The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-07-25

of the Government.
After all, conceding for the moment
the right of the Executive to take the
initiative toward forming these State
governments, who were to be the par
ties entrusted with that great duty?
NV own State [ win bring up again
as an example, for it is as good as any.
was clothed with the power ola pro-
visional governor 1t was said that
( was appointed and charged with the
duty which [ was directed to perform
for the reason that the people of the
State of Texas, by their rebellion, had
overthrow all legitimate State gov
eminent in that State. Then no gov
eminent existed there. All legiti-
mate government had been over
thrown. M
Now, it is VIGOROUSLY true, as
\ part of the history of these
times, and all these States, that what
ever may be true in legal contempla-
ton of the white race, there was
race ofpeople in the South that could
in their condition commit no treason
against the Government of the United
States. / allude to the slaves. They
had no Volition of their own; they
could not legally connect themselves
with the one party or the other. we
know, however, as a historic fact, that
their hearts, their sympathles, and
their prayers were with the Govern
ment of the United States. Ap-
Dlause.1 And why? Because they
had a religious faith that their free
dom was inseparably connected with
The triumph of the arms of the Gov
eminent of the United States Re-
newed applause. When the war
ended, and this scheme was entered
upon of organizing State Govern
ments in the South, the Provisional
Governors were directed to go to
their respective States and call con
Ventions as soon as practicable of all
of those who, under the previous con-
stitution and laws of the State, were
entitled to vote, and who would take
the oath of amnesty prescribed by the
President on the 29th of May, 1865.
1 beg you to remember, fellow-citi-
zens, that this was after the negro was
a free man, and citizen of the United
States. He was a citizen-a free citi
zen of the United States He had
never committed treason against the
Government of the United States; he
loved that Government. Applause.
He was willing to labor for it, and
to die for it, if need be. Renewed
applause Then, / ask, whence does
the President of the United States de-
rive the power to say that the only
class that had been loyal to the Gov
eminent in the South, the only class
of free citizens there existing who
had.not engaged in the rebellion, and
who had not thus forfeited their civil
and political rights. and privileges,
should be cut off and denied the
privilege of participating in the form
alton of new government: while
that other class, the rebels, and all
those who had been denounced by in
ternational law as the enemies of the
Government of the United States,
should be reinstated in their privilege
of controlling the government, and
that to the exclusion of the only por-
ton of the inhabitants who had been
true to its fag-in their hearts, at
least, for they had not opportunities
to make known their feelings by their
action-and should be made to stand
aside and suffer a government to be
made in which their rights were to be
forever denied and ignored. Zap
plause.
/ say, fellow citizens, we have start
ed out in this wrong If we attempt
for a moment to defend a position of
that sort we will never get through
this struggle until we get right.
{" That's sol and great applause.
If you fall back upon the prejudices
of the past, those which were once so
offensive, because in maintaining this
grand principle of right you are de-
noupced by certain class as negro
worshippers, and so on, you will fall
far short of the imperative duty which
is before you. You will have to get
bravely over all these things before
we can ever hope to be at peace, and
before agitation will cease among US.
Until this Government dare to do
right truth will perish from this earth
before agitation will cease upon that
subject. Applause.
The hackneyed phrase ''This is a
white mans government" is the great
est SANDER ever perpetrated upon the
work of our great fathers. 1t is not
white mans government. 1t is a
free mans government, be he white OF
black. Vociferous applause 1t is
a government for all those of every
cline, of every hue, who come here
and with honest words and worship in
ats temple, and offer their hearts
blood in its defence when it is imper-
illed. EApplause.] You talk about
this beingIa white mans government
and say that black man is incapable
of being a citizen In the name o.
God, then, what is the black man
born free in the great State of New