The Indianapolis daily herald., 1865-11-23

ha :, ss,. thev found il IN existing evil. and
NJ N m s-rcaflv efnbarra~~Sl them In their Ia
or They hal 10 deal with II as y fact, and
hey aid the bet they could uRsief All their
.urfoundings. The Constitution did not es-
.ahlish slavery any where. but IL recognized I
md protecfed II where IL was established by
lI.e lsws Of any stale. | firmly believe that II
he matter had stopped there. we would have
lonr since been free OF slavery, aud that With +.
n,1s var But South Carolina. Georgia and
he New England states entered into corrupt
bargain whereby the African slave trade was
for twenty YEAR,. The New Eng
land STATES owned nearly all the shipping. and
they sent their vessels 10 Africa and stole the
negroes from their homes. and brought them
10 this country, and sold them 10 the south.
and this hOrrid and inhuman traffic they con-
tinued for twenty years, turning deaf ear 10
the voice Of humanity, and utterly forgetful OF
the horrors Of the " middle passage" In the
meantime, the New England people had sold
their own slaves % the South, and abolished
slavery i'm their States and when they could
make no more money 10y stealing negroes and
selling them into slavery, they diseos cred that
slavery was 4 great sin against God and man.
and that the slave trade was an abomina-
ton in the sight Of Heaven, and they cOmmen-
ced turning up their eyes to Heaven an holy
horror NJ the sin and wickedneSs Of the SOUTH
ern people for holding in slavery the very ne
groes they had stolen aud sold into bondage,
and they and their descendants have cOntin-
ued their complaints and lamentations ever
since. The agitation WAS carried on by the
extreme and ultra men Of both sections. until
the Southern people, forgetful Of their constitu-
tional obligations, inaugurated civil war. While
the Southern people stood by the Constitu-
ton and laws, 1 was in favor Of Civ
ing them all the rights secured to them
by the Constitution, but when they resorted
10 war to obtain redress of their real or inn
imaginary grievances, l could not, and have
not, attempted TO justify them, for have never
denied the right OF secession. The war re-
suited in the destruction Of the institution OF
slavery. | recognize the fact that slavery Is
abolished, and il possessed the power i would
not restore IL. The slavery question has gwen
Us great trouble, but that question Is put 10
rest. With the death of slavery new ques-
ton Is presented for our consideration, ahd, IN
my judgment, il will be more troublesome,
difficult and dangerous than the slavery ques-
ton ever was, and that il, what shall he the
status of the freed negroes. When Ii ceased
TO be the slavery question, II became the
negro question. The proper solution Of this
yexed question will require the calmest judg-
ment. the most careful consideration, and all
the arts Of the most exalted craftsmanship.
fully agree with President johnson that the
status of the negro is, exclusively, question
for each State 10 settle and determine for ITSELF
and that the Federal Government has no con-
troll or jurisdiction over ii, and Tor II to possess
and exercise such power would radically
change our form OF Governments, anu cOnNcIt III
into absolute despotism. | am I'm favor OF
giving the negro all his civil rights. will
secure him in the protection of person and
property, but am unalterably opposed to Civ
ing him any social equality, or any political
rights, privileges or franchises. i am opposed
10 his voting, holding Office, or interfering IN
any governmental affairs. / want our C0nstl-
tuition and laws to stand as they now are on
this subject. Ii we commence change there
is no telling where we will stop. l believe IN
drawing the line broadly and distinctly be-
tween civil rights, and social equality aud
political rights; grant the one, but refuse the
two latter, and anything that tends that way.
Ii is easier 10 defend the door-sill than the
hearth-stone. There are large number OF
people in this state who will not be satisfied
with ANYTHING shsT. ~ social equality and fun
political rights for the negro. This attempt to
repeal the 18th article is, the Wooden horse,
apparently harmless, but il is full Of armed
men, and If We admit it 10 enter, we are ruined,
for the door is thrown open and
the negroes are permitted 10 come INTO the State
the agitation will never stop until the people
grant ali that is demanded 10y the radicals. If
we yield an inch to-day they will demand an
ell tomorrow. This Is proved and demonstra-
ted by their whole course ever since they COM
menced the agitation Of the slavery question.
