Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1861-03-22
speech of senator Wilson.
RIGHT OF coloRgp CITIZENSHIP.

Extract from he able and uncompromis-
ing speech of Hon. Henry Wilson, in the
U S. Senate, Feb. FL, 1861 -
The Senator from Kentucky, seconded
BY the Senator from Illinois, proposes TO
incorporate in the Constitution a provision
that "THE ELECTIvE FRANCHIsE SHALL
NOT BE ExERisEp BY ANY PERSONS OF
THE AFRICAN RACE. IN WHOLE OR IN
PART" Why, sir, is this proposition of
diSfranc isement now made Who de-
mands il? What is to be- gained by this
Acknowledgement OF men whose anc stors
possessed the right Of suffrage before the
Constitution Of the United STATES came from
the hands of ITS illu,trious trainers? AT
the time" SAYS judge Curtis in the bred
Scott case, of the ratification Of the Arti-
Giles Of Confederation, all free native-born
inhabitants of the States of NV Hamp-
shire. Massachusetts, New York. New .Irr-
sey, and Nor'h Carolina, tn ugh descended
from African slaves, were not only ctize..s
Of those States. but such Ct them a. had
the other ncc esSary qualifications possessed
the franchise of electors, on eqnal terms
with other citizens" Ia Maryland and
| Tennessee e, PEI sous OF the African race mr.
pxctci,ed tie right Of snff aye. To the
casting votes OF that cl,sS Of men. John
BE once owed his election to the House of
Representatives.
massachusetts, adopted her Constitution
in 1850, during the war of Independence.
That Constitution made tile slave ii freeman
made persons Ct The African race cit-
z MS, entitled to the el, ctire franchise
This right, secured in the trouhlou> DAYS of
the Re, oution, 10 persons of tn" African
race, by John z dams. Parsons. lowell aud
their noble associates, has been exercised
for eighty YEAR. Now, sir. the Senator
from Kentucky comes Ito his chamber,
proposes the dsflanrhisem mt and de.ra-
dalton of citz MS of Massnchu. etlS. made
81 by her heroic sireS, and blush 10 con-
fe3s that there are men in that Common
wealth so false and rrcreant 10 human
rights, ms 10 petition Congress TO sustain
this wich ed, this m ,nstrous proposition Of
Acknowledgement. know. sir, il is an un-
gracious task. in th, Sc days, and in these
chambers, to maintain, even. the LEGAL rights
If prescribed race; | am not insrnsble
10 tie GIBBS and jeers, the miSrepresr nta-
lions OF corrupted public opinion; but, |
never cam never will consent by NO d or
act, to this crime against ireemen. The
material Interests of Massachusetts, are dear
to me, hui the rights of her people are far
drarer. Sir, | tell her apostate sons who
have put their rameS to these MEMORIALS
for the distrauchisement OF Ier colored men
knowing what they did, that the tonstitu-
tional rights of the humblesi man who trrads
The soil Of the old Puritan Commonwealth
are drarer far drarer to me. than all those
material interests for which they are ready
TO sacrifice the rights OF their ftllow-mrn.
Sir, in the dark DAYS of our weakness.
the ancestors of The mn you would low
in the days OF your power. trample beneath
your feet, freely gave their blood for the
Liberties and independence OF America.
The leader and first victim OF the Boston
Massacre of tie 9th OF March. 1870, which
so fired the hearts and loused the patriot
ism Of The people, was Cri-pus Attacks, a
colored patriot. One Of that race mi glrd
his blood with the fallen patriots of /, {
10Th April of l775,and they stood with our
heIoc sires on the heights of Bui ker Till
when he storm of hattie cIung around ami
beat upon it. They fought side bv sid.
+" for the right" says Ban rolf, in Ills mar
ration I'll the work Of that day 'of tn. FREE
, negroes 10 bear arms in the public defence
at that da,. was as little dispu ed in New
) England as thlr her rights When Ma-
jor Pitcairn the leader who opened the
murderouS fire upon The patriots on the
green OF Lexington commo mounted The
works on Bunker i'll. crying, The dav
is ours, he tell MORALLY wGunrd by the ul-
crrlng shot OF Salem, back so der
: hundreds Of the ancestors of the men
upon whose hrows the y, nator from Ken
lucky would stamp degr adaliou, entered the
army and fought with heroic courage on
the stricken fields of he Revolution. Some
Of The most heroic deeds Of the war of IN
dependence were performed 10y black men.
f A Drawer regiment than the Colored Repi-
nrni OF X ode Island, led by The gallant
: Col. Greene, tie hero Of Red Bank. lrod
not The balteields of the Revelation. OF
f This black regiment, Tristan Burgess said in
th- House OF RepreS-ntaisvts s. in 1928. that
: " no Drawer men met the enemy in battle !"
and Governor Eus's, of MASSACHUSETTS,.
Secretary OF War, under Jefferson, said of
them. IN 1920, They dis harged their du-
~ with zeal aud fidelity; the gallant de-
fence of Red Bark, in which The black reg-
lmen' bore part, is among the proofs of
their valor." Arnold, in his admirable his.
tory of Rhoie Island. pays this noble trib-
! nie to lie conduct Of this regi nent in the
battle of Rhode Island-which Latavet -
pronounced q" the best fought battle of the
| war Ii was in repellug these furipus
! onsets, that the newt, raised black regiment.
under Colonel Greene, distinguished itself
! by deeds of desperate valor Posted he
hind a tlncket i'll The valley, they three times
drove back the HesSians, who charged re-
; peaiedly down the hill TO dislodge them
and so determined were The enemy in these
successive charges, that the dav after tn.
5 battle the llessian Colonel. upon hom this
duty had devolved, applied to exchange his
command and go to New. York because he
dared not lead his rrgineet again to battle.
lest his men should shoot him for having
r caused them so much loss"
: Connecticut, too, raised a battalion oe
! black soldiers, and Colonel Humphrey. Al
'aehed TO the military f,nily of Wa>hipg-
5 ton, accepted the command in this corns
: he heroic leience Of the folt on the heiobts
, of Grotun. by Colonel I.d,.r1