The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-12-26
Speech Of Hon. William A. Richardson,
OF ILLI.INoIs,
On the Presidents Message.

Delivered m he House Of itepresensd'spes, De-
ctnaber 8, 1862.
The House being in the COMMITTEES of the
Whole on the State of the Union, Mr. Richard
son said:
Mr.. Chairman - The annual message recent
ly sent to this House by the President OF the
u. States, is the most remarkable OF any that
has ever been delivered to Congress. 1t is re.
markabe for what it says, and it is still more
remarkable for what il omits to say. One-half
of the twenty-one pages which it covers is de-
voted to the negro No page, no sentence, no
line. no word, is given to laud or even to men,
ton tho bravery, the gallantry, the good con-
duct of our soldiers in the various bloody bat
| ties which have been fought. No sorrow is ex-
nrcssed for the lamented dead No allusion i
made to the manned and wounded. No SYM
pathy is rendered to the sorrowing widow and
TO the helpless orphan made during the progress
of this war, which could have been avoided by
honorable compromise, if the President and his
| friends had chosen to do so
| Sir, it is a remarkable document. 1t is an
extraordinary message, when we come to think
of it's sum and substance. To feed, clothe, buy,
and colonize the negro we are to tax and mort
| HstS0 TIC WIlle Iuuh ttiiu ShAiuASh' AhS
white race is to be burdened to the earth for
the benefit of tho black race.
| A friend of mine from New England the 9TH
er day made mathematical analysis OF the
message He said, one from one and naught
remains. Naught from naught and the message
is the result. ILaughter.
So far as it relates to the white race, that
mathematical calculation is right. so far as il
relates to the negro, or in the court language
of tile President. the ''tree American of Atri.
can descent" rivers of blood and countless mil.
lions of treasure are not enough for his benefit
and advantage.
Now, sir, when our people have anxiously
looked TO the message frsm the President of the
| United States to learn what they have to hope
of a restored Union, and return of the bles-
| sings of peace once more to their iiresdes, by
| inference we learn, if not directly, that if we
| will carry out all of the Presidents plans; il
we will carry out his schemes 81 years from
now, the people may again behold the rcstora.
! tion of the Union, and the return of peace
True the message states that at the end of those
81 years but few of us will then be living to
enjoy the blessings we once enjoyed in this now
! distracted and divided country.
But, Mr. Chairman, there are a few passa-
ges in the message so extraordinary, 40 wonder
| full, that they require at least passing notice.
There has been, and still is, n great anxiety
| felt and expressed by our people that this me-
gro population shall not jostle them in the oc-
cupations they have heretofore pursued in the
various industrial pursuits of life in the great
fertile regions of the West The President on
that head uses the following language:
"And yet wish to say there is an objection
urged against the free colored persons remain
ing in the country. which is largely imaginary,
if not sometimes malicious 1t is insisted that
their presence would injure and displace white
labor and white laborers. If there ever could
be proper time for mere catch arguments, that
time surely is not now. In times like the pre-
sent, men should utter nothing for which they
would not willingly be responsible through time
and ia eternity. Is it true, then, that colored
people can displace any more white labor, by
being free, than by remaining slaves? IL they
stay in their old places, they ostle no white la
borers; if they leave their old places, they leave
them open to white laborers. Logically, there
is neither more nor less of it."
Now, sir. will not do logic the violence to
say that that is an argument. He tells our peo-
pie, those who supported him because they be-
lieved he and his party intended to keep the
non.slaveholding States and all the Territories
of the Union for the sole occupation of the
white race, if you do not like my plan of dis
posing of the black race; if you fear from their
introduction among you that their labor will be
brought into competition with that of your OVID,
all you have to do to avoid this competition is
to quietly leave your present fields of labor,
homes to which, perhaps, you may be attached,
and the graves Of your kindred, and emigrate
southwark, and occupy the places made vacant
by tho exodus of what bis Excslleucy terms the