Year: 1865

Z


educational effect Of the-War upon our


own army, and / assure you that whilst


our white soldiers have uniformly and


quickly learned to appreciate the fact that


the existence Of our free Government


could only be preserved by the destruc-


uon OF the system of slavery, and so be-


come radically and thoroughly anti-slav-
| cry, the tendency for battling for the old
| flag was almost equally uniform in increas-
| ing and deepening their pride of race
4 This fact Is one which cannot safely be
1 overlooked In any calculation involving
\ their action upon the political problems
/ before the country, and it is one in regard
/ to which think / can hardly be mistaken.


The details of any system of separa-


ton could only. be determined by careful
| study and wide comparison of views
! Suppose, however, that without breaking


up the organization of any State, you take
| contiguous territory in South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama and Florida, and there,
under the sovereignty the United States,
and with all the facilities which the pow
er and wealth of the Government can
give, we organize the freedmen In a de-
| tendency OF the Union analogous to the
Western Territories. Give them schools,
laws facilitating the requirement of home
/ steads, to be paid for by their own labor,
full and exclusive political privileges,
aided at the start, should it seem necessa-
ry, by wise selection from the largest
brains and most philanthropic hearts
among anti-slaVery men; to join them, a
Judiciary or executive which would COM
mand their confidence in the first essays
of political existence. There need be no
coercIve collection of the colored race in
the designated region; the majority are
there now, and the reward of political
power would draw thither the remainder
quite as rapidly as their place could be
ls-ll
States. The forts and seaport cities could
remain under the direct control of the
Federal Government as the basis for that
common trade and intercourse with other
parts of the country and the world, which
would be necessary. The fullest OppoF-
tunity to develop the highest civilization
they are capable of, would then be given.
Colored men of talent and intelligence
would not then make a vain struggle for
the empty name of being lawyers without
briefs, or merchants without trade, but
would have what leading journal at the
East has frequently demanded for them,
the opportunity, as well as the right, TO
rank according to their real character and
ability.


That there are difficulties in the reali-
zation of such plan / shall be the first
to admit, but there are difficulties in all
plans-It 1t is natural to men to struggle to
avoid response bIllty, and to drift upon the
current, trusting to fate; but drifting also
leads to difficulties, as we who drifted in
to war which has cest half million of
lives and untold millions of money, should
not need to be told; and | agree with you
that drifting will probably decide this
matter against the black race, and involve
their destruction, while by leaving the la
Dor of the South in the hands of de-
graded caste it entails upon the country
the worst material effects of slavery, and
prevents that homogenity of institutions
and manners, North and South which I
have said believed to be the only sure
foundation of permanent peace, russ


The Anglo-American and the Africe-
American races now stand face to face
upon the Southern soil In irreeoncilable
hostility. The few cOlored men WhOmWe
have among us may be regarded as the
waits and strays of the great body which
is nation In numbers, and in its isola-
tion by mental and physical charaoteris-
tics. It is as unit that we must deal
with them, and no paltering with. the
edges of the difficulty will avert the doom
which all history teaches us will follow
wrong solution.


The magnitude of the problem is i'm
mense, but the principles which must de-
eide 1t one way or the other are simple
w hen we deaf with a whole community,
however closely related to ourselves, it is
not by the application of the maxims
of municipal lawas applied to indiyidu-
ais, that we must decide the case, but by
modified form of international law,
which so far from ignoring our RESPONSE
bility to God, our common ruler, or the
obligation to recognize the fundamental
| rights of man, necessarily implies them
all. Religion, honor, humanity, republi-
canism, all call upon us to see well to it
that we do not allow the seething and
molten elements to crystaliZe into new
| form of oppression, and | recognize as
| fully as YOU possibly can the burden of
responsibility which this great epoch in
the worlds history rolls upon all who
have even the huInblest partin determine
| ing the shape of public policy.


| / have approached the subject as an
anti slavery man. / have thought as
| deeply as | was capable of, and have care
| fully revised my opinions and tested them
| by all the fundamental principles of right
and justice. IF others do not agree with
me, and it part me from any whose prin-
| ciples and motives are the same as my
own, my deep regret that it should be so
| cannot change my convictions.
/ It has seemed to me that the solution
| have offered rids US of most of the diff
eulties in our way. 1t gives to the black
man political rights and franchise with


out onerous terms; it reduces the repre-
| sentation of the Southern whites In Con-
| gress to a proper basis, their own num-
| bers; it secures the permanent peace OF
| the Government and the allegiance of the
people, by the only sure guaranty, viz:
| that of common interest and identity Of
/ institutions. What more would you have9
/ tits worth while to consider that in
such plan as have suggested, there is
that which is likely to attract eo-opera-
ton on the part of rejecting men in the
| Southern States. There can be no ques-
1 tion that some portion Of the sectional
bitterness which finally led to secession
/ and war, was caused by a more or less
! distinct perception of difficulties like
these we are considering, from which they
saw no reasonable outlet, and that any
plan which recognizes the facts have
i Stated, and endeavors to provide for them
SO as to secure harmony and prosperity in


the South, will soon find advocates there.
\ / do not mention this as an important ar
| gument, because | fully accept the respon-
4 sibility which the military subjugation of
the rebel territory has imposed upon US
1 to determine the matter by the counsels
| and the action of those who have been
truly loyal, and not by those of the dis
| loyal of either section. We must, bow
ever, remember that the ultimate object
we aim at must be to return the people of
/ the South to their relations to the FEEDER
al Government as equal and full paTticl-