The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1865-08-28
SPEECH oE GEN. RF4AEFs.
His Views on Negro Suffrage. Re-
con~Irs1cfi0n and tasc Treatment
oE Rebels.

eral Francis ?. Blair Of Missouri, 1T the
banquet given to him in st. Louis. June
I'D. Ne ask Democrats to show it 10
their Abolition neighbours Gen. Blair
sid:
Gentlemen end friends, the war hav-
ing closed, substantially, = great many of
the men who have becn engaged in II,
among others myself viii soon return ID
the ranks # the people ags.in. and he
promoted as high privates; but the great
question which has disturbed the equi-
hbrium of cur Government for 50 many
wears shsts been settled, . ID settled Ev the
sword have read the speech of the
Governor Of our State, delivered on Il re-
cent occasion. and he said the soldiers re
turning from the war came back aud
found the soil Of Missouri mpolluted hv
slavery; that whilst they had been fight
ing the enemy, certain things had been
achieved here Slavery had hcen ban
ished h aras tie S,~os4i hut Jaatsafr}
s'oeg5g rom tie dia3 Ii Was the wsr
that settled that question. aad although |
do not care u deny 10 any of these gen
tlemen who have been At home. the glory
Of having sustained the armies, and aided
them in their career Of victory. vet il was
the war which has decided aud fiusshe /
that question, and settled il forever That
question having heen settled. | think we
should have some rev issues now. and
entirely different ones; that We oueht t.
give decent burial u this Institution -
slavery and have done with it. and Nee;
the living issues rs they arise; ami IN,
great question now Is, rs Il strikes my
mind the question of the Reorganization
Of the States which have been in ~ el
i lion. 1t seems TO me 70 he =
worthy OF the considerations
statesmen, and that they .,
the eo-bv to questions that ar -
ought To be buried, and take hl.. ,n.,
and those other living ISSUES - 5h.sst
IAN interest for oar people n ,5s.l WI
always have ~ interest ie.r-.h Il. Il /,
better also. ,l-at We should get rid 81
these ol issues, hecanse we can then bet
I ter Judge, with clear ana unbiased minds
as To what should be done Tor the future
IN tie reorganization # the States. Il
o,g minds are filed with the old preiu,li
ces ana feelings Oh the question oi sla.
very We shall not be able 10 consider fair
I ~. dispassioaataly. and with th.,t calm
ness which the. magnitude Of the quas-
lten demaads-that great question ol the
reorganization OF the State Government
which have been IN rebellion. Ihcrc-
i5se. the soener We Sc; rid ~ the dead
and buried the better Tor the living.
Now, believe, for my own part in
the theory proclaimed by Sir, Lincoln
for the reorganization OF tb6p States
theory which has been s9pCnoncd bv the
people in the last Presidential clsetioH
and which has hsen announced in ,le
proclamation of Andrew johnson Il s.
I believe. satisfactorily known to every
body that those who maintained differ
ent view Of this question and contcndci
for the nomination with Mr. Lincoln. lid
not receive 4 single vote in the Conven.
ton at Baltimore. although there were
many who went to thlt Convention &
vote against Nr. Lincoln. Yet Mr.. Lin
cola had announced again and again IN
different letters In regard to Louisiana
and in regard IL Arkansas especially IN
letter which he addressed to Genera
Steele, rs 70 the manner in which theSc
States should be reorganized ard come
again to resume the functions Of Govern
Iment. The people indorsed it beeaus,
they elected them, and they rejected til,
other propositions because they rejected
the representative men who put them for
ward, and Andrew johnson, true to thC
pledges which he made to the people
and which were sanctioned by the people
in the election, has issued his proclama
ton for the reorganization Of Govern
ment in North Carolina and several o
the other States, in which he assumed
the position maintained by Mr.. Lincolr
in his last utterance Said he: :. | d'
not know that these States have ever beer
abroad The States have never beel
out Of the Union, and a man who main
tains that they hare been out of the Tn
ion because there We're certain traitors il
those States is just as much secession
(
attempted to carry them oct. Now. wha
/ is the difference between these classes o
people? They DO it from different mo
tiyes. and they ought to have the benefi
Of their motives, but still they maintain
that the Union was actually dissolved
They must maintain it, because they un
dertake to lay on these States condition
which they do not impose on the othe
States. Now every State IN the Uniol
has. heretofore, without question from
4 any quarter, decided who should excr
] else the right Of suffrage within It's bor
ders. The States always controlled tha
lquestion. Rhode Island excludes a larg
part Of Its foreign population from tn
right Of suffrage by a property qualities
ton. An Irishman or German, II
matter what his other qualifications can
: not vote if he does not own certai
amount Of real estate in Rhode Island
: and they would hay to cut it up yer
small to afford any large voting populs
ton (laughterl He cannot exercise tn
franchise in the State Of Rhode Islam
/ and Providence Plantations. Who ha
: ever questioned the right OF Rhode lslanC
a small as she Is, or Of any other State,
; maintain its restrictions upon the electiv
! franchise. But now some men say thi
: the revolted States, those States that hay
been in rebellion, where certain men hay
y usurped power, that said States subjecte
= themselves to certain condition Of inf
/, riority and that they cannot now retur
to the Union except the Congress of th
y United States first prescribe who shall /
+ electors IN those States. Andrew JohI
son has put his foot on that propositio