The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-05-25

negro who owns $3.50 worth of real
estate. Are you in favor of that, my
Democratic friend? He is in favor Of
suspending the writ of habeos corpus
and Of military commissions, and he
approved of the hanging of Mrs.
Surratt. Are you in favor of
that2 No. says my Democratic friend,
but / am Ia favor of Mr.. john
son. And why are you in favor of
johnson? Why, just this, that being
in company with Mr.. johnson, / may
hope to defeat the Union party. Not
one principle or sentiment does he en-
terrain that these men approve He
cannot approve of one sentiment of
theirs without belieing his life since
the war began. Is he not in favor of
the levying of taxes to pay off the
debt2 They are not. Is he not in
favor Of the reputation of the debt of
the South? They are not; for deny
alphabetically that the Democratic par
ty are In favor of the reputation of
single dollar of the war debt of the
South, for if these States came back
into the Union upon the same terms
as they held before they went out. they
are sovereign States in the Union, and
have the right to levy taxes to pay
that debt, and pay pension to their
soldiers. These will constitute their
demands; and whenever they can get
majority, they will exercise the pow
ler. to obtain them. ra
The Democracy, as at the present
organized in this country, contend
that these Southern States are to re-
turn to their practical relations with
the Government without any con
ditions !. with all their rights under
the Constitution, with all their powers
to secede again, and with the deter
mination on their part, whenever
their rights are again invaded, that
they will secede if they have the
power. I have no, fear that we shall
have more war, unless they can get
some of these fellows who! are play
ing bo7peep to fight with them. But
here lies the danger; if the Union is
restored to practical operation by
bringing these men back just as they
stood before the war, with the seeds
of this conflict not eradicated, would
not the hatred of the : internal Yam
kee" down South, be just as strong as
ever? and would not the hatred of
the men who descended from Virginia
cavaliers be as great as ever toward
the old puritan stock of New Eng
land? Is there no danger of such a
conflict of sentiment being created in
the country, that some foreign nation,
taking advantage of this difference of
opinion, might take part with the
South in order to overturn and destroy
our Government? / look upon that
as an inevitable future, provided these
people are permitted to come back
into the Union without any con-
ditions whatever mean, of course,
into political relations with the Gov
eminent. For | maintain that they
have never been out of the Union,
because I hold that all their ordi-
nances of secession were null and
void. 81. - asaf
But this quarrel between Mr.. J Ohm
son and Congressseems to afford hope
to the Democratic party that the Union
nartu-1r;ll bc divided, and that they
viii profit by it. / see no necessity
for it. 3 What is the cause of the quar-
rel between Mr.. johnson and Con-
gress? The majority of Congress have
passed a Freedmen S Bureau Bill, and
Mr.. johnson has vetoed it. am not
disposed to think there is anything
special in that veto that any one need
quarrel with Mr.. johnson about, or in
the passage of the bill that they need
auarrel with Congress about. It's great
purpose was to take. care of the ne
groes who have been made free by the
operations of the Government; and it
is the great question to decide what
shall be done with them. The ques-
ton whether the negroes should vote
was not involved in it. / do not think
they are, as q general thing, competent
to vote, though great many are. |
have four negroes living atmy house !;
one of them Is as competent to vote as
| am, while the other three are about
as competent, to vote as. the horses
they drive in my pillow, Yet these three
represent great majority of those in
the South. Whenever they become
capable of voting, let them vote; and
when they find that by letting the ne
gro vote they can increase their repre-
sentation in Congress, they will do it;
and it will be the policy of the South,
as well as of the Northern States, to
extend to the negro this privilege.
Negroes have voted in the South,
as they do now in New. York and
in New England, and Martin
Van Buren, advocated their right to
vote The question is, whether the
interests of the State require them to
vote If it were necessary for the
preservation of tie Union that they
should vote, / would confer that right
upon the negroes tomorrow But /
think we can, get along without their
vote, and take care of the white folks
and the negroes too When they are
ahln , to VOTE lat thn,,n. ah1it in The