The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1865-11-30
speech Of NEr. BuskirlI. i.

on the iSt iNSl., upon OOiub hS>oiotiOi
to amend the Constitution Of Indiana. by
striking thercfrom the 18th Article:
"Finaly, we are gravely told that thi,
article of the Constitution should be strick
ed ont, because it is imperative and the
law made in AID Of it cannot be enforced
This is pot only a bad and fallacious argu-
ment, but a very dangerous one. There
is no way to preserve civil liberty aud
maintain our Government, except by suS>
tainiug and upholuing the Constitution
and laws of the country. | am well aware
that this article, and the law passed to
enforce it, have been openly disregardei
and violated The presence of twenty>
! five or thirty thousand negroes in our State
affords conclusive evidence that many of
our citizens have forgotten their constitu-
tional obligations and their high and sol>
emn duty to obey and enforce thc laws Of
the land Ii the same effert had been
made to obey the law and respect the Con
stituti,n that has been made TO create
pref judicc against tie Z and induce a dis
regard thereof, we would have had 10
has been made n the last three or four
years to prejudice the public mind aeairs'
this provision of the Constitution. Ii one
class of cur citizens are to be justified and
sustained in violating a law, another class
should not be punished for violating some
other law This Is setting very Danger
Gus precedent We have had in different
parts OF the State several negro riots. The
citizens have felt compelled to take the
law IN their own hands and execute suns
mary punishment upon negroes for their
brutal assaults upcn females, and their
deprela;ions upon the property Of cur cit
izens. If there is a successful resistance
made to the enforcement OF this law, and
the nc.Yocs Increase the people may un.
dertake to enforce 1t in 4 mode not provid-
ed for or sanctioned by law. Our southern
border is feeling the effects OF this intro
ductlon Of negroes more seriously and IN
iuriously than any other part of the State.
| greatly fear that the day is not distant
VIXEN VIC VIII have upon our own soil a
war Of races If it should ever colne to
this, there Will be but one determination
Of il, and that will be the utter AMI con-
picic determination ofthe negro race in our
State God forbii that This should ever
occur. and that the bloody and brutal mas
sacrees OF men, women and children. which
have taken place in San Domingo aud
Jamaica should ever occur on the soil Of
cur State. But it is our duty 20 prevent
them 10y keeping them out Of the State.
There is much said about the cruelty
and inhumanity OF this principle of exclu>
siop. | can not appreciate the force of
this argument The shareholders Of the
south have he'd these negroes in bondage
until slavery was abolished. Thcy were
C 'mpelled to support and take care Of thtir
old. infirm and worn out negroes They
have almost worked he life out Of them
They are now released from their legal
obligations to take care Of them. Thcy
no longer own them, and therefore thcir
interests 90 not prompt them to provide
for them. They are now hiring the able !
bodied negroes to work for them, and they !
propose that we of the north shall provide !
for their worthless negroes For one.
AIN not willing to do it.
Have we not objects Of charity and be,
nevo!cnce all around Us? We have wo
men and children Of our own race who
absolutely need the necessarles of life
Look at our crippled and MANNED soldiers
all over the State. Look at the thousands
OF widows in our State. made 50 by the
war. Look at the many thousands of or
phans in our State, whose f,thcrs offered
up their lives to put down this wicked
rebellion. =
Are not our people already heavily bur-
dencd will. taxation? We have AN i'm
meuse National debt hanging over us
Our State is III debt about ten millions Of
dollars. Our counties are largely indebted.
Our towns and cities are eroaning under
,iieir debts aud heavy taxation We in
nreased our school tax last winter, so thar
NC should have funds enough tn kecd cur
schools open half the year. and nJw it il
1eriously ly and gravely proposed to divide
hat sacred fund, and set apart a portion of
1t to educate the chilurea of negroes. And
Ill this is called humanity
| believe in the old doctrine that chari-
ty begins at home. Let Us literally pros
vide for cur white soldiers. Let US com
fort and literally provide for the wants oi
,ur widows and orphans. Let US preserve
the morals Of o,,r own people and prevent
hem from being contaminated by associa
tipn with the is4orant and degraded ne
sres. Let US protect and encourage our
mechanics who have built up our towns
and cities. Let Us foster and protect our
iahoring people, by preventing competition
hat will cheaper the price of labor. Let
Gs encourage the emigration Of our own
race from Europe-mcn who will bring
With them capital, and that which is more
valuable, mechanical skill, industry encr
y, intelligence and virtue; men who will
ell our forests, cultivate our SOIL develop
our immense mineral resources, establish
lnd operate manufactures, thereby Great
ng a home market for the raw material
md surplus product, and reduce the price
,i manufactured articles. Men who will
,wn and improve our lands, build up our
owns and cities, and pay taxes for the
upport of the Government. By pursuing
his course. we will make our people hom