The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1865-06-08
Gen. Washburne on the Negro Oues-
ton.


ton.
Gen Washburne made q speech AZ La
grange. Tenn, fifty miles east OF Mem
phis. on the 29th alt. The occasion was
an excursion of citizens from Memphis,
which called out considerable mum Der
OF the people of Lagrange and vicinity
Gen Washburne commenced by review
the past troubles. and concluded this part
of his speech by saving that he ''saw
nothing discouragng in the future OF
our country He then passed to
rHg NEGRO QUESTION.
There is one question that dstarbs
vour minds. which you will hardly. dare
10 think of. however much i may con
Germ YOU, much less TO hear it spoken
of In speaking of which, l know l
shall say some unpleasant things TO
you.
You know, or you ought to know. that
the slaves are free that there is no pow
er, save Omnipotence, can make them
7 otherwise. and the sooner YOU prepare
for it the better I see on the outside
| of this crowd more or less colored peo
pie do not want them TO misunder-
stand me. Freedom does not mean
life of idleness it means this, that they
are free to work and free 20 contract
with whoever wants their labor, it does
not mean they are free to gamble, steal
and cut each other throats. This spr
! it which the negro has manifested is not
a spirit of viciousness, but a spirit which
arises from an uncertainty as TO what
/ their future will be. Do not suppose
that | am putting any ideas In the heads
of the colored people, advising them to
/ make any eXactions which they would
not otherwise think Of. for | know there
is among the colored people great deal
of intelligence, and there are certain
things for which they will clamor, until
they are conceded, and the sooner they
are conceded the better for all concerned.
The colored people will demand-Frst,
tina. they be allowed the right to educate;
second, that they be allowed to testify in
courts of Justice, lastly, that they be al
lowed to vote. | can see reasons why
the first right was refused when you had
slavery, but now there exists nothing
that should prevent them from educating
themselves. The safety OF your conn
try is not going to be imperiled by It,
| think that you will agree with me that
the better educated a community is, the
better that community will be W hat
ever reason did exist it does not exist
now. Then as to his being allowed to
testify in the Courts. That is denied, l
believe, in all the Southern States aad
most of the Northern States. But the
world moves. l remember the time
when white man. if he was Interested
in a suit, could not testify, but that bar
rier is now broken down. 1t is said that
the negroes are given to cNaggeration
if so, that should 90 to their credibility.
and their can be no possible reason why
the negro should not he allowed to testi-
fy. But the proposition which You Will
dislike to receive OF all others is that
they should be allowed 10 vote. Prior
TO 1868, when such men as Andrew Jack
son and Hugh Lawson were living, ne
groes voted in Tennessee, North Caro-
lima and several other Southern States,
and | never heard Of any man being
elected to Office Uy colorcd votes.
You will agree with me that 4 certain
degree OF lntelli gence Is necessary for
n man to vote You allow men to vote
who can neither real nor write, and in
some OF the States those who cannot
even speak the English language This
Is the case in the State where | reside.
know that in the State where L have
The privilege of living. the colored man
is deprived of the ri yht OF free suffrage,
for We have Our prejudices like your
selves. / would ask yoa The question,
ii the colored man who is able TO read
and write is not able to vote understand
ingly, as we'll as the white who can do
neither | think you must answer in
the affirmative.
Tue Government had no claim upon
- +
when it was assalIed, because YOU had
always enjoyed its protection Not so
with the colored mamie had no Gov
eminent; but Notwithstanding. while the
@ Government was assailed and almost in
the agonies of death, he came to her
rescue. l then ask you the question,
if the man who has periled his life to
preserve this Government, if he has
not a right to some consideration, as
well as those who have forfeited their
lives to destroy it. l would have no
hesitaucy in submitting it to any candid
l care not how many slaves
he may own. | find this to be the
fact those holding the largest number
Of slaves take the most generous and
view of the subject, while the
most rabid are those who own some bro
ken down spawned negroes Laugh
ter.
On this subject he concludes as fol-
lows:
What have said. have said from n
sense of duty, knowing full well that il
would not be popular. | have said IL in
little hope that you would receive well
the suggestions and act upon them in the
manner I have suggested; but If YOU
will simply allow free discussion in |.
way, that is all | ask, for know
we'll all those other things viii follow in
iue time.