Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-07-25
Address of Chief Justice Chase at the
Dartmouth College Commcnc emGnt.

Address OF IhicI Justice thnse nt thc
Dartmouth College Commencement.
We find the following synopsis of the
speech made by Chief Justice CHASE at tho
commencement of Dartmouth College in the
Boston .jOWrHdi:
Mr.. President 0md GcmIcmen: fcel Op-
pressed with the many kind aIIusions that
have been made here concerning myself, and
for these numerous expressions of your warm
personal regard he pleased to accept my sim
corest thanks. For many reasons l would be
silent to-day yet here among so many of my
brothers feel it not only duty but pleas
ure to give expression to my views concern
ing the important resolutions now under con.
sideratiOn. Gen. Shcpley wishes you to erect
beautiful memorial building in commence
ration of the noble sons of Dartmouth who
have fallen in the great conflict of the past
four years. This is well; but would sug-
gest that, of the reOrganized country they
died to save, We erect II memorial that will
endure forever. l believe, gentlemen, that
we should be honest in the expression of our
views upon all subjects. My motto has al.
ways been to form Iuy ideas and then put
them into acts.
And in relation to national matters l am
free to say that | believe one of the first
things which ought to be done is to give to
every man in this country who is unattaintcd
of crime the right to vote. Great applause.
| believe there is virtue in the colOred people
of the South. They do not possess college
educations, but turning to Governor Smyth)
| men can be Governors without liberal
course of study. Applause They can be
Presidents also. More applause At the
time when was in politics | believe the main
duty was to vote the ticket. Well, there are
intelligent cOlOred people in the South suiIi-
cient to make up the ticket, and the Others
will vote it. Now, how many gentlemen here
can put their hands on their hearts and give
the exact reasons why they voted the last
general ticket / refer to his Excelency
! Gov. Smyth). to the cx-Judge Eastman,
| to the President and to the ex-President
| (Lord), and ask them to tell me why they SO
voted, if they can. | hear no reply, and
would say that, If you cannot answer ny
query, you must not object to the colored
people voting on the ground that they
wouldn't know what they arc about. Ap-
plause.
now look to the moral element as the
main qualification for exercising the right OF
suffrage. Now, gentlemen, the moral elo,
ment greatly predominates in the cnlored
people. An acquaintance of mine said he
|
blacks, but remarked that those colOrcd per.
sons who have fought in the army. who can
read and write, and who belong to the church,
ought to vote. Well, l said to my friend,
that is all right, for those who don't belong
| to the church to-day can all Join tomorrow.
| Applause. 1t might not be Il very moral.
| iEing process, but it would accomplish tho
object in view. Now | don't believe the
constitutions of the seeded States should
determine the qualifications for voting.
have talked with our good President at
| Washington on this subject, and he doesn't
exactly agree with me, but have hopes that
| shall bring him round to it before long.
| Applause. Through this great war the
cOlored people have been freed, and believe
that all free men are citizens. My theory Il
that in the South the States remain States,
but that the people are not the same people
rs heretofore.
The organizations of the rebel States have
been destroyed, aud we must go to the peo'
pie to rcorguniZe these States. Now who
are the people Inreply | would say that
believe this war has made every cOlOred man,
woman or child, just us much one of the
people as the whites Igreut applausoI and
believe that the whole people arc to rcor.
gunzo the rebel States. | furthermore be,
lcve that the Government has no more right
to bar one citizen (uness attainted by crime
from voting than another. These, Mr.. Prcsi,
dent, are the sincere views Of my heart, and
| have felt it my duty to express them tC
you. If any of my hearers do not readily
endorse my ideas, | would at least ask that
you give them an honest and careful consid
Grafton. In conclusion, gentlemen, | wouIl
simply say, let us build not only tho memo
rial monument, but from reconstructed
country that other monument of nationa
greatness which, towering toward the skies
shall 'catch the first rays Of the rising ant
the last rays of the setting SUM- aud whicl
shall remain forever the symbol of right, q
Justice and of freedom