The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-01-15
MIR. LINCOLNS VIEWS ON TIE
SOUTHERN PROBLEM.

Some one signing himself 'sX' claims
to have been present at an interview OF
President Lincoln with Secretary STAN
ton, Governor David Tod and Sam Gal
loway, at the White House, soon after
the defeat Of General Pope, and some
weeks before the promulgation of the
Emancipation Proclamation. "X" says
that he is the only survivor of that little
party who consulted on the "situation"
in the darkest days OF the war, and he
communicates page OF unwritten his
tory"
Alter The probable effect OF the Eman-
cipation Proclamation was considered,
Mr.. Lincoln unburdened his mind in ref
erence to ''the after consequences of this
wholesale emancipation OF four millions
of people" who, in consequence of gen.
erations of abject bondage, "are totally
devoid of the necessary intelligence to
enable them to take care of themselves"
The President proceeded to declare the
views which much earnest thought had
maturcd in reference to the solution of
the negro problem after the conquest of
the rebellion.
| He held that the emancipated blacks
should be tenderly treated as the wards
of the nation to be assisted and educa-
ted; that they must be taught to crawl
before they could be safely permitted to
stand upright and walk; and that it
would be futile and dangerous to en-
trust them, on the instant, with share
| in the Government. He did not enter
| tain any fears OF the vengeance of their
| former masters toward them. He be-
leyed that they would treat them kindly
because they would be compelled to lean
upon their labor for years tor their very
subsistence. However, to guard both
the safety of the negroes and the
peace OF the country, he would place
the subdued States upder kind of semi
military territorial government. After
while he would give the negroes a par
tial voice in the public affairs, and gradu-
ally accustom them to the duties of citi-
zenship. Alr. Lincoln thought this state
Of things should continue for at least
ten years, in which time the education
of the blacks, the adaptation of the
whites to the changed condition, and the
large leayen that would flow in from the
North and from Europe, would render it
safe to readmit the recusant States to
full communion in the brotherhood of
States.
We would like to know who "X" is.
lie gives what purports to be verbatim
report of Mr.. Lincoln's remarks on the
great problem that yet remains unsolved;
and he graphically describes the pro-
found impression the President made
upon his hearers. If tx" is reliable,
what he reports is important. To us it
looks like verify. II true, it shows that
had not Mr.. Lincoln been untimely. dis
missed from his labors, something like a
true theory of reconstruction would
have governed that great business. He
struck almost to the center in speaking
of the territorial condition of the South
at the conclusion Of the war.
He could not fail to have perceived that
on the conquest of the Confederacy the
States were necessarily in territorial
relation to the Union, since their acts OF
secession and their union in foreign
confederation which was maintained for
four years, absolutely killed their State
Governments by virtue of which they
had been members Of the Federal Union.
Their old State Governments being dead,
and the object of the war, to wit: the
jurisdiction of the Federal Government
over their territory, being attained,
there was no other possible relation
than that Of territories which they could
hold to the Union. They should have
been treated as territories until read
mitted as States in the usual mode. AS
territories, their vote on the Constitu.
tional amendments was not required.
AS territories, they were completely un.
der the jurisdiction of the United State
to all intents and purposes, and Texas
could have been divided into three or
four territories, and two or three Of
them handed over to the negroes
for colonization. If this had been
done in 1865 the white territories
could have been admitted into the Union
in 1861, the constitutional amendments
would have been unnecessary, and the
country been saved the awkward
spectacle of carrying amendments at the
point of the bayonets, as was done!
Thus the problem would have been
solved, the South saved from their crush.
ing burden of debt, the military kept
out, and the whole country long since
have entered upon unprecedented pros.
perity.
! Allopathy versus Homeopathy.
Anovel experiment is about to be tried
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relative merits Of allopathy and home.
patby. It is proposed to establish free