They commenced by claiming the right Of Pc
titiOn, which was granted. They then asked
for the abolition of slavery in tho District OF
Columbia and other places under the exclusive
control of the Federal Government, protesting
that they had no design or purpose of interior
ing with slavery where il existed by virtue OF
State laws. Next they opposed the admission
of Missouri because the constitution establish
Ell slavery. Then they demanded that slavery
should be prohibited in the Territories. Has
any one forgotten the ground Of their oppose
ton To slavery in Kansas! Their principal ar
gument was that the white men of the North,
who might remove into that Territory would
be compelled To work 10y the side of negroes,
which would degrade labor, and prevent i'm
migration from the free States. That argu-
ment l. now forgotten and they are asking that
the meanest and most vicious of the Southern
slaves shall be permitted TO come into this
state, enter into competition with our white
"a land compel them to work together.
IL Is well-known fact that the best, most in
dustnous and orderly OF the slaves have re-
manned on the farms and plantations Of the
South, while the most vicious, degraded and
worthless have left their homes, and are COM
ing North to commit their depredatOns upon
the persons and property Of our people. The
radicals then demanded the repeal of the fugi-
tive slave law. which was plain undisputed
and undoubted right, secured by the Constitu-
ton, without which, the Constitutions would
never have been made or the Union formed.
The agitation WAS kept up until one section
was arrayed against the other. The Southern
States attempted TO secede from the Union.
Ilcll alulDpltu 10 elect Il COLL
promise, but the radicals defeated all attempts
al compromise, and the south inaugurated civ
II war. MIR. Lincoln declared that he had no
purpose and no power TO interfere with sla-
very. Congress declared that the object of
prosecuting the war was to suppress the rebel
lion, maintain the Constitution and restore the
Union, and that when these objects were ac-
complished the war should cease. with all the
rights, dignity and franchises Of the States I'M
impaired.
In a short time Congress abolished slavery
IN the District of Columbia, and repealed the
fugitive slave law. Then President Lincoln
issued his proclamation of Emancipation. This
did not satisfy the Radicals. They discovered
that the white soldiers could not be depended
on, and that the rebellion could not be put
down without the employment ofnegro troops.
The employment OF negro troops enabled the
New England states to procure negro substl-
tutes, and thus keep their own men at home
and operate their manufacturing establish
ments and make an hundred per cent. profit,
which we OF the West have had 10 pay. When
they got the negroes into the army, the Freed
mems Bureau was established, at Washington,
To take care of the families of the negroes; and
thousands of the negroes have been clothed,
lodged and fed, and their children educated at
the public expense; but have not heard that
the Federal Government has taken care OF the
families of the white soldiers, or educated
their children, or appointed any agents to
charged from the military service. Finally.
they threw off all disguise and declared them
selves in favor OF the total abolition OF slavery.
IL was urged that if slavery vas abolished that
the North would be filled with negroes, but
we were told there was nothing in the objec-
ton, for the reason that our climate did not
suit the negroes, and that they would not leave
the South. And heard of an Indiana Orator
who promised 10 eat all the negroes who would
come from the South. That gentleman has u
big contract on his hands, for from the best in
formation | have been able 10 get, twenty-five
or thirty thousand negroes have come from
the South 10 this State. l propose TO enable
the Radicals To keep their promise by shutting
the door i'm the face Of those negroes who at
tempt to falsify the pledges of their friends i'm
the North. | know that many of my Repub-
lican friends. on this floor, are opposed to ne
gro suffrage. | advise them to be careful what
they do, for they repeal this article
they will soon be told that il would be an act
of bad faith TO invite these negroes into the
State and then refuse 10 give them political
rights. l have read with much care the speech
Of Governor Morton. recently made nj Rich
mond, in which he describes the ignorance
poverty and depreciation Of the negroes Of the
South. The picture l. not Oyerdrawn. i APP
peal 10 the people Of Indian, and ask them if
they think that il i desirable TO have such
people in our state. The appeal will not be-
made in vain. They viii respond no.