Year: 1867

questions at issue under these acts Of Congress arC


T 1ue most momentous ever presented TO people,


= uS result Tor good evil will aEect all parts oi


the country with more or less force and will loave


an impress upon our institutions which will long


remain. 1t is easy under existing circumstances TO


win the first victory and reconstruct these States


under the acts Of Congress But this victory is on


y the beginning of the contest and unless It be


victory openly and fairly won and very decisive in


us results It may prove not only fruitess but abso-


lutsly destructive The problem is to psrpetuate


reconstruction in the spirit and on the principles


"Iheh can alone secure free Government. Should


We eject reconstruction even after silerIcing the


open opposition Of the old political leaders, we stand


com mmitted 70 admit the reconstructed States into


the Union. Once admitted into the Union, the


power of Congress over them reduced practically


70 the general power which that body has over all


States in the Union. BY admitting these Southern


States after slencing the old political leaders, and


neutralzing for Il moment old political influences,


Congress and the people disarm themselves. The


moment admission is accomplished the military
power is suspended, and when all restrictions are


removed at once these old political leaders and the
old political and personal influences win resume


their activity and we may find too late that such


reconstruction we have made is not only not what


is needed and pected, but what will simply result


in reproduction Of the same condition of affairs


which made reconstruction measures necessary at all


Freedom Of speech aud of the press, education
| equality before the law and in political rights and
1 satisfactory a.


construction in the South. Without securing these


we have secured nothing. How can we know that


reconstruction viii accomplish these results IN less
we know in advance the strength and The power of


those who oppose Il Reaction is certain Unless


reconstruction party win the battle bv decisive


malorites over all the elements which oppose it.


left TO develope themselves and apply their full force
TO the contest If the reaconists thus left free can
defeat such reconstruction as this, we then know
What 70 do-what, IN fact we must DO if we desire
70 perpetuate free institutions 1t is best to knew
Al these things before readmssiOn into the Union
granted 1t will be too late 70 learn them after
ward. Now is the time and this is theopportunity
70 complete this work so that it will stand. Every
dictate of wisdom and patriotism demands this work
at our hands. If hastily or partially done, recon-
struction will drag with It train Of evils to this
country which can never be remedied. It is not
necessary TO say that however restrain the oppo
sltion party now the moment reconstruction is ac-
compshed this party will regain its activity, and
we ought to know in advance whether it possesses
the power to undo what we thought we had done
DO not mean TO intimate that it wsuld be possible
to re-establsh slavery; perhaps it would not even


be practible to take from the freedmen the right of
suffrage, though this latter is doubtful These pol
lticans are willy and sagacious They will make
no Jaws which are not equal their face 10 all men.
1t is in the execution of these laws which to
bear equality on ALL that wrong will be done, and
condition of things produced which bears no resem
blance to free government except in name Social
exclusion, withdrawal Of business relations, open
exhibitions Of hOstiity-if not indeed, actual hos
tile acts-interrupton of or interference with the
freedmen's and other schools maintained by chari-
table contributions from the North-these will be
the weapons used against L MON men and the col
ored race. Acts Of wrong and violence will meet
no sufficient redress-if, indeed any redress at all
lin the courts These are acts which cannot be |
reached by the General Government and yet which |
quietly and silently reLder justice impossible and
establish discrimination against classes of color
odious and unbearable. say then, again, that un-
less reconstruction is accomplished, after the fullest
development CT all the influences against IT, by de-
clsive majorties we will simply have reproduced |
and perpetuated in the South what sought to de-
stroy. We ought TO know in advance, if possible !
whether the presence of the leaders OF these ineu
rabe reaeonists, and their active influence in this
country, are compatible with the peace Of the
try and the security of our institutions


