American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-10-18


South was fighting TO take slavery out OF
the Union and the North fighting to keep
it in the Union; the South fighting to
get it beyond the limits OF the United States
i Constitution, aud the North fighting to
retain it within those limits the South
fighting for new guarantees, and the North
fighting for the old guarantee both de-
spising the negro, both insulting the me-
gro. Yet, the negro, apparently endowed
with wisdom from on high, saw more
clearly the end from the beginning than
we did. When Seward said the status of
no man in the country would be changed
by the war, the negro did not believe
him. (Applause) When our generals
sent their underlings in shoulder-straps
to hunt the flying negro back from our
lines into the jaws of slavery, from which
he had escaped, the negroes thought that
a mistake had been made, and that the
intentions of the Government had not
been rightly understood by our officers in
shoulder-straps, and they continued to
come into our lines, threading their way
through bogs and fens over briers aud
thorns, fording streams, swimming rivers,
bringing us tidings as to the safe path to
march, and pointing out the dangers that
threatened us. They are our only friends
in the South, and we should be true to
them in this their trial hour, and see to
it that they have the elective franchise.
know that wo are inferior to you in
some things-virtually inferior. Wewalk
about among you like dwarfs among gi-
ants. Our heads are scarcely seen above
the great sea of humanity. The Ger
mans are superior to us the Irish are SUI
perior to us; the Yankees are superior to
us (laughtcr) they can do what we can
not. that is, what we have not hitherto
been allowed to do But while make
this admission, / utterly deny that we
are originally, or naturally, or practically,
or in any way, or in any important sense,
inferior to anybody on this globe. cloud
applause.) This charge of inferiority is
an old dodge. 1t has been made available
for oppression on many occasions. 1t is
only six centuries since the blue-eyed and
|
fair.haired Anglo-Saxons were considered
inferior by the naughty Normaus, who
once trampled upon them. If you read
the history of the Norman Conquest, you
will find that this proud Anglo-Saxon was
once looked upon as of coarser clay than
his Norman master, and might be found
in the highways and byways of old Eng
land laboring with brass collar ON his
neck, and th9 name of his master marked
upon it, You were down them (Laugh-
tor and applause.) You are up now. /
am glad you are up, and | want you to be
glad to help us up also. applause,
The story of our inferiority is an old
dodge, as have said for wherever men
oppress their fellows, wherever they en-
slave them, they will endeavor to find the
needed apology for such enslavement and
oppression in the character of the people
oppressed and enslaved. When we want
ed, few years ago, slice of Mexico, it
was limited that the Mexicans were an in-
ferior race, that the old Castilian blood
had become so weak that it would scarcely
run down hill, and that Mexico needed
the long, strong and benefcient arm of
the Anglo-Saxon care extended over it.
We said that it was necessary to its sal
vation, and part of the manifest desti-
ny" of this Republic, to extend our arm
over that dilapidated government. So,
too, when Russia wanted to take posses
sion of part of the Ottoman Empire,
the Turks were "an inferior race" So,
too, when England wants to set the heel
of her power more firmly in the quiver-
ing heart of old Ireland, the Celts are an
'infcrioI race" So. too, the negro, when
he is to be robbed of any right which is
justly his, is an 'inferior man." 1t is
said that we are ignorant; l admit it,
But if we know enough to be hung, we
know enough to vote IF the negro
knows enough to pay taxes to support the
government, he knows enough to vote
taxation and representation should go to-
gether. IF he knows enough to shoulder
a musket and fight for the flag, fight for
the government, he knows enough to vote.
If he knows as much when he is sober as
an Irishman knows when drunk, he knows
enough to vote, on good American prin-
ciples. daughter and applause.)
But was saying that you needed a
counterpoise in the persons of the slaves
to the enmisysthat would exist at the
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