The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-05-26
Genera Blair of Missouri Negro Suf-
| frage and New England Ideas.

fhe following is an extract from recent
speech Of General BLAIR. It will be remembered
that General BLAIR is a Republican, and was
one Of the strong supporters of Mr.. LINcoLN's
Administration -
I tell you, my friends. that this idea of negro
suffrage is the one ruling idea with this party. It
is the reason why the Union is still disrupted.
The blood OF thousands of men has been shed III
vain, and millions of treasure have been thrown
away to cement, and bind, and bring together the
States OF this Union. simply because there are in
o midst a party who are determined that this
Government shall never be r white mans govern
ment, but shall be a mongrel cur [laughterl,
mixed with all low relations and in Which he shall
exercise the same power Gentlemen, you wouid
be deceived very much in the belief that this idea
OF admitting the negroes ~ the Southern States
to suffrage arose from any sentimentahty on the
part of these New England statesmen. They
have other views which lie down deeper than the
rhetoric which they eXpend over the hardshlps Vi
excluding the 'sloyal" negroes of the South from
suffrage. Their intense anxiety and desire ls TO
have them Incorporated with all the rights OF clti-
zeis-with that last great light OF Individual sQv-
ereignty-because it is the ultimate right OF de-
terniining who shalfrue this Republic-to make
them our equals in every .point-to INSIST tnal
they shall be our equals in this Government.
Some people are fain to believe it rises simply
from q morbid sentimentaity-an abstract COLI
viction of the equal rights OF all men-and that
every man created in the image of his Maker
should be entitled to eqsal rights under our form
of government. 1 believe that any person who
im6ibes this opinion is utterly mistaken when VIC
come to sift down tothe very dregs tho motives
which actuate the leEdcrs OF this radlcal Juno;
That thero nre mon ,jYho are Led by This idea OF
sentimcntality, | belitye; that those bright rhe-
torical phrases and buSatiful metaphors which
are throw, ont by thp finished and accomplished
orators in Congress, pike Summer, have misled
some young and simple minded young men our
own Senators, for INSTANCE, [laughter1-f can
we'll conceive to be true
Rnt the New Inglard men-tLe men who gov
eril New England, that rule this party have far
other and far different motives. With theM 1t Is
power; with them it is dominion. 1t Is with them
the desire to retain in their hands the control OF
all the affairs OF this Republic. They wish to
bring to their side these four or five millions OF
negroes enrranchisedin tue South, and they wish
TO extend these States of New Englaud into eleven
more at the South Why, my friends, by that
means they could still maintain those high tariffs
that grind to powder the people OF the West, In
the midst of our NIfering, when throughout the
West we are bleeding 1t every pore and when our
produce, which weihaye succeeded IN making the
earth yield by the most laborious toil-wllen 1t
sells for scarcely anything on the markets-we
have been compelled to pay the most enormous
prices for those fabrics which are made III the
looms of New England, and they receive the most
enormous prices, almost fabulous, upon tue pro-
ducts OF their machinery III New England and
Pennsylvania, and we are loaded down WITH al
most the entire debt which has been incurred IN
the prosecution and maintenance OF our glorious
Union. am not as familiar as other gentlemen,
for hayo not recently made the proceedings OF
Congress my especial study, and therefore do not
profess to be as we'll acquainted with the details
of the measures which have passed and are still
being pressed through Congress for the benefit of
this New England interest; but there is one exanl-
ple which I desire briefly to allude to here, and
which will illustrate their whole scheme.