Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1861-04-11
Eloquent Yindicaiion OF CoiorSd Citi-

Feb 2lst, 1861, by Henry Wilson, Of Massa-
chusetis:
The Senator from Kentucky, seconded b, the
Senator from Illinois, proposes to incorporate in
the Constitution a provision that .srHE ELECTIVE
FRANCHISE SHALL NOT BIZ EXERCISED By ANY PER
SONS OF THE AFRICAN RACE, IN WHOLE OR ~ PART
Why, sir, is this proposition of ofdsfranchisement
now made2 Who demands it, What is to be
gained by ti disfranchisemcnt OF men, whose
ancestors possessed the right Of suffrage before
the Constitution Of the United States came from
the hands of its ilustrious trainers "At the
time says Judge Curtis, in the Dred Scott case,
''of the ratification of the Articles Of Ccnfedera
ton, all free native born inhabitants of the
States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts,, New
York, New jersey, and North, Carolina, though
descended from African Slaves were.not only
citizens OF those States, but such of them as had
the other necessary qualifications possessed the
franchise of electors, on equal terms with other
citizens" In Maryland and Tel nessee, persons
of the African race long exercised the right Of
suffrage To the casting votes of that class OF
men, John Bell once owed his election to the
House of Representatives.
Massachusetts, adopted her Constitution in
1850, during the war Of Independence. That
Constitution made the slave freeman-made
persons of the African race citizens, entitled to
the elective franchise. This right, secured in
the troublous days Of the Revolution. to persons
of the African, race, by John Adams, Parsons,
Lowell, and their noble associates. has been ex
orc sol 4t.r. .fsrl,f IL
from Kentucky comes into this chamber, pro.
poses the dislranchisoment ana degradation of
citizens Of Massachusetts,, made so by her heroic
, sircs, and blush to confess that there are men
in that Commonwealth so false and recreant To
human rights, as to petition Congress to sustain
this wicked, this monstrous proposition of dis
franchisement know, sir, it is an ungracious
task, in these days, and in these chambers. to
maintain, even, the legal rights of a prescribed
race; am not insensible 70 tie ribes and ieers
the tauuts and misrepresentation Of corrupted
public opinion; but, | Ecver can-I never will
consent, by word or act, to this crime against
freemen. The materia! interests of Massachu-
settS are dear to me, but the rights of her people
arc far dearer. Sir, tell her apostate sons who
have put their names to these memorials for the
distranchsement Of her colored men, knowing
what they did, that the constitutional rights of
the humblest man who treads the soil of the old
Puritan Commonwealth are dearer, far dearer To-
me, than all those material interests for which
they are ready to sacrifice the rights of their
fellow men
Sir, in the dark days of our weakness, the an
cestors of the men you would now in the days OF
your power, trample beneath your feet. freely
gave their blood for the Liberties and independ
ence of America The leader ID frst victim of
the Boston Massacre of the 9th OF March, l77O
which 50 fired the hearts and reused the patriot
ism of the people, Crispus Attucks, a
colored patriot. One of that race mingled his
blood with the fallen patriots of the 18th of April
l115, and they stood with our heroic siros on the
heights of Bunker Hill, when the storm of battle
ciunS around and beat upon it. They fought
side by side and shoulder to shoulder with our
fathers, 'for the right" says Bancroft, in his
narration of the work Of that day, .of the free
negroes TO bear arms in the public defense al
that day, was as little disputed in New England
as their other rights" When Major Pitcairn
the leader who opened the murderous fire upon
the patriots on.the green of Lexington common
mounted the works on Bunker Hill, CRYING.
1.-The day is ours" be fell, mortally wounded,
10y the uuerring shot of Salem, black soldier
Hundreds of the ancestors OF the men upon
whose brows the Senator from Kentucky would
stamp degradation, entered the army and fought
with heroic courage the stricken fields of the
Revolution. Some of the most heroic deeds of
the war of independence were performed 10y
black men. \ braycr regiment than the Colored
Regiment of Rhode Island, led by the gallant
Col. Green, the hero of Rcd Bank, trod not the
battle fields of the Revolution. OF this black
regiment, Tristan Burgess said in the House Of
Representatives in ls2s, that ''no braycr men
met the enemy in battlc,' and Governor Eustis,
of Massachusetts,, Secretary Of War under
Jefferson. said of them. in ls2o, "Thcy dis
CHARGED their duty with zeal and fidelity; the
gallant defence of Red Bank, in which the black
regiment bore part, is among the proofs Of
their vaor." Arnold, in his admirable history
of Rhode Island, pays this noble tribute to the
conduct OF this regiment in the battle of Rhode
Island--which Lafayette pronounced "thc best
fought battle Of the war. I'll was in rpelling
these furious onsets, that the newly raised Jlack
regiment, under Colonel Green, distinguished
Itself by deeds of desperate valor Posted behind
A thickct in the valley, they three times drove
back the Hessians, who charged repeatedly down
the hill 10 dislodge them; and so determined
were the enemy in these succtss. charges, that
the day after the battle the Hcssian Colon,i,
rpon whom this duty had developed, applied 70
exchange his command anG go to New York,
because he dared not lead his re- mehi again to
battle, lest his men should shoot him fol having
caused them 50 much loss
Connecticut, too. raised a battalion of black
soldiers, ana Colonel Humphrey, attached to the
military family of Washington. accepted a com
rland IN this corps The heroic defence Of the
fort on the heights Of Groten, by Colonel Led
ward and his brave comrades. is q glorious page
in our history. BY their side fought aad fell
mea of this hated race. History records that.
when the works were stormed, the British officer
exasperated by the heroic resistance, inquired:
.Who commands this fort" 81 once did; YOU
do now" answered Ledyard. handing the officer
his sword, Which was instantly run rough his
body bv the officer. Lambert, black soldier,
avenged this murder of his commander 10y thrust
ing his bayonct through the body Of the British
officer. and then fell. pierced by thirty three
havonet wounds Sir, IN the great struggle for