The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-07-28
Remarks Of chief Justice Chase.

Al The CommeHcemsnt Of Dartn0sltk CSk
lsge, Jug 2eth, 1865
Ma PREsIDESr AND GESTrKMES: / feel
oppressed with the many kind allusions
that have eeen made here concernina
myself, and for these numerous expres-
sions Of your warm personal regard, be
pleased 70 accept my sincerest thanks.
For many reasons / would be silent To-
day. yet here smoDg 30 many of my
brothers, l feel it not only duty but a
pleasure to give expression to my views
concerning the important resolutions
now under consideration. Gen Shep-
ley wishes you to erect a beautiful
memorial building in commemoration
Of the noble cons of Dartmouth who
have fallen in the great conflict Of the
Past four years. This is we'll but I
would suggest that, Of the reorganized
country they died to save, We erect q
memorial that viii endure forever.
believe, gentlemen, that we should be
honest in the expression of our views
upon allsubjects. Ny motto has always
been to form my ideas, and then put
them into acts. And in relation 70 ma
tional matters, am free TO say that
believe one of the first things which
ought to be done is to give every man
in this country who is unattainted Of
crime the right to vote. Great ap>
plause
believe there is virtue in the colored
people of the South. They do not pos.
sess college educations, but turning to
Gov Smyth) men can be Governors
without liberal course Of study. Ap-
plause They can be Presidents. Ap-
plause At the time when was in
politics, believed the mafn duty was
to vote the ticket Well, there are in
telligent oOlored people in the South
sufficient to make up the ticket and
the Others will vote it Now, how many
gentlemen here can put their hands OF
their hearts and give the exact reasons
why they voted the last general tickel2
/ refer to his Excellency, Governor
Smyth, to the ex-Judge Eastman, to
the President and to the ex-President.
Lord, and ask them to tell me WHY
they so voted, if they can. ! hear no
reply, and would sey that if you cannot
answer my query, you must NOS object
70 the colored people voting on the
ground that they would not know what
they are about Applause Now,
I look to the moral element as tie main
qualification for exercising the right Of
suffrage. Now, gtntlemen. the moral
element greatly predominates IN the
cOlored people. An acquaintance Of
mine said he was opposed to Universal
suffrage among the blacks, but remark
ed that those colosed persons who have
fought in the army, who can read and
write and who belong to the church
ought to vote Well, / said TO my friend,
that is all right, for those who don't
belong to the church to-day can al join
tomorrow. applause. 1t might not
be q very moraiizing process, but il
would accomplish the object in view.
Now / don't believe the Constitutions
Of the seeded States should determine
the qualifications for voting ] have
talked with our good President at Wash
ington on the subject, and he doesn't
exactly agree with me, but have hopes
that will bring him around 70 il be-
fore long. Applause. Through this
great war the colored people have been
freed, and / believe that all freemen are
citizens Ny theory is that in the South
the States remain States, but that the
people are not the same people as here
tofore. The organizations Of the rebel
States have been destroyed, and we
raust 90 to the people to reorganize
these States. Now who are the people ?
In reply, 1 would ssy that believe this
war has made every coiored man,
woman or child just asimuch one Of the
people a. the whites, great applause,
and I believe that the whole people are
to reorganize the rebel States
believe that the Govern
ment has no more right to
bar one citizen (unles tainted
By crime) from voting than another.
These, Mr.. President, are the sincere
views Of my heart, and felt it nay duty
to express them 10 you If any Of my
hearers do not readily endorse my
ideas, would at least ask you that you
give them az honest and careful con-
alteration. In conclusion, gentlemen
would simply say, let as build not only
the memorial monument butfrom re-
country that otkeF mOau-
ment Of national grestness which, tow
ering toward the skies, shall catch
the frst rays Of the rising and the last
rays Of the setting sun, and which shall
remain forever the symbol OF right, Of
justice and Of freedom.