Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-02-08
THE BURLINGTON.
The Old Regime and the New.
WHAT JUDGE hey, OF THE CABINET, THINKS
OF THE RESULTS OF THE WAR.

| The Old Regime and the New.
WHAT JUDGE hey, OF THE CABINET, THINKS
OF THE RESULTS OF THE WAR.
Postmaster-General Key has lately writ
ten the following communication to the
Toledo (Ohio) Blade
= The past twenty years have worked
wonderful revolution in Southern lnstitu-
tions and Southern society. Strangers to
that section of the country cannot compre-
bend or appreciate this change. Twenty
years ago the stakeholder was proud, in
dependent parsonage, surrounded with plen-
ty, and dispensing generous hospitality.
His slaves were under his complete domino
ton, and were his absolute property, in the
possession and control OF which the master
was secured and protected by laws, State
and Federal, The master was usually kind
to and careful OF his slaves. Some masters
were hard and cruel. So are some husbands
and fathe1s. The masters conscience was
rot disturbed by his ownership of human
property. He had been nursed and reared
BY slaves. All his lie he had been accus-
toned to the institution, as had been his
father and his grandfather. He had heard
its morality and rightfulness universally
asserted by those who ministered before
holy affairs, and by all parties in political
discussions. lie had no doubt as to the
legality or morality of his title.
Now that master is poor and one of the
most helpless of mortals. His late slave is Il
freeman, claiming, demanding, and en-
titled to the same political rights and
Independence that his late master has or
ever had. The social system and the syS-
TEN of labor to which the master was ac-
customed, and in which he was educated,
have been swept from under him. The
income which supported him, derived
from the increase and labor of his slaves, is
gone, and he has left to him no other source
of revenue. In his old age, unused to toll,
ignorant of the science and economy Of free
labor, but still possessed of the proud spirit
of yore, he has become an object of sym
pathy and commiseration. 1t was not by
his fault slavery was established. He did
not participate in the act originating slavery,
but it descended to him from his fathers,
sanctifed, according to his ideas, by their
opinions and their examples, acknowledged
aud protected by the Federal Constitution,
ratified by all the original States, and pre-
served be Congressional enactment and the
highest Judicial opinions.
"IIolding this sort of title, by such i'm
posing authority, it could not be, and was
not expected in the nature of things. that he
should quietly and peacefully yield his
claims. The free States had n very differ
ent education. Their ministers and states
men taught their people that slavery was
wrong-was so inherently and could not be
sanctlfeG by constitutional or legislative and
judicial authority. There vas for many
long years war of ideas between the Sec
tions. which in due time eliminated in war
of physical force, which ended in the tri-
umph of free ideas. The slave became free
man, panoplied with all the free rights of
independent citizenship, the political equal
Of his master.
sin the South, at the close of this contest,
were found the two races, pretty equally d.
vidcd, one of which had been the servile
creature and property of the other. who at
once found themselves face to face with the
same and equal civil and political rights.
Born, reared, and held in slavery all
his life, the colored man dis
trusted him who had lately holden
absolute dominion over him. The late mas
ter, finding his late slave, who, he had been
taught to believe, and did believe, was his
inferior in all respects, of the title to whom
and claim to whose services he thought he
had been unjustly deprived, was not prepar-
ed to allow the cOlored man those civil and
political rights which were properly and
necessarily his to protect him as free man.
The right OF the coiored man to hold office
to vote, to sit on juries, to testify in coart=,
would not have been Voluntarily acknowl- |
edged and provided for at the close of and |
after our late war by the white people Of the |
South. A course OF discipline was necessary
to establish and enforce these positive rights |
in some positive method. Whether the |
means of discipline adopted by the Republi |
can party were the best which could have
been devised to produce this result shall |
not discuss. have thought they were not,
but it does no good now to wrangle as TO |
this, for whether the best means or not have |
been used for the purpose, the necessary and
desired result has been reached, and for one |
do not propose to undo what has been done |
in order that the same result may be OBJ
tanned BY better plan. | prefer to ac-
knowledge the fact as accomplished, and
let it go.
"In the olden times in Tennessee, before
our penitentiary system had been devised,
for theft, under Judicial sentence. On one
occasion an old offender had been found
guilty His crime was manifest and unde-
niable. The Judgment was, by order of the
court put into immediate execution. The
culprit's attorney, not aware of the
agonies his client was suffering at the whip
ping post, moved for new trial, and en-
forced his application with all the argument
and cloquence of which he was master, to
all of which the judge patiently aud atrcn-
lively listened. Just as the argument was
concluded the Sheriff brought into the court
room the victim of the laws sanction, and
reported that the sentence had been executed.
The Judge announced that new trial should
be awarded, but the defendants counsel did
not avail himself of the successful result. of
his motion, but withdrew it. So it is with
the people of the South. Though they have
bitterly complained of the discipline to
which they have been subjected, and to
the measures by which this discipline has
been enforced, they have no desire to have
new trial They are anxious that the sub
ect be treated as res judicdta.
They are willing and ready to stand by
The thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth
articles of the Federal Constitution, and the
legislation by which they are enforced, as a
permanent and final settlement OF the ques-
lion put in issue by our late war.
81 believe we have reached that condition
and that state Of public opinion in the South
where that people, including both races, can
be implicitly trusted with the just, peaceful,
md orderly government of their own affairs.
believe that President Hayes Southern
policy is that which will bring confidence,
,eace, and fraternity to the whole country
md allay sectional jealousies and prejudices
md destroy sectional animosities. The {
curse of discipline has been so efficient in
Is results that. in my opinion, no con flcts
II collisions will follow what the President
las done or may Dc for the Southern people.
firmly believe that no portion of our popu-
alton will be more or even 50 much, bene-
tied by it as the colcred people"
Our Boston Letter.
LIE GREAT STORM - BEN BUTLER QUOTING
scRIPTURE-TnE LABOR TROUBLES - THE
TuASGE ~ THE SUppRINTENDEETN or | I