The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1865-12-28
TI,ad. Stevens Recent Speech.

which we take the following choice extract
The speech is extremely loyal" from the
beginning, and viii meet with general IA
vor from those radicals who, in the early
part of the war favored secession rather
than the continuation Of slavery. The
last sentence in reference to the iamented
chiefjustice Taney is in keeping with the
Infamous traitor who is incapable of ut
tering the name Of a democrat without
the use Of his abolition epthets Honest
republicans will blush for shame when
they read the sentiments Of one of their
very ablest men in this extract:
This Congress is boundtO provide for them
(thc negrocs) until they can provide for
themselves If we do not furnish them with
homesteads and hedge them around with pro
! tectiye laws; If We leave them 70 the logis!a
ton of their late masters, We had better have
left them in bondage. Their condition would
! be worse than orr prisoners II Anderson Vile.
Ifwe fail in this great duty now and Nhcn we
/ have the power we shall deserve and re
cciye the exccration of history and all future
eyes. Two things are Of vital Importance
So to establish 4 principle that none Of the
rebel State shall be counted in any OF thc
amendments OF the constitution until they
are daily admitted into tie family of States
by the iaw-inaking a power Of their CON
quer0rs. For more than six months the
amendrient Of the constitution abolshing
slavery has been ratified " the legislatures
of three-fourhs o. tine states that acted on
It's passage by congress which had legisla-
lures, or which were States capable of acting
or conquered to act on that question. | take
no account of the aggrcgatiOnS cf Whitewash-
cd rebels who, without any legal authority,
/ have assembled il the capitols of the late
rebel States and simulated Legislative bodies.
/ \ or do regard with any respect the cunning
by-play into which lhcy deludcd the secreta-
ry OF State by frequent telegraphic an
nounccmonts that south Carolina had ad-
opted The amendmcnt,' Alabama has adopted
the amendment, being the cath State" &c.-
This was intended to dcludc the people and
accustom congress To hear the names OF these
!
truth ;hey have no more existence than the
reyoled cities Of Iatium; two thirds of whose
people were colonizod and their property
coniiscated, and their rights Of citizenship
withdrawn by conquerng and avcnging
Rome 1t is equally important to the stabil-
ity of this republic that it should now be sol
emnly decided what power can revive, re
create and reinstate these provinces unto the
family Of States and invest them with the
rights OF American citizens. 1t is time that
congress should assert its sovereignty and
assume something ofthe dignity of a Roman
senate Il is fortunate that the President in
vitcs congress to take this manly attitude
After siatinc with great fearIcSsness in his
able message his theory. which, however is
found 10 he impractcdble, and which | be-
l;eve very few now consider tcnablc he re
| fcrs the whole matter 10 the Judgment of
Congress. If fCongress should fail firmly and
wisely to discharge that high duty, it is not
the fault of the President.
Gov. Perry, and other provisional Cover
nors and orators, proclaim that this is the
white mans government. The whole cop
/ pcrlicad party panderng to the lowest pref
ulccs of the ignorant, repeat the cuckoo cry;
| "1rhis is the white mans government" Dem
agogncs of al parties, even some high in au
thority, grovclilg, shout; "I'his is the white
mans government" What is implied by
this? That one race Of men is to have an
exclusive right forever to rule this nation
and 70 exercise all acts of Sovereignty, while
all other races and nations and coiors are to
! be their subjects, and have no voice in max
ing the lawsand choosing the rulers by whom
they arc to be governed Wherein does this
differ from slavery except in decree? Does
not this contradict all the distinctive princi-
pies of the Declaration Of Independence? If
this republic is not now made to stand ON
! their great principles it has no honest foun
dation, and the father of all men will still
shake il 10 its center. If we have not yet
been sufficiently ScoGrgcd for our national sin
to teach us to 10 justice 70 all Gods creatures
without distinction of race or color, we must
cxpcct the still more heavy vengeance Of an
offended Father, still increasing hSafiiictioGS
rs he increased the severity of the plaques of
Egypt until the tyrants consented to do .jns-
tce, and when that tyrart repentcd Of his re
/ luciint consent and attempted to rcinslavc
the people as our southern tyrants are at
tempting to do now, lac filled the Red Sea with
broken charios and drowned horses, and
strssy cd the shore with dead carcasses This
issiot Il white mans government in the cX
clnsive sense in which il is used. To say so
is political blasphcmy, for il violates the fun
damcntal principle of oar gospel of lircrty.
This is mans government, the government
of all mon alike. | see il stated that
very distinguished advocates of the right of
suffrage declared that they do not expect
TO obtain il by congressional legislation, but
wholly by administrative action, because, rs
one gallant gentleman said, the States had
no, been out of the Union; then they will
never get it. The President is far sounder
than they. He sees that administrative ac
ton has nothing 10 do with it, If it ever is
TO come il must be constitutional amendments
or congressional action Ill the territorial ana
enabling acts How shameful it is that these
men of influence should mislead and missed
ueatc the public mind They proclaim this