Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-01-16

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the crushed and beaten enemy, strovc to con-
qucr them again 10y kindness and 10 win
back To paths of peace and honor, those
whom they recognized as common inhcritors
of the liberties and rights descended from Il
common ancestry. But the demon of de
| struction would not down; the vcnOmOus
reptile was scoiched, not killed. Refusing
/ to recognize the status of the freedmen,
which the law established, the white people
| sought to rob them of the fruits of their la
bors hy means the most foul and villainous;
and by system of pconage only less cruel
than slavery TO retain complete control of
them.
Again, the Government by the most pa
ternal and gentle means, through the bureau
of Refugees. Freedmen and Abandoned
Lands, provided, So far as was possible, pro
lection to the Union refugees returning TO
their desolatcd homes, and TO the ignorant,
helpless colorcd people, so suddenly thrown
upon their own resources. While they We're
without homes or land, without money, food
or clothing, without animals or agricultural
implements, or any means of support but
their hard hands Injured to toll, as general
| thing they were wiling TO work, and eagerly
! sought employment TO maintain their wives
and children. for whom now, for the first
! time. they. felt any responsibility, and also
for the aged, sick and helpless of their own
race, who were thrown entirely upon their
hands by the crushed, dcspondcnt, impovcr-
ishcd and cruel whites. The bureau had a
work OF tremendous magnitude on its hands,
| but was equal to the task because inspired
by the purest motives and working under
the guidance Of noble man to accomplish a
grand result The courage, zeal, patience,
| fidelity and discretion of the officers and
1 nF LODI
! and the world never saw such wonder
| ful change, such a complete and Thorough
harmonizing of two such entirely opposing
clements as was brought about entirely
| through its means. Almost the entire body
of landed proprictors, regardless of their own
| best interests, refused all aid, all compromise
| with the laboring freedmen, except on terms
worse than slavery. But the Government
took them up as wards of tue Nation, cared
and provided for the sick and helpless and
by wise counsel, careful instruction and pru-
dent forcthousht, provided labor for the will
ing hands, protected all in their rights, re-
strained the vicious and wicked, AMI in Il
most incredibly short time established an in
duSrious and productive system of labor
that is still working ont the most bcneccnt
results Meantime the ravagcsof war, the ccs-
saiion of almost all labor, and the obstacles
thrown in the way of its successful cstah-
lishmeni under the changed relations, brought
all the horrors of famine 10 supplement the
horrors of war. Once again, hcaping Goals
of fire on their heads, the generous people
of the North led by wise and bpuntifnl
Government, hastencd to the help of the
starving population with meat and bread,
with clothing and medicines, and all kinds of
needful supplies. Having supcrintcnded the
distribution Of supplies furnished by the
. a l. 1 4.
worthy objects the liberal donations of the
charitable people of the North | know
whereof speak when say that a large pro-
portion, perhaps the largest proportion, was
bestowed on those who hut Il short time be-
fore were the most bitter enemies of the
| North and Of the National Government. All
il would seem as though such acts Il hu-
maniiy and abundant Kindness ought to win
! the hearts of the most obduratc.
But. mark The National Congress, seek
ing TO soothr the pride, to win the love and
alleviate the unhappy condition of the people
of the seeded States, proceeded, We fear,
with undue haste To enact laws for the re-
construction and rehabilitation of these
States laws Just, honorable and necessary.
| But the rebels, who, as they laid down their
arms on their surrender, pledged themselves
anew 10 obey the laws, now condemned and
their especial benefit. At first holding aloof
from all participation i'll the work of recon
strucion, they sought TO nullify those laws
and prevent the cnfranchscmcnt of the col
! orcd population. Finding, however. that
they had blundcred, that rs usual, their pride
had led them into error, they suddenly
change their tactics and at once they are all
alert and active and looking only to the
end 10 he attained, they hesitate at nothing
TO attain that end.
BY personal ostracism, by open imtimita-
ton, by disguised Ku-klux, by whipping, by
numbering, by burning alive, they seek to
keep the freedmen fromthc polls; and sinsly
and in armed bodies they ovcrawe the loyal
Union men, and wrcst from them the posses
sion of the State Governments. The half
has never been told concerning the atrocities
committed upon the almost Gnrcsisting
blacks. The massacrcs committed at Savan-
nah ut Camilla, and numerous other places
are only rjyallcdhy Fort Pillow. The blood
at thousands of murdered t4,,mru al. over
the South calls aloud for vengeance: and
sooner or later there must be Il terrible re-
iribuilon awaiting thosc who can thus defy
the laws of God and man. The mill of the
gods grind slowly, hut they grind to
powder
How often, however has the providence
of God furnished the opportunity for the
kindness and generosity of the North 10 hc
manifested toward their crrin% brethren.
Again and again has pcStilcncc Stalkcdah
in their borders and the piiful appeal for
help has never gone unanswered. There are
never wanting those who are ready 10 look
death in the face for the sake of suffering
humanity; and money and treasure are
poured but like water. ThcirnccesSty is the
measure of our charity.
But to-day, when We hrhold in many of
those Southern States political privileges
virtually withheld from the men whom the
law has endowed with all the rights of ciii-
zenship, we see the old heaven still nj work.
and feel that the mission of lnval and true
men is moi ended. And while the annual
decoration of the graves of Confederate dead
is made 10 extol and "lnrify the lost cause
while the bittcrcSt opponents aud defenders
of that cause are held up for equal h"nor
with those who gave their lives in defence of
their country; while treason is at work in
sentimental guizc destroying the distinction
between loyalty and disloyalty, il hrhuuvcs
every truly loyal man 10 speak in terms that
cannot he mistaken.
The war ri the rebellion was moi TO "lnrily
men. hut to establish principle; and by the
memory of the loyal dead, whose deeds were
nohlcr far in purpose than IN performance
hy the memory of the sacrifices we have
made let us labor To MAKE treason odi"us
and loyalty honorable, and keep alive and
aslow that patriotic love of justice and "i
country whlch more IMAM u,'uS Z" ' nn'"r'
and Of fu,ur, Generations
~
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ate words, and were asa'n CORDIALLY ar-
plaudci and cnc"rcd-
On motion ol Capt orhshee the thanks "i
The S"ciety were cordially N"''d l" '"i'h'i