The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-02-01
THE GATE CITY,
WEDNESDAY, FEB. /.
Brave wera..

Brave Words.
Hon. W. D. Kelley, in his speech Of
reconstruction, delivered in the House
lew days since, took strong grounds in IA
vor of enfranchising..the negroes in th,
reconstructed States. We append an ex
tract from it:
Let US meet the question fairly. Do ou,
institutions rest on complexional differ
encesi Can we cement and perpetuase
them by surrendering the patriots of the
lhsurgent district, shorn of all political
power, into Abe hands of the traitors
Nnon We propose to propitiate by such q
sacrihce of faith and honor? Did God or
dain our country for single race of menu
there reason why the intelligent,
wealthy. loyal men of color shall stand
apart abased, on election day, while his
ignorant, Incorporate, vicious, and dis
loyal white neighbor participates in ma
KING laws for his government? What is
the logic that denies to son the right to
vote with or against his father. because ID
mas pleased Heaven that he should par
taKe more largely of his mothers than of
,hat fathers complexion? And is it not
known to all of us that well-nigh forty per
cent Of the colored people OF the South
are children of white fathers, who, after
we subJugate them, will with professions
Q, loyalty only lip deep, enjoy the right
OF suffrage in the reconstructed States?
Shall he, though black as ebony be his
SKID, who, by patient industry, obedience
TO the laws, and unvarying good. habits,
mas accumulated property on which be |
caeerfuliy pays taxes, be denied the right |
Oh voice In the government of State to
whose support and welfare he thus con-
tributes, while the idle, reckless, tbriftless |
man OF fsirer complexion shall vote away /
his earnings and trhe with bis life or In |
teresls as JUROR
Shall the brave man who has periled /
life, and mayhsp lost limb, who has en-. /
dured the dangers of the march, the camp /
and the bivouac 10 defense of our Consti.
tuition and laws, be denied their protec-
tlon, while the traitors in the conquest
OF whom he assisted, enjoy those rights,
and use them as instruments for his on
preston and degradation? Shall he who
In the language of my amendment, may
be able to read the Constitution of the
United States, and who finds his pleasure
In the study of history and political phi.
iosophy, whose integrity is undoubted,
whose means are ample, be voiceless in
the councils of the nation, and read only
to learn that the people Of free and en-
llghtened America, among whom his lot
has been cast, sustain the only Govern
ment which Furnishes a race because God
in His providence gave it complexion
which It's unhappy members would not
have accepted had it been submitted to
their choice or volition? And can he
who will answer these questions afirm,.
lively believe that governments are insti-
tuted among men to secure their rights,
thai they derive their powers from the
governed, and that it is the duty of peo-
pie, whan any government becomes des-
tructive of their rights, to alter or abol-
ish it, and establish new government?
Sir, our hope for peace, while We attempt
to govern two-ffths of the people Of one
half of our country in violation of these
fundamental principles, will be idle as the
breeze of summer or the dreams of the
opium eater.