Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-06-01
aENERAL BLAIR OF MISSOURI ON NEGRO
SUFFRAGE AND N EW ENGLAND IDEAS.


aEHERAL BLAIR OF MISSOURI ON NEGRO
SUFFRAGE AND N EW ENGLAND IDEAS.
The following is an extract from q recent
speech of General Blair. 1t will be re-
4nembered that General Blair is Repub-
'licau. aud was one Of the strong supporters
Of Mr.. Lincoln's Administration: 49,
tell you, my friends, that this idea of
negro suffrage is tho one ruling idea with
this party. 1t is the reason Why the Union
is still disrupted. The blood of thousands
Of men has been shed in vain, and millions
of treasure have been thrown away to ce-
ment, and bind, and bring together the
States Of this Union, simply because there
are in our midst party who are deter,
mined that this Government shall never be
white mans government, but shall be a
mongrel cur Iaughtcr,] mixed with all low
relations, and in which he shall exercise
the same power. Gentlemen, you would
he deceived very much in the belief that
this idea Of admitting the negroes in the
Southern States 10 suffrage arose from any
sentimentalily on the part of these New
1ingland statesmen. They have other
views which lie Town deeper than the
rhetoric which they cxpcnd over the hard
ships of excluding the "loyal" negroes OF
the South from suffrage. Their intense
anxiety and desire is 10 have them incor
porated with all the rights Of cilizens.-
with that last great righ: of individual SOW
crcignty-because it is the ultimate right
OF determining WHO shall rule this Repub.
lic-to make them our equals in every
point-to insist that they shall be our
equals in this Government. Some people
are fain 10 believe it rises simply from
morbid sentimentality-an abstract con-
yiction of the equal rights Of all lncn- and
that every man created in the image of his
Maker should be entitled 20 equal rights
under our form of government. l believe
that any person who imbibes this opinion
Is utterly mistaken when we come to sift
down 70 the very Jregs the motives wbic.:
ac uato the leaders Of this radical junto.
That there arc men who are led by this
idea Of senlimentality, believe, that these
bright r rhetorical phrases and beautiful
metaphors which are thrown out by the
finished and accomplished orators in Con-
gress, like Sumner, have misled some young
and simple mind ed young men-our own
Senators, Tor instance, [laughterl--I can
well conceive to he true.
But the New England mep-tbo mon
who govern New England, that rule this
party have far other and far different
motives. With them it is power; with
them it is dominion. 1t is will, them the
desire to retain in their hands the control
of all the affairs OF this Republic. They
wish to bling to their side these four or
five millions Of negroes enfranchised in the
South, and they wish to extend these
States Of New England 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 suffering.
when throughout the West we are bleeding
at every pore, and when our produce,
which we have succeeded in making the
earth yield by the most laborious toll
when it sells for scarcely anything on the
markets-wc have been compelled to pay
the most enormous prices for those fabrics
which are made in the looms of New Eng
land, and they receive the most enormous
prices, almost fabulous, upon the products
Of their machinery in New England and
Pennsy lyania. and we are loaded down
with almost the entire debt which has been
incurred in the prosecution and mainte.
nance of our glorious Union. l am no.
as familiar as other gentlemen, for have
not recently made the proceedings Of Con
gress my especial study, and therefore do
not profess to be as we'll acquainted with,
the details Of the measures which have
passed aqd are still being pressed through
Congress for the benefit Of this New Eng:
land interest; but there is one example
which Ldesire briefly o,allude here, and
which will illustrate their whole scheme"
A CURIOUS STATEMENT ABOUT SANTA
ANNA AND SECRETARY SEwARp.-The
Washington correspondent Of the Gincin-
natl Gazette, makes tho following state
ment, upon his own responsibility, no,
doubt: ::
O., It., ia knncpn thoE Santa A,,,. -,..~,. 4,