The Opelousas courier., 1896-04-25

ol Lle DeU 4,UtU,UUU slaves were set Tree
and $500, ,O00, 900 worth of property were
lost in moments time.
1t must be remembered that this
property was recognized and protected
10y the constitution and the laws; that
these slaves had been bought and paid
for, thousands purchased from New
England, which subsequently armed for
their emancipation, and the men who
owned them enjoyed the right just as a
man who owned horse or piow. We
are not speaking of the moral or politi-
cal view of the case, although the horrors
of slavery we're very much exaggerated
during abolition times for political eff
feet. The rule among Southern mas
ters was humanity, and this rule was
held for practical as we'll as other con
sideratIons. The man who treated his
slaves best got more work ont Of them
and held them longer than he who mis-
treated them.
The men who owned slaves had this
cosf1itntion as distinctly as II fe "Wbed H% 5t!dd
LAX DIS or houses. The debates 10 con-
gr!ss from Calhoun to Douglass show
tbs. So thoroughly was -lavery rec
ognized and guaranteed by fre consti-
tuition Of these United States tlia.< Wen
agitators declared it was ''union with
hell aud a covenant with tile devil"
Even Mr.. Seward in his war upon the
institution of slavery was forced to
surrender the point that it was out
lawed by the constitution and was driv-
en- to the position that there was a
"higber law" tl:an the constitution OF
our country, a theory SO abhorrent that
it defeated him for president of the
United States.
Mr. Lincoln, who was nominated and
elected president in 1860, never favored
the policy of interfering with slavery
where it existed nor of taking the
slaves without compensation to owners,
and it is believed that had he lived he
would have used his great influence to
have justice done between the govern
ment on the one side and large num-
ber OF its citizens on the other But he
was removed by the assassin at the
close of the war, and since then have
supervened reconstruction, struggle for
place and pecuDiary gain, bounties,
tariffs and pensions. The great issue
of the war and the great injustice
wrought by the emancipation procla-
nation have been lost sight of.
But it is true that Justice travels
with leaden heel and strikes with. an
iron hand" Nothing in the world is
ever settled that is not settled right.
Here we have the spectacle of ma
tion despoiiing. not aliens, but its own
citizens, of $9O0,000,OOO Of property by
force Of arms, by right of might. and
not caring to requite the people of the
property seized and condemned. These
states, according to the theory of north
ern writer's, were neverOut of the Union,
and yet they were made at the point of
the bayonet to yield up nearly $1,00O,-
600, 900 in property without receiving Il
cent in return. This, when viewed In all
the light Of facts and right, was the
most monstrons Injustice OF the CEN
tury. n
Is the man who looks forward to re-
ceiving some sort of compensation for
his slaves a Utopian dreamer? Is it
absurd to believe that some day this
government will do justice to her own
peoplef Is the man who comes
forward with the record Of his slaves
and asks some return for the great spo-
liation act traitor and madman I?
Those whe have given, the subject any
thought believe that it is only an equi-
table claim, but that under the influ-
eDce Of an enlightened public opinion
it's realization may be brought about
within the lifetime of those people now
living.
Everybody will recall the history
of abolition itself-how it commenced
with a mere handful of earnest and
determined men and how it grew into a
dominating principle. This may be
the history of An altogether just and
reasonable claim that we have some
compensation for the slave property
wiped out in the maelstrom Of civil
war. It's beginnings may be consid-
cred in some quarters preposterous, but
IL it has merit it must prevail.
For the purpose Of practically enforc-
ing these ideas there has been organized
in:the United States an exS Slave Owners
Registration bureau, an Incorporated
concern, now doing business in Wash
ington city. The Office has been estab.
lished for the purpose of arriv-
ing at the loss sustained by the
different ex slave owners owing to the
proclamation OF emancipation issued
by President Lincoln January 1, 1868.
The first thing owners are to do is to
file with any Of the sub Offices an affi-
davit setting forth the number and sex
of slaves they OF their families owned
prior to January 1. 1868. This will be
q basis Of proof of owaeeship and will
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