Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-04-28
Fsrp. DOUGLASS ON Reconstruction. :

Fsxp. DOUGLASS ON RECONSTRUCTION. =
The lecture At Metfopolitao Hall last
evening was very well attended. The sub
ject-"R DEMONSTRATION" was but . new
tex. applied to On old hobby. A year ago
~ heard the same lecture, then sAiitled =
Equality before the Law" The lecturer
seemed 70 see in President johnson man
Of powerful intellect aud determined pur-
pose---a man wbo can neither be bougat,
frightened or influenced. We believe this
70 be tine estinAts Of the Wnt ststes-
man chsssctsr, the sterling attributes Of
which will yet command the iasting graft.
tude of the American people. Pfeiacins
his discourse by the ssmark that he had no
new truths to offer, " hich fact soon became
larneu,ably apparent. Thelecturer proceed
cd to draw highly colored picture, OF the
services aud devotion Of the negroes in the
late war Tie substance Of his rhetoric
may be summed up in the rather sarcastic
and time honored phrase Of Shcrman's
troops--"And the colored troops fought
nouly" II there were no returned SOL
tiiers In our midst, it would do very well
to paint the eager manner in which the
slaves Of the South gathered to
arms to battle for their liberties.
Any one who ever passed any considerable
time in the army 10 aware that the negroes
had nomore choice about the matter ofenter
glhe service than the mules had which we're
confiscated by our Quarter Masters and ein
ployed in dragging our commissary trains
ffthcy made virtue Of necessity, we can
not see why they should be made the recip.
tents of our sdoration. Tho ora.or contend
ed that the negroes were an excepted class
and that he was struggling for principlct to
overcome this. When he accomplishes this
laudablc aim, We presume he will urge the
claims of john Chinamau for or recogni
ton, omittng the more noble Indians, who
he deems unworthy Of the attention of CIV
ilzed men. The radical ideas Of the past
thirty years having become concentrated on
one object-lhe negro Fred adopts this as
any negro would, and labors for it with
might and :nain. We once supposed that
principles ''knew no classes" The
'sheepish" sketch Of the character
Of his race we commend to the con-
sheraton OF all thinking christians.
Perhaps it is fattering, though unfortunate
~ the audience failed TO cheer. We must
thcr allow the negro to vote, says Fred,
Or the people ofthe South will, and then we
viii have another rebellion TO suppress,
with the negroes in the ranks against us,
a tsthe same time asking Us to give Them the
elective franchise for protection against
the South and it's abuses. This seems to
be his plan, wiling to unite with them, yet
fearing them. Truly "losic is logic" He
does not fear "a war of races" being a iiv-
ing example Of their peaceablc union. Col |
,nization is impracticablc, he says, as the |
Government is not able to transport their
natural year.y increase. They will not "fade |
)ut,' as they will not connect themselves |
With the whites We must let them vote |
because we are strong and they are not
We expect the Radi :als y III soon follow his !
ead, endorsing his Interpretation Of Con-
gress' policy in the enfranchisement Of the |
negro, and the disfranchisemcnt Of the
whites. on the plea Of sweet justice.