Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-01-06
SPEECH OF
HON. W. A. RICHARDSON,
OF ILLINOIS,
In TIE House. OF REPRESENTATIVES,
December 8, 1862.
OF ILLINOIS,
The House being in the Committee of Whole on tn
state of the Union

December s, 1862.
The House being in the Committee of Whole on the
state of the Union
Mr. RICHARDSON said:
/ Mr.. CHAIRMAN: The annual message
/ recently sent to this House by the Presi-
dent Of the United States, is the most re-
markable of any that has ever been deliv-
cred to Congress. 1t is remarkable for
what it omits to say. One half of the
| twenty one pages which it covers is devot-
ed to the negro. No page, no sentence, no
line, no word, is given to laud or even to
mention the bravery, the gallantry, the
good conduct of orr soldiers in the various
bloody battles which have been fought
4 No sorrow is expressed for the lamented
| dead. No allusion is made to the MANNED
and wounded. No sympathy is rendered
to the sorrOwing widow and to the help
less orphan made duo the progress of
this war, which could have been avoided
by honorable compromise, if the President
and his friends had chosen so to do.
Sir, it is remarkable document. It is
an extraordinary message, when we come
to think of its gum and substance. To feed,
clothe, buy, and eolonise the negro we are
to tax and mOrtsge the white man and bis
| uO WHO InCO 10 W Do DuEu6It-
ed to the earth for the benefit Of the black
race.
A friend of Faine from New England the
other day made a mathematical analysis Of
the message. He ssid, one from one and
and the message is the result. Laughter. |
So far as it relates to the white race,
that mathematical calculation is right. So
! for = ralafaa IN fha = L.
court language of the President, the "free
American of African descent" rivers of
blood and countless millions Of treasure are
not enough for his benefit and advantage.
| Now, cir, when our people have anx-
iously looked to the message from the Pres
idsnt of the United States to learn what
they have to hope of restored Union, and
G return of the blessings of peace once
more to their 6resides, by inference We
learn, if not directly, that if we will carry
out all Of the Presidents plans; if we will
carry out his schemes thirty-seven years
from now. the people may again behold
the restoration Of the Union, and the re-
turn of peace. True, the message states
that at the end of these thirty seven 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 pas
sages in the message so extraordinary, so
wonderful, that they require at least q
passing notice. There has been, and still
is, great anxiety felt and expressed by
our peonle that this negro population shall
not interfere with them; that it shall not
jostle them in the occupations they have
heretofore pursued in the various industrial
pursuits of life 10 the great fertile regions
Of the West. The President on that head
uses the following language:
"And yet wish to say there is an OBJ
lection urged against free colored persons
remaining in the country, which is largely
imaginary, If not sometimes malicious. -
1t is insisted that their presence would iuA
jure and dfsplaee 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 pres.
ent, met should utter nothing for which
they would not willingly be responsible
through time and in eternity. Is it true
then, that cOlored people can displace any
more white labor, by being free, than BY
remaining slaves? If they stay in their
old places, they jostle no white Iaborers
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 sag that that is an argument He telIt
, our people, those who supported him be-
cause they believed be and his party in
tended to keep the non-slayehOldin States
and all the Territories eff the Union for thu
sole occupation of the white race, if you d.
not like my plan of dispoEing of this blacl
race if you fear from their introduction
among yeu that their labor will be brough
into competition with that of your own, al
you have TO do to avoid this competition il
to quietly leave your present fields of La
, ! Dor, holses TO which, perhaps, you may b.
attached, and the graves Of your kindred
= emigrate southwark, aud occupy the place
s made vacant by the exodus of what hi
Y Excellency terms the free Americans o
t African decent" That is the sum AM
It substance of it,
Il But for sake Of argument, admit If ye,
Q choose that all the plans of the Presiden
: touching emancipation and colonization o
Y the negro were to-day successfully carries
out what would it accomplish in the grea
work of restoring the Unionf Nothing
J worse than nothing.
The President recommends in his an
v nual message three propositions to amen
the Constitution Of the United States.
will not trouble the committee with read
= ing them; every gentleman here is familia
!. with the articles he proposes to adopt 70
amendments. The first, second, aud thirc
are for the benefit of the negro. The pee
pie are sick and tired Of this eternal tai
upon the negro, and they have expresse
that disgust enthusiastically in the receu
elections. The Presidents proposed ameuC
monts as Q whole, or either Of them, conl
It not receive the suffrages of a majority c
the people Of more than two States of thi
Uns0n.
Q While upon this subject, | desire to ca
the attention of the committee to O singI
feature in relation to these amendment,
2 In the message be recommends an amend
ment to the Constitution as follows:
IS ART. =. Congress may approprist
d money, and otherwise provide for cOloni,
ing free colored persons, with their ow
consent, at any place or places without th
:, United States"
In this recommendation be seeks TO Civ
power to do what be claims he has ia
II power to do without il and by this recon
mendation he admits he has been exerciI
ing unauthorized aud illegal authority. |
g not this in itself an admission that th
Constitution, upamended, grants no powe
to Congress or the Executive to sppropri
. ate or use the money Of the people for an
o purposes contemplated in this amendment
He calls upon us to compromise. VIVA
compromise is thatf For whom does b
], propose COMPROMISED What fort L
70 order that you may have more power {
e advance the negro. That is all there is I
- ! Al. l. 4 = n,