The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-06-25
Speech Of Hon. w. A. Richa hardson.
In the Senate Of tie q. s., June 8. on the B
10 establish u Eesdmsa's Bur.sy

the amendment Offered by Mr. Sumner
ana the original bill. The issue, "a think
Is now fairly presented, whether we shal
oy law OF Congress max Q the white psepl
OF tAis country support the colored. Th
senator from Massachusetts presents q
extraordinary position in relation to thi
SUBJECT But few days ago he was urg
ing us TO confer upon these freedmen th
risnt OF suffrage in the District of Col
umola and In tho territories He IS her
to-day urging us 10 extend to them char
Ity anu support, confessing in his argu
hent, as Is confessed both in the bill ane
the amendment, that they are incapable
OF taking care Of themselves The Sen
ator during the progress of his remark
SAID that they presented this extraordin
ary condition in the States where ou
armies had advanced: the masters hae
ned from their plantations, leaving thei
slaves; that the slaves thus abandoned
cannot support themselves; and he call
upon US now to establish bureau to ia X,
charge ot and protect those slaves upor
whom on other occasions he seeks to con
! fer the right of suffrage.
| But | said that the bill and the amend.
ment to the bill confess before the coun.
try that this population is inca pable o.
taking care Of themselves and that pro
vision is made in both measures to tai ke
care of them. This is the provision in the
orig nal bill:
And the said Commissioner, and by
MS direction the said Assistant Csmmis
sloners, shall have power 10 rermi. per.
sons Of African descent, and persons who
are or shall have become free, as aforsaid
under such rules and regulations as may
be from time to time prescribed by said
Commissioner and approved BY the Score.
tary Of War, to occupy, cultivate, and I'M
prove all lands lying within those districts
now or heretofore in rebellion, viii h
lnads have been or may hereafter be aban-
doned by their former owners, and all
real estate within such districts 10 whicn
the United states shall have acquired IL
tie, and which shall not have been pr. =
viously appropriated by tho Government
TO o;hsr usos, and TO advise and aid them,
when Eeedtul, to organize and direc. their
labor, adjust with them their wages, &c p"
In the amendment proposed by the
Senator from Massachuse, it is as fol-
lows
That the assistant commissioners and
local superlntendeuts shall be ready, as
advisory guardians, to aid the freedmen
]
they have rented plantations OF small
holdings, IN the organization Of their la
Dor, that they snail take care that the
freedmen 4 not suffer from ill-treatmeut I
or any failure of contract on the part of
othe' aud that On their paT, they per
form their duty In the promises; that they
shall further do what they can arhi
traitors, to reconcile and settle snv differ
ences IN which freedmen NAV be Involved
whether among themselves or between
III hsnl. elves ami other persons and IN case
such differences are carried before agy
tribusa civil or military, they shall ap-
pear as next friends ot the freedmen, SO
far as 10 see that the case IS fairly stated
and heard Aaa in all such proceedings
there aha!l be ne disability or exclusion On
account Of color
SO that both bills and the amen dinert
make the broad statement 10 the country
that these people are incapable of taking
care OF themselves, and that Is urged 20 a
reason why this bureau shsl. ee organized.
thai we may take care Of them. But, sir,
the Ioea now sought To te carried out and
consunlnaatea by ihI, bill, Ia make war
for, 10 feed. to c.othe, TO protect and care
Tor the negro, 10 give nIm advaRtS gss that
the white race do not receive or claim, is
one that has characterized the legislation
of Congress anc: all the acts OF the Presi-
oent and his Cabinet for the past three
years The negro mas been fed aud
clothed at the public expense. In the
amnesty proclamatio.. OF the President Of
the United States, sent to Congress with
his message at the beginning sf this ses-
sion we have this declaration:
The perso-s excepted from the forego>
ing provisions are all who are, or shall
have been, civil or diplomatic officers or
agent. of the so-called confederate gov
erament; all who have left judicial sta
tions under the United States to aid the
all who are or shall have been
military or naval officers Of said So called
government, above the rank
Of oslonsl in the army or of lieutenant in
the navy; all who left seats in the United
States Congress to aid the rebellion all
who resigned commissions in the Army or
Navy of the United States and afterwards
aided the rebellion and all who Eaye en-.
gagged ia any way III treating colorea per
sons or white III charge OF such, tberwlse
than lawfully as prisoners of war, and
which persons may have been found IN the
United States sery ice as soldiers, seamen,
or in any other capacity.
treated the white soldiers OF the United
States in any other manner than as pris
on-rs Of war; but if they treat the black
soldiers in any other way he will not for
give them. Why is this so? Is not the
c ir.,e as great if they kill, when captured,
white soldiers as black ones? And yet
the President Of the United States says,
II will forgive you for the one, out will
not forgive you for the other. You may
commit murder, rape, violate the usages
Of civilized warfare upon the whites; l
will forgive that; but touch the negro and
you shall not be forgiven"
Mr.. President, this exclusive regard for
the interests Of the negro is not only true
in reference to the President Of tho Uni
ted States, but it is true in reference to
Congress. How many applications have
been made here to investigate cases where
white men have been, in violation of law,
which, by party vote, have ,
been laid on your table. and all investiga.
tioa stifled? What was the vote" of the
Senate when negro was turned out of
one OF the street cars in this city? BY
that same vote that you laid those inqui-
ries in reference to white men on your
table, you caused one of the committees
Of this oody to investigate the facts, to as
certain whether negro had been turned
out of street car or not. The white man
can be imprisoned, n,obbed, or murdered
-yeu do not care for tEat-but turn the
negro from the cars, and you, with the
speed Of lightning resist it.
The same doctrine that is laid down in
the Presidents proclamation follows your
action here, and not only here 5ut every
where else. Down in North Carolina,
some little time ago, the rebels captured
a portion OF our troops who were natives
Of that State. They killed them No
was ever had about them.
Ne talk was ever heard about it, Nothing
was ever said about it here. But, sir,
when the rebels took Fort Pillow, ana
destroyed the negroes garrisoAing that
fort, yon did not leave it to the military
authority to inquire into the subject, but
you sent special committee IN hot haste