Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1865-09-06


greeable 10 us. But the same person
told us, in 1861 and 1862, that ii we pu'
arms in the hands of the negroes, they
would fight on the side of their masters.
Was that prediction verified By no
means. And neither viii this prediction
be verified. unless the spirit of the mas
ters is changed and they vote on the
side of this government.
1t is well enough also for us To con
slider the subject of voting with refer
ence 20 the negroes of tho South. We
have q constitutional provision IL
Massachusetts that no man shall vote
unless he can read the Constitution
and write his own name. 4 very
proper provision but consider that il
was instituted with reference to men
about whose loyalty there was no
question; but only this question e2is
ted rs To whether they were cOmpe-
tent to Judge of the administration OF
public affairs. In the ordinary course
Of things, it is necessary that men
should be able to read and write, 10
order To decide intelligently upon
questions of public policy. We do
not tlday ask suffrage for the ne
grOes because they are competent to
Judge of questions of public policy,
but we ask for suffrage for them be-
cause they are in favor of the govern
ment, and the white people of the
South arc against it. That is an issue
already maOe up. Parties have taken
their stauu The whites, by major
ity, are on ore side, he blacks, unan
imously, are Of The other. They un
lerstand that question, and that Is
the vital question TO Us. it IS not
whether, in South Carolina, judges
shaI be elected by the people, or ap
pointed by the Governor; that ques
Jion very likely would be better sOlv
ed by men who could read and write.
But the question in which we al,
concerned is not q question Of inter
nal policy, not Il question OF local or
IF State administration, but the ques
-i0n is, 'Shall this government exist!
We know that the negro is in favor
IF its existence, and therefore, for all
the purposes Of voting, whether he
can read and write OF not, ne is a safe
depository of power; and therefore l
am in favor OF allowing him to vote,
without going into any inquiry wheth
er he can read and write, because mis-
power at the ballot-box is now essen
tial to us, just exactly as his power il
The field with the bay Onet was essen
tial to us during the war. In this
country there are but two means OF
exercising power. One is by the bay
onet, in time of war; the other Is by
the ballot, in time of peace. We have
taken the bayOnetP in time OF war,
out of the hands of our rebel enemies.
What are we invited 10 do? 70 put
the ballot, which is the instrument OF
power in time of peace, into the hands
IF our enemies, ami deprive our
friends of the privilege Of exercising
that power. Was there ever any IN
iatuation equal to this? If these four
million who have been loyal to the
flag and to the Union had been Ger
mans in the South, instead of negroes,
not man would have raised the
question whether these loyal Ger
mans, upon the restoration Of the
government, should be allowed to
vote. Every man, with one voice,
with one acclaim, would have said,
"They, of course, are to vote. The
only question remaining is, whether
the rebels who have been in arms
against this government are TO be
permitted to vote or not" You thus
see, my friends, how lar the country
has been drawn aside from the true
question at issue by that ancient pre-
judice, originating in slavery, and
which has been fOstered, embittered,
and spread by the influence of slave
ry throughout this country. You are
not willing to allow TO patriot under
I black skin that which you would
readily concede TO Il patriot under
whito skin Are the people of this
country more disposed to put power
INTO the hands of rebels because they
are white, than into tho hands of pa
triots who happen TO be blaes?
InefE are SOME OhCI-HEl4SAlANC Z AlCISOAlS
who are rather reluctant to give suffrage
to the negroes, because they fear it will
rritate the white people of the South.
Well my friends, am for Cancellation.
| see already that very few men in the
South are to be punished. Nobody
among the whites Is to be disiranchised.
OF all the men who are suffered 10 live
and to remain IN the SOUJh-white people
mean-all will enjoy the elective fran
chise; and 1 have already reached the
conclusion, that there are but two men
who are in any danger Of suffering the
penalty of the law for the crime of trea-
son. They are DAVIS and Lee. l nav
turn aside for single moment to say
here, what think will find a response |
in the judgement Of the country, that
those two men, above all others, deserve /
TO pay the highest forfeit ever exacted
bv human tribunals from those who have
violated human law. There were many
leaders IA the rebellion. The guilt Of
those men Is incouceiyable, end Of course /
inexpressiJ.e. Bat Davis and Lee, by a /
peculiar supremacy, We're III i-ddeTs. I
One was al the head Of tue military and /
the other at the head cf the civil and /
military power of the -1-Ha.i-d cCufeder /
cy If we select these aEu execute them /
1t will be a warning to al men, in all 4
time, tnat il Is not safe to be the leaders /
OF Il rebellion against this government /
Therefore, by their execution, you take
an the security OF the future which you
can take. If you 90 beyond these two
men, know not where you are to stop /
There are ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred /
perhaps one thousand other men who /
are equally guilty; each with the other.
Inasmuch as no country can afford 20
exact blood, to any considerable extent /
for political crimes, we should do that 4
which will be justified upon the page OF /
history. and which will lead 10 all the !
practical benefits which can result from 1
the punishment OF any number ot tI2lt-
ors. BY peculiar pre-eminence these !
two men are responsible to the country |
for the slow murder of our soldiers in
prison. At any moment, Davis or Lee |
could have put stop to this cruel tor |
ture and murder of men, through months
and almost years OF suffering. II can
not be said, perhaps, of any other man
engaged in the rebellion that 1t was IN his /
1T =. -, r1f,f~