The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1866-07-04

portion Of the eolored male population of
any State, who by the laws of such State,
are not permitted to exercise the right Of
suffrage.
By this provision, the right Of each State
to determine for itself who shall be lis yot-
ing population Is recognized, and ifall the
States were permitted to take their proper
part in the administration OF the affairs Of
the Government In all its departments, sub
ject to the Constitution and the laws; and
without any other restraints than those im-
posed by the Constitution, there would be
some show of reason in submitting to the
people for their approval or rejection, an
amendment excluding from the basisof rep
rcsentation the colored people, because il
was inconsistent with the whole theory Of
our Government, that they should ever be
admitted to the right Of suffrage. But
there is nothing in the state Of our public
concerns, which now justify the adopting OF
any amendments to the Constitution.
know that some ofour Republican friends
become indignant when charged with being
in favor Of negro suffrage, and | believe
there is a great conservative interest, in that
party, which is opposed to it, and would
manifest their displeasure by abandoning
the party, if they could be made to realize
that such is the destructive and fatal conse-
quences to follow in the wake OF their sue
cess. l have read with very great care the
report of the committee on Reconstruction,
and | came TO no other conclusion than that
it is the intention of the committee, and Of
the party which approves that report, to
reduce the white man to an equality, polit-
ical and civil, with the negro.
l am aware that the report dwells at some
length upon the crime Of rebellion, upon the
wickedness of the men engaged in it, and
upon their untitness 70 participate in the al
fairs of the Government. To read the re-
p,rt without looking to the action proposed,
you would suppose that the committee de.
signed excluding all the present inhabitants
of the South from any participation in the
Government, for on almost indefinite peri"
cd, and suhjecting them to a tutilage as to
their duties as citizens; but the only practi-
cal action proposed, is the adop tion of the
amendments TO which | have referred, the
first securing to the negro all the rights and
immunities Of citizens, and the second, seek
ing to seduce the people of the South, by
Offering them increased political power, to
extend to that people the right of suffrage.
This is not matter of inference. The COM
mittee. in speaI ing of the amendment to
the Constitution abolishing slavery, which
had already been adopted by the States, and
that they were then recommending, say:
1T was doubtful, in the OPINION of your
committee, whetherth the States would consent
to surrender a power they had always exer
cised, and to which they were attached, a:
the best, if not the only method of our sur.
mounting the difficulty, and one eminently
Just and proper in itself. Your committee
came to the conclusion that political power
shouidSbe possessed in all the States, exact
ly in proper tion as the right of suffrag'
should be granted, without distinction 0
!, color or race. This, it is thought, woulC
!, leave the whole question with the people Of
each State, holding out to all the advantage
of increased political power, as an induce
ment to allow all to participate in its exer
else. Such a provision would be gcntle ant
| persuasive, and would lead, it was hoped,
at no distant day, to an equal participation
Of all, without distinction, in all the right.
! which pertain to citizenship
= Such, my friends, is the language Of tn
. committee, and such the hopes and dasigos
entertained by that committee, approved b,
Congress and Endorsed by the RepublicaI
t Convention Of this State l have thus en-
T. deavored to present to you fairly and dis
tinctly the position Of the two parties.
am willing to. trust the&issues with you, J
you wigbgt pause and consider them. as j
becomes you, bearing the relation you d
to the Goyernmont-a relation not secure
to the people Of any other Government
known to the civilized world, and one mucl
more easily lost than regained. But in an
e swer to all this, my countrymen, the Dem
oeratiesPastg is charged. with having bee
IL. o,,-n - Al ,rn- MI, Vr,nyla htSknr
e -Biltdevelepe to whon: and ito which: part
y passed isaD be attributed. The acts Of tn
reffenb' fof2State officers to aid in thu, excel
Is ance Of high State officers at public nice
lie ings, %deponncng the laws of Congress, an
t. in a certain event p~ledging to the mob tn
aid Of the military power of the State; Il
is declarations BY prominent men that til
| nant with DEATH" "No Union with slav
holders" ''Let the South go;'' "Dow
n with the Haunting lie." I say history W
prepared the minds Of the people South f
m men, in their midst, and that to these e!
LIGuleS VT are iuIcplcu " lC odu NuIdtl
y. ties of the last few years.
70 My friends, be ye not disnayed BY Z
IS: unscrupulouSness of the opposition in ii
ali pugning your motives, or in deiaming 70
lie characters. A party which is led by a ma
no ~ who in the face of the suffrrings which t
4 people Of this country have been made I
81 endure, that the Constitution might
of maintained, and the Union preserved, W
-.,atn,rxnl thn mas a tsFnrttrnafl ohonn.
lie bv which the foundations of our instit
tons" were for a time broken up" a
he we released from obligations the most
eal Of freedom" sag, my countrymen, tn
= 70 of such a man but abuse, vile and unmi
great misfortune, yet glority it as aJortua'
nt' friends of the Constitution, but charge tt
IN, the obligations" itinposed were the m
.ah tyrannical that were ever imposed in t
name of freedom"
Such is the language Of the eader of
Ilu sentatives Of Congress. 1t is an honor,
70 honor to be coveted, TO be traduced by m
~ who will thus denounce the founders
. the Republic and defame the fathers Of
by Government. But under no circumstan'
The have Democrats the right to complain.
LAT Who has been or is now exempt from tn
10 defamation? 1t matters not what posit
md the Individual may occupy, what has bt
lis, his services or his sufferings, be he the Pr
en- ident Of the United States, the Secretary
State, S.nator or Pastor Of Plymo
age Church, or be- he a General at the head
all the army, or the soldier, who is bearing
led his side an empty sleeve, or shattered lin
SO as an evidence Of his devotion to his COZ
his try, the moment there is my he ~itation,
nd following the party, in its negro policy, t
or moment they are cursed and denounced
traitors to their party and their country