroes anC
mulattoes were also interested.
In many Suites they were not al
lowed to serve as jurors. In all the
New England States, such quail
tications were required and snch a
mode of selection adopted, as almost
necessarily excluded, all negroes
from juries. In Pennsylvania, Ohio
Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Min
nesota, Nebraska and Kansas, free
negroes and mulattoes were ex
cluded from tho jury service, and
in all others, they were practically
so excluded
AS late as March 9th 1875, Indi
ana enacted that only white chill
dren should go to the public schools
So in Nebraska until 1869. In Hi
nois no person was allowed to per-
NIT three or more persons of colol
to meet at his house for the purpose
OF dancing and revelling.
The right to vote was denied t.
the negro in Rhode Island, Connect
lcut, Maine, Pennsylvania, Now Jer
sey, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa
Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon, Ne
braska, Nevada and Kansas, and, il
nearly all of them until 1870.
In all these states the blacks bor'
a very. small proportion to thu
whites in number.
"The way ended in the summon
of 1865. The slaves were emanci
pated, suddenly, without previous
preparation. The emancipation
was sweeping, including all. Many
thousands of the freedmen had aban
dened their homes, and had congre
gated in the cities, and were living
on the bounty of the Freedman.
Bureau.
The State had just been dcvast
ed by war. The people were with
out proper farming implements anc
stock, and without the means o
buying them. Proper food and raj
ment were not to be had. y large
number of men had just returned
from the army, without the means
of support, and without employ
ment. The government over the
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