Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1866-01-26

GREAT srEnon OF Ex-eov. sourwELL.

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strong vote of ll6 to "a. Even Kasson Of Iowa.
Raymond of New York, and Woodbridge of this
State who sometimes vote with the democrats,
voted for the bill. Mr. Morrill, Of this district Of
course supported il, true to the principles of his
speech before the Union State Convention at
Montpelier, last summer In fact the whole New
England delegation voted solid for the BILL II
was not till the last moment that Gov. Boutwell,
decided to speak upon the BILL When he arose,
the House was Immediately hushed, and members
gathered around him while he delivered off hand
one of the best and most impressive speeches Of
the session. His speech closed the debate and the
voting then commenced; and the concluding por-
ton of his speech We give as follows
| Mr.. Speaker Is it not seen that il these prop.
ostions be true the right to vote exists indepen.
IDENTIFY Of all human agency, In the sense Of the
law and that the doctrine that the right Of voting
is conventional right is not sustained by reason
of history! History shows only this-that the
limitations upon the exercise Of the right Of vot-
ing are the results of conventions. The natural
right is the right OF the family to speak on all
matters which concern the welfare Of the family.
as one family, in the great society and family Of
man. This demonstrates, think, that the negro
has everywhere the same right to vote as the
YOU proceed one step from this line, You admit,
that your government is failure. What is the
essential quality of monarchal and aristocraticaI
governments Simply that by conventional
rule-by arrangements Of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES per-
sons have been deprived Of the right of voting
we have attempted TO set up and maintain gov
eminent upon the doctrine Of the equality of man
the universal right Of all men to participate in
! the government. In accordance with that theory
we must accept the ballot upon the principle az
equality. 1t is enjoyed by the learned and by The
unlearned-the wise and the ignorant--the yirtu-
Gus and the vicious. The great experiment is 90
ing on. II, before the war, any man in this CONN.,
try was disposed to undervaue a government thus
conducted, he should have learned BY this time
\ the wisdom and the strength of government
which embraces and embodes the judgment and
the will of the whole people. If the negroes of
the South--four millions stronghold been en-
| dowed with the elective franchise and had united
with the white people of that region in the work of
rebellion, your armies would have been powerless
to subdue that rebellion, and you would to-day
| have seen your territory limited by the Potomac
and the Ohio. And if in the North suffrage had
been limited, as it is in Great Britain, you could
not have commanded two million six hundred
thousand volunteers for the defense Of the repub-
lie The unity of sentiment in the loyal States
was due TO the fact that every man felt that the
| government was his own. This only illustrates
how strong government is when It is founded
upon the judgment and the viii of the whole peo-
pie, and how weak il is when founded upon the
Judgment and the win of part.
| / advance still further have said that con-
sdered this question involving other issues than
the mere matter Of suffrage in the District Of Co.
lumbia. do not conceal my opinion from friend
or opponent. ! am of those who believe that any
restoration of the eleven States in the rebellion
TO political power in the government of the coun.
try which is not coupled with or preceded by, the
condition that the negroes of the South are to
vote, opens away to the destruction Of the govern.
meme from which there is no escape. declare, nj.
ter the greatest deliberaton, and the calmest re-
Election, and say it with sorrow, looking upon
the country rent by opposite opinions this qnes.
ton. that without such a measure as suggest for
the Southern States, this government cannot out
last those who are now in the vigor Of manhood
Why and how will it fail 1t willfail and fall by
the fact that, without this alessential guaranty,
we put into the hands of our enemies in the South
two weapons the blows of which we shall be pow
ercss to parry. One is the assumption by the
Government Of vast and overwhelming weight
OF Indebtedness, to be followed by foreign war.
We see to-day how difficult it is to restrain and con-
troll the people IN this country their desire take
just vengeance for the wrongs inflicted upon them
by England and France. Suppose the powers Of
this government were entrusted to the hands OF the
late slaveholdeas-the men recently engaged in re-
bellion-does any man believe that they are restor-
ed to their right mind that they will give an ar.
dent support to the government All the testimo-
ny is that they alien and hostile to this gov.
eminent as ever, and that they only seek oppor-
tunity to strike deadly blow What opportunity
do you give them They are marshaling to-day
in Virginia in South Carolina, in Louisiana, their
claims upon this government They will demand
two billions of dollars for slaves untold hun
dreds of millions of dollars for depreda.ions
committed by our armies; an aggregate of thou
sands of millions Of claims, or demands having
the color of claims, will be marshaled against the
Government and you invite sixty representatives
united, bound together by the ties of interest and
of ancient and unrelentng hostility, to enforce
these claims. This Congress, no doubt, is incor-
ruptible, but when there are claims against the
government to the amount of three billions Of dol
lars, with the support that such representatives
afford-twenty-two in the Senate and sixty in the
House-with all the influence of this immense
demand against the Government, do yon expect
to resist thema DO you expect to meet them
with paper blockade Constitutional Amend
ment? If that is your expectation, youl expec-
tation will not be realized. And when they have
involved the country in an Indebtedness Of four,
five or six thousand millions of dolars-when
they have so broken Your credit in the markets Of
the world that your paper will sell for fifty cents
on the dollar-and taking advantage OF the just
and natural hostility of the people against Euro
pean aggression-they involve You in a foreign
war, what have they to do but to march out OF the
Union and bid you defiance?
Secondly, you leave the rebels in the possession
Of power which they will surely avail themselves
of when the again undertake the destruction OF
the government-the opportunity to bestow the
elective franchise upon the negroes. 1t you fail
to secure the black man in his rights he will be.
come in degree alien and hostile to the national
government. In this condition he will be ready
10 accept the right of suffrage from the Southern
leaders, and to transfer his allegiance sympathy
and support from you to them. Will you leave
such weapon in the hands of your enemies
when, by timely act of justice, you can secure
the jealous and unwavering support OF the black
race in every generation Throughout this con
test the blacks have exhibited the puresf patriot
ism and the highest wisdom. Can any man name
an act done by them that has been injurious to
them as race or prejudicial to the country Or
can any one suggest an omission tnat has been
preiudicial to them or the country? SO will they
exhibit wisdom hereafter. If we fail in our duty
we have no right to expect their support in the
future.
II Is not unreasonable to expect that in twelve
or twenty four months several of the States re-
Gently in rebellion will confer the elective rancnsse
upon their negroes. In Louisiana one-eighth Of
The voting white population, understand. are in
favor of this measure. We know that this force
must be augmented by accessions OF loyal men,
and for this reason every Union man in the South