The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-08-03
The Mprfulk gpst.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 1865.
Speech Of Hon. John Coohrane.

Brief allusion has been made in our
columns to the speech delivered at Wash
ington by Hon. John Cochrane on Satur-
day night. Mr.. Cochrane, it will be re-
membered, was the candidate for Vice
President on the Fremont ticket, and as
he touched upon the question of negro
suffrage his remarks will be read with
interest. He said:
FeHoW-citisens Though thankful to
you beyond expression for this kind evi.
| dence of your regard am neither so
unmindful of your comfort nor so incon-
siderate of your patience as to attempt
| the infliction OF a speech. The mid
| summer heats of Washington night adj
monish of forbearance, would we survive
! to future trials. Laughter and APP
| plause.] Still l cannot, without dis
| courtesy to you, and want OF respect To
| myself, refuse to speak on some of the
themes which occupy the public mind.
These shall be so far compressed that,
while fitting to the occasion, they shall
not oppose those slumbers to which the
late hourinvites. may say, then, that
among the accepted fruits OF the late war
which has but just now terminated in a
restored Union, are the equality of the
negro among mankind, and the full
recognition of all the rights in him which
appertain to universal manhood. APP
plause.] He who marshalled freedoms
arms to this grand consummation fell as
it was achievedand accepted. The as
sassin' s. arm reached beyond the life of
the martyr Lincoln, and struck at the
life of the republic.
..Then, you and l. and all of us fell down,
While bloody treason dourshed over u.s."
[Applause.1
But the same Providence which took
from us our Lincoln gave to us ANDREW
Johnson. ECheers. Under his aus
| pieces we are taught to augur well of the
| future. I, my fellow-citizens am no
better qualified than you to speak of the
| principles that direct him, and will
mould his administration. From hi;
measures, thus far developed, may We
however, In some degree approximate Il
those principles. Primary among them
would seem to be his recognition of the
exclusive constitutional right in each
State to regulate the elective franchise
within its own borders; or, i'll more
emphatic phrase, that no State Or States
have the constitutional power to pre-
scribe to any other State or States their
law of suffrage. Applause and his
ses. In this proposition / am inclined
to think ali candid and rejecting minds
will agree. Renewed cheering. j.
Another subject invites my attention
it is the question OF extending the suf.
frage to the negro. Now, fellow-citizens
if the foregoing proposition contains 8
truth, the discussion of this question
cannot be of much practical consequence
to us of the North in its application te
! the States lately in rebellion. Yet do
choose to speak frankly on the subject,
| While, therefore, I am clear that the me-
gro should be invested with the elective
| franchise, / do not think, that
| in the current phrase, 1t should be
to him universal. suffrage. "
[Applause and misses. To bestow this
right on nearly four millions of ignorant
persons, admitted to be uniformed even
of the nature or the necessity of law,
would, in my opinion, be the transfer
of the right of self-government from
the intelligence which now impresses it
to the incompetency of capricious and
sue, or am afraid that felon, rebellion,
would revive. Much as I respect the
manhood of the races all over the world,
without distinction of color, and claim
unexceptional respect for their rights,
incline strongly to the belief that the
unit of intelligence, and not alone the
unit Of humanity, is the safe. measure
to be applied to the problem of self-gov-
eminent, or, in other words, to the right
of suffrage. Therefore, had the pow
err, would extend the invaluable priv
ilege to those negroes at the South ca
pable of understanding its uses, and
Withhold it from those who are afflicted
with the incapacity of ignorance, and
until they shall he sufficiently educated
to discreetly exert it. Applause and his
SEES. Fellow-citizens, l ask you, before !
retire, to hail with your applause the first
Captain of the age-Ulysses S. Grant
the champion of the Union-[ cheering]
to offer the need of your praise to
Sherman--andS Sheridan and Thomas his
great ieutenants-[ cheers and then,
with an undying gratitude to the Su-
preme Director for a restored and pros.
porous country, let us separate for
that repose we all need SO much.