The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-09-14
states, and ought not to be re estab-

lished.
Now 1 call the attention of the
Convention to this peculiar language,
because 1t struck me when used, and |
when / first saw it, several South
ern gentlemen were in conversation |
with me. 1t struck me as carefully
selected, and used with purpose
that it should never be said of them |
that they had assented to the aboh-
ton of slavery, and that upon that
they would hereafter come, when rep
resented in Congress, to the Govern
ment and demand compensation for
their emancipated slaves. Cries of,
That's so, 1t is not necessary
for me to say before this Convention
that they have no just right Tor CON
pensation. Applause. None OH
earth. Applause. Let them pay
back to the Government the vast
debt they have incurred, because oil
the treason and rebellion, and it will
pay them for their slaves. Ap
plause Buttindependently of that,
upon principles, they are not entitled
to payment.
Then, gentlemen, this Convention
Ought to say to the people of this
nation: Iryou want to be secure aud
safe in this matter, fix it down in the
CONSTITUTION where neither Congress
nor any department of the Govern
ment can touch it, that emancipated
slaves are never to be paid Tor. Ap
plause Those Southern people,
whe1 they assembled to make their
various Constitutions, provided in
their State Constitutions that their
State rebel debt is not to be paid =
Every Southerner here knows with
what great reluctance they did that
1t required the positive command of
the President and all the power oi
the Government to exact II OF them
That can be repeated by State action
They can, by State action, undo what
they have done, and assume the pay.
! meut of the debt which they have
now, uIder coercion. refused. Write
it down in the fundamental law of the
land. Let the loyal people OF this
nation see that it is written down in
the fundamental law OF the land, that
no money shall be paid out of tho
Golfers of thepeople, anywhere, North
or South, for any effort to destroy
this Government. Applause ~
Upon these subjects l think, but
on the subject more particularly VI
equal and just representation, thi:
: Convention ought to speak out. Tn,
Southern men complain that theil
constitutional rights are infringed
, upon. If they complain fairly, say
50. II they ask more than justice
5 deny it, they have no right to it. l
' they ask that the vote and power o
y a white man in South Carolina shall
e equal the vote and power of tw'
: white men in Pennsylvania, it is al
, injustice and say so. Applause /
: they ask less than justice, give then
t full measure; if they more than JUS
tice, deny.
AS to the disfranchscment of rcb
c els, and the enfranchisemcnt of th
= black people, this subject also will
= come before this Convention. Upol
J. this subject, gentlemen Of the Conven
C tion, all nave to say is, do nothin:
d in anger. Do nothing from hatred
It Do nothing from ill will or for re
# vcnge, but do that which justice an
r right and mercy and love dictate
Applause. That which the pn
S righteous, that which the ungodl.
\ and the bad man does from bad pas
5 sions must perish from the lace c
/. the earth, while that which come
Is from love, from mercy, from jnstic'
Of must be eternal. Let love for MAJ
- kind, not for yourself, not for til
Ic man or that man, but for all mel
r not for this color or that color, Il
i. love for all mankind he your guide
4 Let it dictate your every resolution
IN Let it be your motive. l tell 30
n that such conduct will pour bitt'
a. fire upon the heads and into the co,
,e sciences of those opposed to yo
TX more than all we can do from spit
r. all that we can do from i'll will or an
v feeling Of revenge. Applause ....
"a At Cleveland, during the deliver
I Of Mr.. Johnson's speech, that inte
NJ rogatory gentleman repeatedly aske'