The Indianapolis daily herald., 1865-11-23
spErCuOr WA. RusKuRK.


Of Monroe County, I'm the House Of
AePrese ntattvess ON the 2 LET Day of
November, $50, upon a Joint Reso:
Indiana, ~ Ssrik ing therefrom the
18Th Article.
Mr.. SPEAKER: The object Of the joint reso-
luton under consideration j. TO amend our
Constitution by striking therefrom the 18th
Article. The inquiry naturally arises what
- the article proposedto he stricken outi
| As the Article is short, | will read il:
"ARTICLE ~.
''Secti0n /. No negro or mulatto shall come
into, or settle in the state after the adoption Of
this Constipation.
''Sec. 2. All contracts made with any me-
4 gro or mulatto coming into the state contrary
To the provisions Of the foregoing section shall
| be void; and any person who shall employ
| such negro or mulatto, or otherwise encourage
| him to remain in the state, shall be lined in
| any sum not less than ten dollars. nor more
than five hundred dollars.
See. , All fines which may he collected
| for n violation of the prov i-ions Of this article
or Of any Law which may hereafter be passed
| for the purpose Of carrying the same into exc
| cution, shall be- set apart and appropriated for
\ the colonization Of such negroes and mulattOcs
and descendants as may - in the state AT the
| adoption IT the Constitution. and may he will
ling 10 emigrate.
..>cc. 1. Ihe General Assembly shall pass
laws To carry ont the provisions Of this Ar
| ticl-."
This article was. by order Of the Convention.
submitted To a separate vote Of the people, after
! having been adopted in the Conyc niion 10y n
| vote Of for and against IL. IL was fully
aud abs discussed, and WAS well understood
! by the people. The vote of the people upon
the adoption or rejection OF the article was n
| follows: FOrfhc article, Ill .2ct. and against
| u u .2sJ, making majority Of So, U5s in favor
| of TIL article.
| What motives controllei anal induced the
| Cont enti0n 10 adopt this policy. The fairest,
most cilcctull and satisfactory way of ascer-
tanning the motives OF the members of the Con-
| vcntiOn is 10 examine their reported speeches
/ and make extracts therefrom-
1 1 will, therefore, ask the indulgence of the
House while reproduce parts OF the speeches
| Of several of the members.
| Mr.. Alexander q. stevenson, OF the county
| 0f Putnam, said: Look, sir, for single mo-
| ment at the condition of that most unfortunate
people in this country. You will. after a care
| ful view, be convinced, not only of their physi-
cal and mental inferiority, but the impoSsibility
| OF the tNO races commingling and living to-
4 Ccthcr on terms of equality. The careful
| observer must also he convinced that If the
| good Of the black race, ~ We'll the white, il
| to be consulted, the former should be colo
niZcd.
IL maintain that il is highly impolitic for a
| refined and superior class 10 keep in their
| midst an uncultiyated. a degraded. and inf,-
riOr race. Because the natural tendency has
been proven by experience, not To be elevation
# the degraded. but the deterioration, the low
| ering. Of the better class. The past has shown
Us that n the blacks increase in number, the
| disturbance between them and their white
| nrghbors increases. As the blacks feel their
| strength, whether in numbers or in the grant
| Of greater privileges, they are disposed to
| abuse them instead OF being discreet and mod
1T. and making use of those privileges TO make
| themselves more intelligent and refined. and
| thus more agreeable To the dominant race.
| This being the ease. the doctrine which !
maintain. and am prepared with all my hum
| bic powers 10 prove, l.. that the people of
| Indiana should hold out no inducements what
ever. 10 the negroes TO settle and remain i'm the
state. by granting privileges and franchises. or
| in encouraging them that they ever will BE- al
lowed any more, If indeed they are allowed
the exercise of ~ many rights rs they now
have.
