Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-10-13

Another consequences that would fol
low from the admission of that doctrine
Ind / may argue this point 81 more
length at another time-is, that We
would be called upon to pay the rebel
debt III we admit that these States
we're out Of the Union, for moment,
and were to be regarded in the light Of
belligereats, il would be insisted upon At
once that when We take them back as
conquered States, we take them IS they
are, with theig deLk, Just as We would
take any other State belonging TO anoth-
err Government
The question Ct negro suffrage, which
now threatens 10 divide as, although il
may be smooth IN theory, is fraught
with practical difficulties | reject N
advance all schemes Of colonization.
They are impraesicable, whether upon
I this continent or upon another CONT
nent Besides which, we have no right
TO insist on the colonization of the ne
gro. He 10 . native American--wss
born in this counsry-has no other conn-
try. III be desires to emigrate be has
q right TO do so; bat il must depend up
on bis own volition. Applauss.
further agree that the time will come
when every man in this conntry win
have the right OF suffrage; that suffrage
should NOT depend upon color; that there
| Is no sufficient cause which should make
distinction on account Of color. be
lieve that IN the process Of time every
man, whatsoever bis color or national
| ity, whether in Indiana or South Caro-
lima, will come 20 enjoy equal political
| rights. Threat applause
The Eight TO vote carries With L tie
I right ~ hold eff. You cannot cay
that negro has q moral and natural
right to vote, bnt must vote only for
white men. The right TO vote carries
with il the right 10 bs voted for; and
when that right 10 conceded ron can
make no distinction against the right to
hold Office The right TO vote in State
carries with it the right to vote for Presi.
dents and Members Of Congress; aud
the right Of suffrage, If SECURED to the
negroes OF South Carolina and other
late rebel States, While il allows them to
vote for State officers, carries With il,
also, the privilege Of voting for Presi-
dent and members Of Congress-
In regard to the question Of admit
ting freedmen Of the South to vote,
while | admit the equal rights of all
men, and that in time all men will have
the right 20 vote without distinction OF
color or race, / yet believe that in the
case Of the four millions Of slaves just
emerged from bondage, there should be
terra Of probation exacted Of them be-
fore coneeding 10 them the exercise Of
political power Let rs consider for
moment Whether these four millions
were white or black, color woald make
no differences. Consider the condition Of
these people in the Southern States
You ca0n0t judge Of the condition Of
the freedmen--she negroes upon the
plan 'ationa-by those in the schools at
Hilton Head, Norfolk and other places,
where enthusiastic teachers are instruct.
ing them 10 read and write have no
donht many Of them make rapid pro.
gFesa, and have the capacity 10 learn
anything Bot It is only one in q thons-
aud who live upon the plantations that
in the towns, who have baen servants Of
intelligent gentlemen. You must con.
aider what il the condition Of the whole
mass Not one in thousand can read:
perhaps not one ia q thousand is worth
1--WE dollars in properly. They are jast
coming out Of bondage. All they have
is their bodiea Their little shantIes are
upon the plantations Of their former
masters. most Of them depending for
subsistence upon employment received
from them, or 10 some way less honora.
ble May Of them, until within few
months, weFs never of the plantations
on which they we're born; most Of them
certainly not out Of the county, unless
driven away by the slase-driver. Can
you conceive Of body OF mon. white or
black, thus situated, suddenly qualified
to step into the exercise Of political
power, not only 10 govern themselves,
but to govern their neighbora7 A mere
statement Of the facts furnishes The an
swer to the question. To cay that such
men-and ID Ia no fault of theirs, il is
simply their misfortune and the crime
Of this nation-to say that such men,
just emerging from this slavery, are
qualified for the exercise of this power,
would DO 10 make the strongest pro.
slavery arguments out Of eur complain
against the South. What has been our
practice Tor many years7 We have de-
seribed slavery - degrading body and
eoali as bringing human beings down 10
The level OF BEAST; as a crime, as de-
Priviug them of intellect and morals
Bat II we now turn around and say thas
this institution has been q school that
has qualified them for the right Of snE
frage, we viii staltify ourselves and give
the lie to those declarations upon which
we have obtained political power.
Let me inquire in what condition 10
Indiana to urge negro suffrage in South
Carolina or other Southern States? We
have perhaps twenty or TWENTY-FIVE
thousand colored people in this State.
The most of them can read and write
many Of them are very intelligent, ex-
eellent citizens, we'll TO DO in the world,
aLd veil qualified 10 exercise the right
Of suffrage. Bot bow stands the matter
We not only exclude them from voting,
exclnde them from giving testimony 10
courts of justice, exclude them from
school, but we make il unlawful, a
crime, fer them TO come into the State
at any time subsequent % 1850 No
negro who has come into the State sines
1850 can make g valid contract accord |
ing to our laws He cannot acquire |
title to land, and il man gives him |
employment be Is liable to prosecution
and hne. | sent out, in the 2s,h Indi- |
ana, O. colored regiment, recruited with |
difficulty and expense, and that has /
been in the Geld more than Two years,
has fought well, and ne got credit on |
our quota for every man; yet, according
to our constitution and the laws Of In- |
diana, half the men ia that regiment /
have no right 70 come back into the
State If they should do so, every man I
who should receive them ahd give them /
employment would be subject to prose
cHtiou and fine.
Now, with Indiana in this condition, I
AJAX with what face can she 90 TO Con. /
gress and insist on the right Of suffrage
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