, 1866-03-23
senator Ne.mlth on Negro safratss

Of negro suffrage: s..llE
The right Of suffrage implisdly carries with Il
the right Of governing BY holding o1hce, And
against the lodgment Of such powers in the
hands OF toe late slaves, enter my solemn pro-
test, admit thst Il iS not the fault Of the Az
ricAn, the Indian, or the Asiatic, that bis skin Is
not white, or thathe does not exhibit those great
characteristics which qualify him to govern the
white race, aud am not disposed 10 fnhict pun.
ishment upon the African because, while Our
white ancestors were contendinK for civil and
religious liberty, his were the nude bafbarians
engaged 10 eAuag or ssliiqg those whom the
fortuRSs OF var yllAesd within atksiF ,po,SSr
uPon their native deserts. God made the dis
daetion in creating the races, and by an immu-
table law he made their permanent commine-
ling an impossibiity. Where the white race
predo inmates il governs, and in Africa and
Haytf, where the negro is the dominant race, he
governs, and sedulodsly excludes the white man
from any participation. And while | do not pro.
pose to reenact the ordinance Of Providence 9, II
am an advocate Of the maintenance of the dis.
tinction of the races, socially and politically.
Notwithstanding the denunciatious which
have been hurled against the sentiment I still
believe that this is white mans Government,
framed by white men, and for white men; insti-
tuted by their wisdom aud defended by their
ysor. In saying this, do not mean TO be un-
derstoot as asserting that the negroes, the In
cluded from the natural rights of life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness; but do mean 10
say that the hardy, perseyering, industrious,
brave, and intelligent Auglo-Saxon race and
their descendants; who brought civilization and
the arts to the New World and who have or
ganiZed defended, and perpetuated free govern
meut here, are not to be overridden and have q
governmental policy dictated to them by any
semi -barbarous interiors; who have never evin-
ced the intelligence here, nor in their own
country, necessary to better their own condf-
ton; who have never had inventive genius to
improve upon the rudeness of the most barbar-
Gus life; who have never had the courage to as
sert and maintain a respectable Government
anywhere. b.. ."'=.; 5al
A stroke of the pen and sword combined has
stricken the fetters from the limbs of the slave,
but has left him In point of intelligence but lit
tie the superior Of the brute creation or the in
animate objects by which he is surrounded. The
stroke Of neither the pen nor sword can relieve
the emancipated slave of his servile instincts
and fl him at once for the judcious exercise or
the right of suffrage. He is as ignorant and
passive to-day as he was before a drop of the
white mans blood was shed to secure his emau-
cipaton and he will be no better tomorrow.
BY fOrcibly thrustiug upon him the right of suf-
frage, of which he has no adequate comprehen.
sion, you either leave him the dupe of his old
master, to be voted at his will or force him into
an unequal contest with your own race, who,
since anything has been known Of them, have
Aitha- onsloved nr artprmiDated every nther rans
with which they have come in contact. =
1t seems to me unreasonable that we should
be called upon at this day to discuss question
of extending suffrage to a race who are notori-
ously unfit to exercise it intelligently and wise
ly Bet surprise at this fact will be lessened
when we consider that those who are most anI-
ious to secure negro suffrage, who are most ar
nd hOi ils
those persons who know least about the negro,
and are least qualified to judge and determine
any question of policy concerning him. There
is no extensive sentiment anywhere in the
southern States in favor of negro suffrage
What is thought on that subject in this city of
Washington was determined recently by an al
most unanimous vote of the qualified citizens
against it. Advancing northward, we find con-
sttutional provisions established in mos! of the
central States to preclude all legislative action
upon the subject Only when we arrive in the
extreme North, where this race is scarcely
known as an element of population, do we find
any considerable sentmentin favor Of degrading
the elective franchise to the level of negro intel
ligence and capacity. And even in recent cleo
.ions held in ConrEcticut, Wisconsin, and Miur
nesota, decided majoritiea wete given againstthe
extension of suffrage to the small number ofne.
1roes resident in THOSE States. Upon the Pa
;ifc coast, am sure, the people are opposed to
suffrage by negroes, by Asiatics, or by Indians
ound within their borders; and they will long
-emain 50. 10 short, if negro suffrage were SUBJ
mitted, at this hour, to vote of the whole cleo
oral population of the United States, I believe
hey would decide against it by vote of four to
one. Even the negroes themselves do not de.
nand or ask it, except where they are instiga-
Ted or Influenced by white men whose trade IS
agitation and whose purpose is mischief. II
clear, then, that public opinion does not De-
mand from Congress any legislation or action
looking to negro suffrage.
CONVENTION The Pennsylvania Democratic
met on March 5th, and nominated
Keister Clymer, of Berks county, for Governor,
On the 4t6 ballot, over George W. Oass, Presi!
dent of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chicago
Railroad The resolutions declare that the, States
whereof the people were lately in rebellion, are
integral parts of the Union and entitled to repre1
,eutation in Congress by men duly elected, who
bear true faith to the Constitution and laws, and
,uch representatives should be forthwith admit
led that the bold enunoiation Of a policy Of
restoration contained in the recent annual mes.
sage of President Johnson, and his veto OF
he Freedmens Bureau Bill, entitled him to the
confidence and support of all who respect the
Constitution and love their country that each
State has exclusive right to regulate the quail
fcatious Of its own electors that the white
&C. alone are entitled to control the Govern
nent, and we are unwilling to grant negroes the
light to vote. Clymer accepted the domination
n a speech saying the nation was in peril, and
he democracy must rally to the support Of the
PRESIDENT, who has appealed ia terms Of patfi-
tic devotion to his whole country. IA.
--~~~~---->SS-~~~~~s : ,3r''
A QUAINT ESDo RsEMEET.-Franklin W. SMITH
contractor, was tried by a court martial ana
ouud guilty of pocketing thousand or two
loHars out of contract with the Navy Depart
nent for supplies. The report of the court
martial was sent to President Lincoln for exam
nation, who returned it with this characteristic
"Whereas, Franklin W.,Smith
,ad transactions With the United States Navy to
he amount Of million and quarterof dollarsI
md had the chance to steal a quarter Of a nail.
ion of dollars: and, whereas, be was charged
With stealing only ten thousand dollars, and
rom the final revision of the testimony, tits only
Ia do1l I