St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1866-02-08
fuE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
SPEECH OF HON. IGNATlus DON
:: NELLY. E#@"@ .+ss&
Delivered Jan. sad, 1866.

~ :
From the Congregational Globe Jun. 24th.
Mn. DoSNELLY-M Mr.. Speaker, l shall de
tain the House but very few minutes with
what have to say upon this subject.
shall vote for it cheerfully as step in
the right direction, as tending 10 bring the
representation in this House to more .ex-
act basis IF equality, and as doing away
with that rotten borough system 0rigina-
ting out of slavery and BY which it vas
made powerful and in great part maintain
ed. &Sz.% sss}
. Il follows as a logical conclusion that if
men have no voice iii the national govern
ncnt, other men should not sit in this Hall
pretending to represent them. And it is
equally clear that an oppressed race should
not lend their power to their oppressors,
TO be used in their name and for their de-
struction. 1t is nockery to say that .
mans agent shall be his enemy and shah
be appointed without his consent and
against his desire, and by other enemies.
In fact: cannot see how any northern
man can vote against this measure unless
he wishes to. perpctrate an injustice to his
section, because the effect of it will clearly
be to Increase the Representation of tile
North, and decrease that Of the South, and
this, too, upon. a basis Of undoubted JUS
tlce: 1t means simply that those who do
not take part in the Government shall no,
TO represented in the Government,
So far there can be question as to the
merit of the measure; but something more
is claim ed fer it..ssf:: -. a.
is claimed that this amendment will
act as grand panacea for all the ills that
atfiict the nation; that by its persuasive
force it will induce the South to g;vs ssuf
frage and education to the fre Omen, and
that when we have done this we should
halt and allow CHS sovereign remedy TO
work its cure. s.a ~! II :, g ig..fsf.;.,I-ts
Sir, l doubt this. I DO net think any
gentleman ought to vote for this measure
under any such belief. -na-
1t is to be believed that the southern peo.
PIE, under the influence of vague. hope
thatAins some distant future they may re-
gain possession of national power, will
overcome their d"ep-scatcd antlpathy and
contempt Tor, the negroes aroanu them, and
admit.thcnl 10 sthe- ballot box. fSs
: Politicians eager for power might 50 far
overcome their natural prejudices, but the
body of the people have no suchsloye for of
flee, no such far-reaching expectations Of
power, while they are profoundly and III
rectly atfcc Ell by their personal likes and
dislikes and bys those conv:c ions which arr
he result of centuries. My, more; the
means by which they would seek their OBJ
ject would deteate.it, for the right Of lsut-
trage once extended to1 the negro they are
well aware would strengthen the North and
divide the South. DO they not now have
employ northern men to induce the ne.
gloes to- work for them? do they not
know that the negro will believe the word
ofas cum mon soldier7 from the Nort., rather
thNn the. solemn. :enac! ment OF a Lepisia-
tnre scfssoutheru men p Will they be Wild
eucugh to hope that they can strengthen
and we ken the North by Civ
ng'theeright ofsufftageso sos the best friends
of the North! ltis not to be believed.
! MI. Speaker, when We vote fal. his mons
4re,jlt must be BECAUSE. We think it right
and necessary. not that it may furnish US
with an excuse for failing 10 do all other
right and necessary things expected of us
by the people. We must take direct, no,
sidelong measures. We must max laws.
not arguments. We must enforce not in
duce. s'&4s@ : - s..
TO pass this law and then hopethat South
Carolina. moved by. the hope Of future. pow
er, would do justice to tie negro is absurd;
She has sa29l 300, whites, and t412, 4v6 me-
groes To pass such a law would be for
the governing power to diycst itself OF tic
government and hand it over to subject
and iespised caste, and that too, for a faint
hope of some future advantage that might
neyer be realized bystte most favorable
circumstances and certainly could never
be realized BY the aspiring class abdicating
and sEslinq1ishiDg lower. The ti,ssmesiis
true, more or less, of all the South. In
Mississi ppi there are 1853 sol whites, and
496, ,63l negroes: and in all the States the
negro vote would be .lsrge enough to turn
The scale against the al 80 81.
~ shall vote for thiS measure not as q f.
nality, but as q partial step, as one Of
series of necessary lava: not as +. have
heard it termed. us q stconpromise,' p For
oneI shah not rest satisfe ! nhtil every So:
cnrity is given for the snfety, the prosperi-
" and the developments Of All the people Of
the South, without distinction Of .tacey OF
color, feeling assured that in that onlyc
we find the safety of sthe South and the
veil being Of the nation, .s,'' s & 's'
zen. Weitxel has WsSittcn a letter dis
ay0Wing the capture and pilla1e ,of Bagdad
.and says that all who were ideptifed d the.
AFFAIR." have been arrestt a. s.!a S ,f.,35s
~ -ss, 4 - s5stsSs