Another question ought to be and probably will \
be decided in the Of the coming canvass for
and against convention That question is this !
have the sluggishness of mind and body and the .
tendency to sssail by violence the right of opinion
and discussion, engendered by habits acquired dRr-
ing The existence of slavery and the system of pol
itics in the South united the people Tor such self
government as is implied by free speech, free press
and the fullest pesceabe discussion of all past ques
tons This is a most important question, and one
which, if answered in the light of existing facts,
must be answered unfavor6bly. Not only do the
reactOnary anti-reconstructionts all the instru
have named, except such as they are
from using by the military authorities,
bnf there is little doubt that they would resort at
once to the intimidation and violence which long
practice has made habit If they dared to do so in
the presence Of the military forces Of the United
States Candor compels me TO say that this ten
dency 20 repress freedom Of speech is not confined
to either party but prevails, though TO much less
extent, among the reconstructonists, whether they
have been always Union men or have lately joined
the ranks OF the reconstruction party. It becomes
the Government OF the United States TO frown upon
such measures, by whatover party exercised, and no
rebuke so sanitary or SO pungen of good results
be administered as for the Government to protect
all parties in the exercise of FREQ speech Results
will show what We must expect in the future by es-
tablishing IN the South what are cardinal principles
Of our Government.


The foregoing remarks refer exclusively to the
white race in this district. The condition and the |
future of the coored are far moro hopeful and
encouraging. The earnest and touching anxiety Of |
the freed people TO learn cannot but make pro- /
found impression upon the mind of any one who |
has bad the opportunity TO observe it. 1t may |
safely be said that the marvellous progress made in
education and knowledge by these people, aided by
the noble charitable contributions of Northern so
cities and individuals, finds no parallel in the his
tory Of mankind. If continued it must be by the /
same means; and if the masses Of the white people |
exhibit the same ndispositon to be educated that
they do now, i've years will have transferred intel
lgenco and education, far the masses are con-
cerned to the colored people Of this district The
social and political results of such change cannot
fail 20 be important and, TO great extent decisive
Of the questions which we seeking to solve. It
becomes us, there 2 TO guard zealously against |
any reaction which may and will check this most |
desirable progress Of the colored race. In this
vew also, we should ourselves that the reconstruc-
tion are attempting 70 set up in the South is of


character and possesses the vitality 90 encourage
and maintain this progress-and perpetuate its re-
suits.


These General, ars briefly my views upon the
condition of affairs in this district and they furnish
the reasons why am pursuing the course in the ad-
ministratcH of my Office which have indicated TO /
you. Il is not improbable that may be mistaken /
and that reconstruction forced and hurried may l
finally result in equal good. 1t seems TO me, how
ever, that we viii incur great risk by departing
from the course I hayo marked for myself; and if
by carrying out other we fail TO accomplish
the results we all have at heSrt we will have en- |
tailed endless evil upon these people and upon the
country, and win have dsarmed ourselves Of the /
power 10 remedy It. / am coTident that recon- |
sracton will be satisfactorily accomplished in this
district in spite Of the open and active opposition OF
the disloysl reactonists can safely say that Ala
bama will give not less than 10000 majority cf
white votes for reconstruction, and think il may 4
be said with almost equal certainty that Georgia /
will give white majority in the same direction
Not less than three-fourths Of the colored vote in
each Of these States viii be cast for reconstruction
The same remarks are substantially true of Florida
III have 50 earnestly invited your attention TO the
danger Of opposite results it has only been TO fur
nsh the data necessary TO meet the case and 10 JUS
tfy the course have though it udicious TO pursue
All the facts that can hear upon these questions
shall continue to report they come TO my knowl-
edge. Il is, however, my duty 70 state thst in my
Judgment the condition Of Affairs in the Southern /
States even should reconstruction be satisfactorily
accomplished viii Of necessity be reproduction, /
in q more or less modified degree of what now en-
lists in Tennessee unless some measures are adopted
to free the country Of the turbulent and disloysl
leaders Of the resctionary party While these per
sons remain in the country TO exercise the baleful
influence they undoubtedly possess, there can be
peace I believe that in Florida and Alabama the /
danger from this cause is less than in Georgia but