, 1865-09-28

The way for admission into the great sister
hood Of States. Furthermore, the Constitu-
t1o0 must declare that persons Of color shall
be admitted as witnesses In all our Courts OF
civil Jurisprudence. The law, in this respect,
must know no distinction Of color.
AL glasses Of Witnesses stand before The
court and jur, upon their own merits; and
for what 1t is worth They would no doubt
often pertaze themselves, but who does not
know that every courtroom Is the theatre Of
more OF less false swearing. But we owe It
TO the bounty Of a'wise Providence, that JUS
Fee Pefnry a s y ae nnq snd
such horrtd heads-that the Kissing Of their
tongues makes sort OF Babel Of tho vii,
ncss staCd, WIRING with each other aud
with reason, and with ; thousand citcum-
stances which surround, re7ealand guafd the
truth.
The, menial classes Of aEl nnttonsi arc per-,
nltted- to appear In court nud testify, and
in some instances lords and mobiles have been
servants. Our co1ofed population are as we'll
qualified to testify as they. Tou keep the
negro out Of court, and what chance has ho
for justfces just none at ALL The Govern.
DO not think Congress viii reenrd the consti.
tuition you may frame As republican in form,
or calculated to secure the ends Of Justice 10
all citizens, unless the negro is permitted 20
come Into court as q Witncss. I may be mis-
taken, but should that wrong be perpetrated,
and yonr Constitution rejected on that &C.
count, for one shall acquiesce in the Justice
Of the decision, The fact is, we have no other
course left us than to make clean breast OF
this whole business do full justice to the negro,
though he Is of an inferior race, and remove
the whole subject growing out Of his slavery,
emancipation and status; from the theatre OF
politics. !;
lies ruined nnd scattered IN the wide sweepIng
and bloody paths OF war. But the ruin
wrought is not the only aspect OF the case
that should be considered. The suffering bus
not all fallen to your lot. The esacred remains
Of two hundred thousand Northmcn iie buried
Of your Northern brothers, which has chal-
lenged the admiration and wonder Of the
world, touches tho chivalrous feelings Of the
South, and teaches us that ne were con-
quercd, not by menfals or towards, but by
focmcn worthy OF our steel. Their wullth
and resources hare astonished TIE ;oa nations Of
the earth, as well % ourselves, and let me say
to you that the North Is SO firmly fixed in Its
position TINT the conflict Of the last four
years. calling to tho field a million and u
half Of men, aud spending money In proper
tion, has had but the slightest effect upon
Gltnef business or socleLf anu tl6 govern
ment was never 20 strong In men, resources,
.ond the affections Of the people as when the
war closed. At the time OF Lees surrender,
Grant Ind under his command eight hundred
Thousand men, and could hive held every
position he occupied, aud concentrated at nny
riyen point five hundred thousand Of his
Veteran troops. The wonder is, not that you
we're conquered, but that you were able to
bold out SO long against such fearful odds
Tho Southern people aEebrave IS the bFa7est,
but 1t is folly for them TO think that one Is d
match for ten Of the same blood, and each as
braye as himself
The United States WAS never 30 powerful
nor so much respected by other nations As 1t
present. Not even in The darkest hour Of the
late struggle, when you scanned to be full
mitch for the great republic, did France aud
England combined dAre to insult the old ang.
Their sympathies were with you, but they
dare not make them Of my practicable value,
nnd now both nations are ready to get down
on their marrow-bones at her bidding Now
this great, powerful and honored republic Is
yours. You form q part Of It, and share IN
Its glory. When q few years shall hare passed
away, nnd the exasperations Of the present
are ieated, none will be proudcr than your-
selves to say, II An AN AMERICAN CITIZEN ~
The Governor further called the attention
Of his audience to some 1mperfections III tho
old Constitution, which he wished to see reni-
edlcd in the neW-to the importance Of utter
" squelching the rtgulators-of making du-
Cling crime to be severely punished by law,
aud various other reforms.