The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-07-26


! The sword of war, but this principle is as
vital as ever to free government, as vital as
ever 10 each Stale of the North and the
South, and to the people OF every one OF
them. Let me illustrate this by dn example,
that has no relation to slavery. MaIy years
ago the good cause of temperance was
seized uPon By fanatics, and of course
pushed to the most absurd extreme. In
many of the New England States, law
was passed called the maine Liquor Law"
\ which undertook TO change, by the sIroke of
the pen, The habits of mankind and TO COM
pei total abstinence from every sort OF liq-
nor. from brandy 20 lager beer Great ei-
forts were made TO pass this law in Perm
sylvania, bui our Legislators, having some
respect for the will OF their constituents,
could>ony be brought TO pass an act refer
ring the question 10 The decision Of the peo-
pie; and at the next election, you remem-
I Der it no Doubt was in 1654--we voted
down the proposition TO enact the "Mane
/ Liquor Law" in Pennsylvania. Time has
shown that we were right, for The law prov
| ed total failure where it was first enacted.
Vel, | remember that when was in Con-
! gress three years ago, and the tax bill was
under consideration, there was some de-
bate as 10 what tax should be put upon
whiskey.- Up jumped the member from
| Maine and proposed 10 tax it ten hOHanG
dollars a gallon, for he said, he wished the
/ Federal Government 10 put an end to the
manufacture OF an article that was very OBJ
noxious to his constituents. Now confess
iha, opposed that proposition; not that |
I am partial TO whiskey .bnt because thought
I the Federal Government had no right 10
/ ''abolish" il in Pennsy Ivania.
Let me illustrate this further by an ex-
ample that has something to do with ''the
negro question" which still remains TO vex
/ of war. The Convention that framed the
( present Constitution of our State decided
| that negroes should not vote in PennsyIva-
! MIA. Our courts had always so construed
/ our former Constitution of Pennsylvania
! for the men of the Revelation, while they
/ milgaied with the most enlightened benev-
/ olence the lot of the slave, YET regarded his
race as recent ofshoot from the barbar-
Gus tribes OF Africa, and did not extend TO
/ it The political franchises which they secur-
/ ed "for themselves and their posteritv."
But TO put the matter beyond all cavil, the
/ trainers OF the Constitution of 1888 declared
expressly that the elective franchise shoud
! he exercised only by The "vhite freeman"
| Nov, suPpose, when we had thus decided,
! that MIR. Van Buren, who was President
then, had issued proclamation declaring
that, whereas, the people of Pennsylvania
had decided tha: negroes should not vote,
BOW he, Martin Van Buren,, President OF the
/ United Stales, believing that the Constitution
| was no longer binding on him, because
there had been a war with the Seminole
Indians, did declare it to be his sovereign
will and pleasure that negroes should vote
in Pennsylvania.
This seems a monsrous supposilionss;
certainly, il would have seemed so then;
! yet at this day there is large and active
! party claiming that the President may do
! this very thing, and demanding the instant
! conversion of the field hands of the South
into voters, 10 WELD The political power of
one third of The States o! this Union I'M
/ der pretence of establishing universal sui
! frage, this scheme aims al the destruction
of popular suffrage by degrading it, and
making ii praclicable-for its fouutaion
is the Intelligence OF the voters. The au-
thors of this scheme do not want a Govern
ment founded on the intelligence Of the
people. they want Government founded
on force and propped up by bayonels.-
They want Government which, if il fail
TO elevate the negro, will at least drag the
white man down to his level. Every effort
has been made 10 draw from President
Johnson proclamation as unconstitutional,
as impolilic, and as revolutionary as that
which have, by way of illustration, as
! cribed 10 one of his predecessors. He has
resisted The demand. am not here TO be his
eulogist, but lei us recognize that since he
was suddenly called 10 his high functions
by the lamentable fail of MIR. Lincoln, his
course has given encouragement 10 all who
hope, and pray, and strive for The mainle.
nance OF the Constitution of our counlry
One speech he made lately which merits
your applause. can repeat to you every
word oil it. A large body OF politicians as
sembed at Washington 10 try upon him
The effect OF what was known in Mr. Lin
coln's time as "a pressure" They bad
determined to exiort from President Johnson
proc ocan.aiion in favor of negro suffrage.
Minging threats with persuasion they told
him, al last, that they would crush any man
they had finished their speeches, the Presi-
dent made reply so significant and SO ap-
propriate that | think you will join me in