They should never be allowed 10 amaga-
mate with the white race. and no statesman
| should ever favor any measure. the indirect
| result Of which will he amalgamation between
the races. Any encouragement given them Il
| remain here. either by allowing them fire.,
| emigration into the state. comforting upon
them additional political privileges will have
| this effect. because If the blacks stay in thi,
country. there will always be anal gamation
want none Of this; | want Indiana and thi.
| country pcopled. possessed and governed by .
| pur white race. Ii /, degrading 10 the feeling:
Of every American. and confess L am panied
| 10 see in the streets, the evidences Of amalga
| nation which cVcrVw here meet the eve" 80
pp 24s and 90. vol. |. Debates of Convention
Mr.. BLYTHE, Of Nanderburgh. said:
But poverty l. a crime. and we may take from
our state Treasury money for the purpose. ne
ces>ary. Of lining our borders with musketeer'
, 10 keep out those who are unfit 10 associate
with VI. and why; That We may protect tn,
! state from pecuniary burden; and yet. when
| the question l.. whether will protect ouI
social and domestic institutions: whether VT
vii preserve from contamination the race OF
which WE are part, We have no power 10 do it.
And this Is the best Of citizenship: Away with
all such arguments.
THERE'S one word that want 10 say in re-
gard % the other branch IF the question. aud
quit this constitutional argument. for the pur-
pose of doing -. Gentlemen talk 10 Us about
humanity and justice, and that in time 10 come
~ hen the storms Il passion shall have >tilled.
and the mi>t> of prejudice shall have rolled
| away from cur vision We ourselves Will blush
q the work in which we are this day engaged
They talk e tyranny. But who are the ~
rants sir. you yourselves have aVerrcd on
his floor. time aud again. that you would not
rant 10 the negro. free or not free. the inesti-
mahie priv ilegc II voting and holding ofhce
! There YOU have placed Your hand on him, anu
YOU ar thrusting him lower down in ths
scale Of social and political privileges.
take holder ground auO >aN. either rc'o-hizt
This principle Of exclusion. or IL antagonist,
principle. that ut-ros> shall lee. - believe. li
| an sincerity. they never can b.. ciuxen- on an
lsqualitV with onr>clss-. | believe the Al
mighty himself has written the dtrrce " It'll HI
own hand. and there l. no power IN man, or IA
human legislation 90 eradicate or blot II out
10 j. ritfsn hy the hand Il thc pity hiIn>, Il.
/ >,.e q 49,. Nyl. 4. II Debates.
Mr.. gibson. II Clark county. said.
=. >ir. this j. a question 81 vast import ance q
This >iate. The nssr" Tarc and the " hite race
cannot live S,thtr. and u bchooNes VI. un-
/ der tht>s circumstances. not only a. furnish NJ
encuur.i., iu,nt L. the colorvd race 10 enter ouI
state. bat ciiectuaily 90 protect ourselves
against their entrance" Page 44S. Vol. l, Re
bates
MIR. HALL. Il Gibson. said:
ihaNc 10 SAY. ,ir, that am going - lar a.
jhe iarih,-st. for the purpose Of preventing AN
ad,iltiouai Immigration Of black population IN
the state. ! want o. prohibit them from com-
.n- bsre O. live amons Us l. i,o Noi. cont.
iLt4te~.
Jud.c PETTITT IL Iippocauoc, aid;
In The f.r>t place. >lall vote 90 exclude fur-
Their immigration e ns-rce> ana mui=itoe- M
90 this >tate. b,lir, ing ~ o. r. Tor our and
their lvusti. 81 10 &c. Al experience ha-
taught uie and all r,safeh has conf rlncdine IN
tlls opinion. that no w" distinct races II I'eo-
rle can i've together Cor any length Il time
hauAomou-iy. though one b. a SLAVE race and
fhs other ie a >lavc-holdine race. Much les
viii thcy b. able o. live together, II you al
tempt a. confer equal IriNiies,- upon the IN
f.rior race. We are confirmed I'm tins by the
illchiugs of All history even the Sacred scrip
lrs. tAeins,lNe>. Tell W. -. In the political
economy of Nose. we arr tsush kiLi- doctrine.
that two distinct races cann0tri,e togeth,f.
one sl ths sistlEst o.iainands given i- Nsss-.