The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-06-07
THE DAILY EMP'IRE!II
7,' H. II. ROBINSON, 2 77
PUBLISHER AND PROPRIETOR.
Speech Of Hon, Geo. H. Pendleton
AT THE l.U .fiI .fl-
Ohio Democratic State Convention,
mW May "a, 1896. b. ',....,
fcoNcLuDED.

WELD, then they may exclude the negro
from the ballot-box for all time, and are
quite welcome TO do so. I.t- lue .b,. u. y
Do wrong these Radicals In Congress.
They will not admit the Southern States to
their constitutional equality and recognize
their right of representation, because ne
groes are excluded from the ballot-box.
Their out spoken leaders boldly say so.
And yet within two weeks, by very large
majOrities, they have passed bill to admit
Colorado to the Union. whose people have
declared in the most authentic and offensive
form that in their new State none but white
men shall vote. DO You remember the
statement of Thaddeus Stevens, that If the
South should be permitted to vote, the
Democratic party would again come into
power And do you know the fact that
the Senators from Colorado are Radicals,
whose votes in the Senate 1t would be con-
venient to have In ease of another veto? !?
Do you believe that protection of the
negro was the trne purpose of the amend
ment? No, sir. 1t was to cross the bound
ary of State authority, and to lay violent
hands by Federal power op the most sacred
of all the garanteed rights of the States.
This amendment passed the sitting section
of the House of Representatives, and now
awaits the action of the Senate. .yI.j5r ggf,I
Consider the Civil Rights bill. 1t de-
clares that all native born persons of what
ever race. color or condition, are citizens OF
the United States, and that all citizens shall
enjoy equally all civil rights, and that all
citizens shall be protected alike, and be
punished with the same measure of penalty.
What does this mean? Suppose a State
law prescribes less penalty in the case of
n negro than of u white man convicted of
crime against State law2 Has Congress
authority to say he shall be punished more
severely3 III Congress may ahrOgate the
clause of the State law relating to the ne
gro, and substitute for 1t a Federal law, it
may abrogate also the clause relating to the
white man. If IL may subject the negro to
the punishment prescribed for the white
man, it may also subject the white man to
the punishment prescribed for the, negro;
or 10 may prescribe for bOthnn entirely diff
fcrent punishment. or remit punishment
altogether, and so establish within the
State n criminal code to the exclusion of
State Legislation altogether; and if this Is
so, what q work of supererOgatiOn was 1t
in the Constitution tOiDsert a special pro-
vision confiding TO Congress the power Ito
define and punish piracies and felonies on
the high seas" And yet thus to overwhelm
the powers ofthe State was this law, ayow-
edly to protect the negro in civil rights,
chiefly gotten up and urged. s.If ed 80.
ON the 18th of January last, an order was
issued from the War Department to the
military in the Southern States. to protect
from prosecution or suit in any State court
all officers or soldiers, or any other per-
son subject to military authority, for acts
done pursuant to orders, and to protect all
loyal citizens for acts done against rebel
forces, and all persons, their agents or em-
ployees, charged with the occupancy of
abandoned lands, and the possession and
custody of any kind OF property, who used,
possessed, or controlled the same, pursuant
to the order of the Presi1ent,or of any civil
or military department. and alsO TO pro-
tect col0red persons from prosecution In any
State for otienses for which white persons
are not punished in the same manner and
degree. That sto say, the citizen shall
have no redress If any military officer or
the President, or the head of any depart
ment shall have stripped him othis proper
ty. driven him from his home, upon some
false or trivial charge, or TO crafty some
personal hatred or ill-will. The order Is
more lawless than the act could be. The
Judge who would obey it, unless compelled
by mere brute force, would deserve to be
deprived of his Office, and TO be made by
word and scorn among all men. / pass
over the inf,,my ofembodying such provis-
ions in amilitary order. In q law they
would be iDtolerable. They are the fit
means of subyerting not only this, but any
system OF free Government. ..il u...-II I.
And not content with striking thus dir
reetly at the States, these Radicals are at
tacking the well settled system of the Ex-
ccutiye authority They find now, in time
of peace, that the patronage of the Presi-
dent Is enormous--that IL may he used to
thwart their schemes--that IL Is dangerous
to liberty. We heard nothing of this when
the officers of million Of soldiers were to
be appointed by Mr.. Lincoln. aud the con-
scription law and the Internal Revenue bill,
clothed him with the power of filling the
land with Presidential partisans. They
now seek to break down and degrade the
Presidential Office, and TO reduce it to a
mere dependent upon the will and whim of
this Congress, which has in its fanaticism
and folly degraded itself to mere Central
Directory. And these are the proofs which
i adduce Of desire and determination 10
overthrow our system of Government. nY
L know. of course, these gentlemen viii
deny my conclusions. j understand their
theories and the arguments by which they
support them. / understand their thimble-
rig logic by which the States are in the
Union in order that they may be governed,
and out of itthat they may have no rights
under the Constitution when duties are TO
be exacted, and not under IL when protee-
tion Is 10 be accorded--within the law when
taxes are 10 be paid, beyond il when rep
Is demanded. The President
OF the United States confronts these gen
tlemen. He denies their theories. He
brushes away their eob-web sophistries. He
stands consistently on the ground occupied
by him and them at the beginning Of the
war. He denies the doctrine OF State sui
He denies that the ordinances of Sc
cessien were valid In law. He denies
that they were made effective by suo-
cess of arms lie maintains that the
States never were, and are not now out
Of the Union. and he is prepared TO secure
10 them the enjoyment of all their rights
as they are ready TO perform all their
duties Gentlemen, let US give him, In this
effort, a cordial and hearty support; let us
give him warm, effective, magnanimous
support. Let it be the more jealous and
0utspoktgl. because he is not the President
OF our choice because we have no fayors 70
ask--no offices TO seek-no patronage to en-
Joy; let us verify unselfshly the claim
which we made during the heat of the war,
that we were devoted TO the Integrity OF
the Union and the maintainanee of the Fed
eral compact. We disagree With the Presi-
dent IN many things-we dissent from many
OF his doctrines-we question the wisdom
ofmany of his acts but we agree with him
on this present question Of restoration ;and
IL does seem 10 me 10 be our highest duty
IN Ia with him a, affa1s-