The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-06-10

S1AAAZ Il LILA w IN IL 4 ~
GEN. WAsHBURNE ON THE NEGRO QuES
TIoS.--Gen. Washburne made speecha
Lagrange, Tenn, fifty miles east of Mem
phis, on the 10Th nlt. The OCCASION wa
an excursion of citizens from Mem phis
which called out considerable humble
81 the people of Lagrange and vicinity
zen. Washburne cOmmeced by reviewin,
the past troubles, and concluded this part o
MS speech by saying that he ''saw nothing
encouraging in the future ofour country
de then passed to
THE NEGRO QUEsT1oN. s
There is no question that Ilisturbs you
minds, which you will hardly dare 10 thinl
Of however much II may concern you
ing Of which. i know shaii s.v n sorne nm
pleasant things to you! ri yanss
You know, or you ought to know, thai
the slaves are free; that there IL no power
save Omn1potence, can mike them other
WISE, and the sooner YOU prepare for it the
better. see on the outside OF this crowd
more or less colored people. do. moi
want them to misunderstood me. Free.
dom does not mean life of idleness i,
means this; that they are free to work
and free to contract with whoever wants
their labor il does not mean they are free
to gamble. steal and cut each other &
threats. This spirit which the negro has
tnalfesteG Is not q spirit of viciousness, but
"a spirit which arises from an uncertainty
as 10 what their future will be. Do moi
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 q great deal Of
intelligence, and there are certain things
for which they will clamor, until they are
conceded, and the sooner they are conced-
ed the better for all concerned. The COL
ored people will demand-First, that they
he allowed the right to educate second,
that they be allowed to testify in courts Of
justice lastly, that they be allowed to
first right was refused when you had sla.
very, but now there exists nothing thai
should prevent them from educating them.
solves. The safety Of your country 10 no,
going to be imperiled by it. think that
you will agree with me that the better ed
ucated community is, the better that
community will be. Whatever reason did
exist 1t does not exist now. Then AZ t0
his being allowed to testify in the Courts.
ern States and most of the Northern States.
But the world moves I remember the
time when white man, if he was inter
ested in suit, could no; testify, but that
barrier 10 now broken down. II Is said
that the negroes are given to exaggera-
ton; II 70, that should go to their credi-
bility, and there can be no possible reason
Why the negro should not be allowed to
testify. But the proposition which you
will dislike TO receive Of all others Ia that
they should be allowed to vote. Prior "a
1863, when such Statesmen as Andrew
jackson and Hugh Lawson were living,
negroes voted in Tennessee, North Carroll
ma and several other Southern States. and
! never heard OF any man being elected to
Office by colored votes.
You will agree with me that acertain de-
gree of intelligence is necessary for man
to vote. You allow men to vote who can
neither read nor write, anu 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 have the privilege of living,
the colored man il deprived Of the right
Of free suffrage, for we have our prejudices
like yourselves. would ask You the
question, If the colored man who q able ia
read and write Is not able TO vote under.
standingly, as we'll as the white who can
do neitheri think you must answer in
the Affirmative.
The Government has no claim upon him
for his service, but 1t had upon you when
It was assailed, because you had always
enjoyed its protection. No 20 whit the
colored man-he had no Government; but
Notwithstanding, while the Government
WAS assailed and almost in the agonies OF
death, he came to her rescue. then a0k
you the question, If the man who has per-
lied his life to preserve this Government,
ifhe has not right to some consideration,
~ well - those who have forfeited their
lives to destroy it. would have no hesi-
fancy in submitting il to any candid slave
holder. I care not how many slaves he
may ewn. I find this to be the fact, those
holding the largest number of slaves take
the most generous and enlarged view Of
the subject, while the most rabid are those
whoAown some broken down spawned
negroes. Laughtel.] s
On this subject he concludes as follows
What / have said, have said from q
sense Of duty, knowing full well that i,
would not ba popular. have said 1t il
little hope that you would receive well the
suggestions and act upon them in the man.
ner have suggested; but II you will sim
ply allow free discussion in q friendly
way, that il all ask, for know vel
AL those to her things will follow in due
time. go
A MANLY ACT FOR A REBEL ~ Clement
G. Clay. Jr., 10 the only man alleged to b