Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1865-07-13
Henry Winter Davis on Negro Suf-
frapn


so on the 4th of July. inst We commend it to
the attention OF those who think the proposition to
enfranchise tho negro an infamous one. When
such man as Henry Wintcc Davis, who knows all
about the capacity of the negro to enjoy liberty,
comes out boldly in favor of cxteuling the right oil
suffrage to him in order to prevent further rebel
lions, it is time for those who have permitted their
prejudces to warp their judgments this subject
to reconsider the matter.
We cannot govern this immense region lthc
South by military power. That would be to Gre
ate pro-consuls to whom armies will become de-
voted, in whom the spirit of ambitious power will
grow and be, 1me strong, and ono of whom may,
like Caesar, m: rch across the Rubcon nn the in
sidous pretext Of the public good. when America
may be as Rene was. Military government in
vast regions o. territory, over great populations is
inconsistent not only with the principles of in
stitutions, but with the permanence and integrity
OF the American government, and, therefore, must
be excluded from everybody's mind. Ii YOU wish a
Temporary civil government, let it be organized By
lqu: but we must recognize not OalJ PERSONAL free
dom, but the principles OF self gorernment We
! want rebel State Governments; want still
less military Governments a rebel Government
is safer than military government. We do not
want Oligarchies of proicsscd Union men, who have
been so low down out of sight that nobody can di-
vine their relations to the rebellion, or men who
treachcrouslv svmplthzcd with the pow er that was
and now meaHly seek to serve with the power that
is. We want the free Government of the lOval men
of the South who our side, who will draw
the sword 10: us ard who will maintain our tights
where they are threatened. and are powerful
enough to maintain the authority OF the State Gov
ernment at home. There is white populd ton
I ut the South, no great mass OF it anywhere who
will conform to these conditions. After yOu have
Il from, IL Of
clearly prove to have been secessionis. after YOU
have sited clear all YOU can call the loyal men,
/ You have men who have symplthized with rebel
\ lion, have given il their cOunierance if not their
fctive aid by their arms and their money! can they
be relied on in any cmersencyl The scce<sionis's
Of the South the heroes of the South, toasted,
feted. worshpped This day Robert E. Lee could
carry every electoral vote of every SOuihcra State
! for the Presidency of the United Stltcs. and
would not swear he could pot carry some Northern
States | could name Laughter and applause.
Under Reorganization the basis of the white
population. the South will he more united and pow
| erul than when she drew the sword.
But there is a of population there, that is
| the side of the United States against all white men
| at the South. whether Union Secession, who to-
div have part in the Declaration OF Independence
which thev never Ind before. ana which they have
earned on the battlefield by the side of hese gen
temen bearing the uniforms of the nation. On
4
they are men, not beasts. (Appiause.) Will any
body on this sub ect DOT the m,ll pal
trv question tlt hitherto has divided Illinois, and
weared the people OF other States, of the voting OF
a handful Of negroes lost in the midst OF white mil
/ lons7 l. tilt the wIv to state grave national
ques ion, is il wiSs in these gentlemen of the
abolition schools to be always talking OF the justice
and humanity of the thing, Just if justice or hu-
mlnitv detern ned any great question ot NOR
ais ia the world. Ii l. net a question Ct justice
bat of political dvnamcs. Ii is question ot
power, not OF right question OF salvation, not
| of morals. The alternatives are before uS oil re-
publican or a military government or independence
for the South.
No State Government has ever been recognized
which ostraei-cd majority any great mass OF the
people When slavery existed. slaves were
merged in the use OF the muster. But the right OF
the State to osiracise great mass OF free negroes
has never ocen recogniZ' d. They were a handful
everywhere but in Marvland-and there they voted
with the whites on the adoption of the ClnstItu-
ton of the United States IL this precedent be
set now. i, is for the list time to he set. When
rcsiocs become free they become a pfrt OF the
people OF the nlton and to o>tr'ciSe them Is to
sanction a principle fatal to American free Govern
mcnt.
In South Clrolna there are twice as many ne
goes rs whites; in Mississippi there are more ne
sroes than whites; in Alabama, in Louisiana, and
in Georgia they nearly equal. They are now
in sufficient numbers ut the South to control the
result of any election. 'They will vote with their
masteIs''-insduous gentlemen tell us-thcn at
least let their masters he under the necessity OF
touching their hats to them TO get their votes.
Laughter and applause THY not intell-
gent enough 10 ote.'-inother says. They
klow, fellow citizens. grey uniform from a blue
Cne. lApplauscl They know Yankee from
their masters. TApplause.1 They have fought
well under Yankee leadership; may be they can
vote as intelligently under Yankee leadership
TContinucd Applause They not spread in
equal masses over the Southern country. but t.ev
are concrecated in particular districts that border
the Atlantic, the GULF and the Mississippi and
arc in immense mAorities in fully one third Of the
Congressional Districts of the South. They can
break the terrible unity of the Southern vote that
plunged us into the rebellion. Men who not
capable OF understanding considerations like these
had bttt 90 and WI inc about negro votes. oil
have seen about as much OF negroes auv of you,
have lived near them, and suppose have as
much prejudice toward them rs any Of you; but to
talk OF this after have had to call them to onr
aid in putting down this rebellion is either drive-
ing folly infinite mcanncss. Applause. If
YOU do not wish 20 have the negro hereafter to en-
Joy tie right Of man. why did YOU bury him on
the battle feldl [Applause] You, white men of
llrois, why did YOU not have the quota of your
State increased 50 that the negro should not be
needed7 IApplause.l We, of Maryland, carried
emancipation bv going to the poor white men in
the southern portion of the State and showing them
that the negro could relieve them from military
service. They did no. stop to discuss his right to
political privileges then. Ifhe is their and your
equal the battle field, in the service of the
country, he is, and should be. ar the ballot box,
applausel and il he is not your equal on the battle
field then you have cheated the United States. to the
injury of the national cause to yourself from
service. Renewed applause.l There is nothing in
President Johnson's proclaim ton which assumes
10 conclude the judgment Of the Congress of the
United States the recognition Of State govern
ments IN the rebel States. He may have had more
confidence in the white population of the South
than have may have desired to give them a
golden opportunity of refutng every slander and
si,encing every doubt regarding their loyalty. He
might have hope that when they should be call
cd upon to vote on their constitutions under his
proclamation, to be ready to present them to Con
gress in the form Of petitions, for they would be
nothing less, that seeing the signs of the times
and what justice and humanity require, rather
what the loEg headed people of the North will
naturally suppose their safety requires, they may
incorporate universal suffrage the basis OF their
constitutions. shall rejoice with him IL that
suit shall come about, but am far from expect
ing it. will now believe until learn the con-
trary that that was his purpose. will not believe
the declaration of any one who says he is opposed
toit. He knows that the only authority that
recognize State governments at the South is the
Congress which admits their Representatives and