Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-07-04


cipated. here must, therefore, not merely be
au emancipation OF the actual, living slaves, but
there must be an abolition OF the slave 81 stem.
(Applause) Every State must have the aboIi.
tiJu OF slavery in its Constitution or else we
must have the amendment OF the Constitution,
ra'ihed by three iourths of the Stats. Yes,
that little railroad ridden republic, New jersey,
nust be shamed into adopting the ameodm Mt 10
'he Constitution (Appause.) NV Jersey,
whose vote, seventy years ego, alone prevented
the adoption OF j, ferson great ordinance,
making subsequently, acquired tetrtlres Tree
ana which now stands alone among the Tree
states against this proposition Of amendmett t.
must be shamed into It's adoption (Rtnewed
applause.) Louisiana will adopt il before ;
Kentucky, perhaps, may adopt it before her
lney may come INTO The kingdom, when The
children Of the kingdom shut themselves out
(Applause)
But, my i5llow citizens, is that enough2 IL it
enough that we have emancipation and abolition
upon the statute books? 10 some states Of So
c'ey | should say, Yes In ancient times
when the slaves were OF the same race with their
masters, when tee slaves were poets, orators
scholars, MIME. II State, merchants and the
mothesot kings when they were emaucpated
nature cam to Their and, and they reached an
equality with their masters. Their ciidten
became patrlcans But, my friends, this IL a
slavery OF race 1t Is slavery which those white
people have been taugh Tor thirty years 10
llyne institution. | ask you has the Southern
heart been fired for thHty years for nothing
Have these doctrines been suwn and no iruit
reaped? Have they been taught that the negro
IL bav 81 k.1t 4 AZ.
and are they converted IN day? Besides all
that, they look upon the negro to-day az the
cause Of their defeat and humiliation. am
d rad there Is a ietlIng OF hatred toward the
negro at the South today which has never ex sted
before What are their laws? Why. Their laws
many Of them. do not allow free negro to live
IN one OF their States. W hen we emancipated
the slaves, did we mean that they should be
bsnshed-ls that it (Volces-'' Ny |.
that keeping public faith with them Aud yet
their laws declare 60, and they may de,lale it
again.
That is not all. BY their laws a lack MN
cannot testify in court; by their laws he caono.
hold land by their law, be cannot vote. NV.
we have cot to choose between two results. With
these four millions OF negroes, either ,ou must
have four millions disiranchlsed dsarmed. IN
taught, landltss, thrftle,s non-pr0ducing, non
Consuming, degraded men or else you must have
iour millions Of land holding, industrious. arms
bearing and voting population. loud app ause)
Choose between thJse two winch wil YOU
have Ii has < 10 be decided tretty soon
winch you will have. The corner stone OF those
lnsliluuOns will not be slavery 10 Lame. but
their Institutions will be built upon the mud
slla OF an ignorant, degraded aud oppIes4d
negro population. Is that public olety ? lslt
public faith Are those republican ideas?
Some Of these negroes have shed their blood for
us upon the public faith. An there are negro
parents whose children have fallen IN battle
there are children who lost fathers, and wives
who have lost husbands, in our cause. Oar
covenant With the freedmen ls sealed in blood
IL bears the image and subscription of the Re-
public Their freedom ls tribute which We
must pay, not only to CS.ar, but to God. (Ap-
piause)
We nave right to require, my friends, that
the freedmen OF the S0utn shall have the rIsbt
to hold land. (Applause.) Have we not2 We
have right to require that Trey shall be allowed
10 testify 10 the State Courts. (Applause)
Have We not? We have a right to dea and th,.r
they shall bear arms as soldiers IN the militia.
Applause Have We not We have right
" demand that there shall TO an impartial BAL
ot (Great applause) Now, my friends, let
as be frank with one another Ga what ground
are We gOlnR to put our demand for tne ballot
or freedmen oOme persons may say that they
Will put II upon the ground that every human
)elug has an absolute and unconditional right
o vote. There never was any such doctrine
We do not mean, now, to allow about one halt
he South to vote. tAppause.) Why not
Mig, the public saiety does not admit OF II.
Applause.) We put the condition Ot loyalty
N every vote. (Applause)
How have we done 10 thus State Half the
,eope IN this State are excluded iron the ballot
the better half, We are lord of calling them
70 woman votes We prescribe conditlans for
he men whatever conditions society sees ht
ondlti)ns oil age, conditions OF residence
ona ;ious ol tax aging and lately we ha,
'ddei, by vast popular djjtty, the further
ligh condition, that they shall have intelligence /
nougn TO read and writ (Applause Of /
curse there is no such dOotrue Us that every /
luman being has a ii. ht to vote. S,cety must |
ettle that upon this Principle" Tne greatest
ood OF the greatest number must decide IT,
Tue greatest good of society must decide It. On |
what ground then, do we put it2 We put It
lpoo the ground that the public safety and tho
'ublic iaith, and the rights OF those lteedmeu
tqdlro thai there shall be no distinction oi
OlJr. applause that Is the ground uton
yhch it cau stand They are hot slle withJat
{ IN their freedom, Why 10 introduce 10 the
otng franchise four miIiions OF slaves IS a rev
luton. II cs do mol secure that now N The
me OF rtpOhton, Il can neuer be secured. er Ell
y nep rtuoiuiion (Llud appiause) d.
uu want, some years hence, to see a new reyo.
luon Inc poor, oppressed, degraded black
lan, bearing patiently hls oppression, until be
an endure 1t no longer, rising with arms for
Is rghts-do you want to see that (Nucc,
-" NO.D DO you want to see them submit
lIever, aud mol rise for their rl.hs2 (Noices
=" Nl) n, neither, you say. Well, my
ricnds, who cry No. ii either OF those
hiugs happen, it is our fault. II they never
ct their rights, or get them by new revo.u.
ion, II will be, in either event, our hult. Do
gu wish to have that lame rest upon you?
Voices" Ny.O Mop Then Nlws the
ay, and now's the hour (Loud applause
hey are 10 condition oil translton-a oon.
luOn of revolution selSa the orpottumty ana
lake 1t thorough! (Reuewed and loud ap-
lause)
Fellow citizens, a word more This, then, is
hat we have a right 10 demand, Now comes
~ third sIion-IIow do you propose to ac.
)mplsh We know our powers We know
that we want to do--how do we propose to do
2 Frst, the right to scar arms fortunately,
0es not depend upon tho declsiun Of any State
hat IL a matter which, under the CONSERVATION,
epends upon the act OF Congress. CongUss
lakes the militia, and Congress must see to It
hat the omancipatsd slaves have the privilege,
ne dignity and the power Of AN arms.heanng
opulat on. But he right to bold lands, the
pnt To testify in courts the tivht Ia yute by