The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-08-15
sa ga uSPEECH OF +
i 4GEN'L r. b. HAYES.


non the 5thinst, by the Union Re
publican candidate for Governor
The entire speech is too lengthy foi
our space. Intrelatlon to tho right
ofslhfage Under equal and impair
tial laws, Gen'l HAYES said: r
There are now within the limits
,of the United States, about five
millions Of colored people. They
are not aliens or strangers, They
are here not by the choice,of them
selves or of their ancestors. They
ARE here by the misfortune of their
fathers and tho crime of ours. Their
labor, pritations and sufferings, un-
paid and uurequited, have cleared
and redeemed onesthird of the in
.habited territory of. the Union.-
Their toll has added to the resour-
ces and wealth Of the nation untold
millions. Whether we prefer it or
not, they are our countrymen and
will remain. so'forever.
They are moro than countrymen
they are citizens, Free coIored
people were citizens ofthe colonies.
The Constitution of the United
States, formed by our fathers, croa-
ted no disabilities on account of
color. By tho acts Of our fathers
and ourselves, they bear equally
the burdens and are required to
discharge the highest duties Of cit.
izeus. Theyare compelled to pay
taxes and to bear arms. They
foughtside by side with their white
countrymen in tho great struggle
for independence, and in the.recent
war for the Union In the rovolu.
tionary contest colored mon bore
an honorable part from the Boston
massacre, in ITO, to the surrender
of CORVALLIS, in 1881. Bancroft
says, Their names may be read on
tho pension rolls of the country
side by side with those of other sol
diers ofthe revolution. In the war
OF 1872 Gen. Jackson issued an or
dercomplimenting the colored men
of his army engaged in the defense
OF New Orleans. | need not speak
of their number or of theirservices
in the war of the rebellion. The
nation enrolled and accepted them
among her defenders to tho mum.
Der ofabout two hundred thousand
and in the new regular army act,
passed at the rebellion, by thevotes
of Democrats and Union men alike.
in the Senate and in tho House, and
by the assent Of the President, rogi-
ments OF colored men, cavalry and
infantry, form part Of the standing
army of the Republic.
In the navy, colored American
sailors have fought side by, side
with white men from the days of
Paul Jones to the victory of the
Kearsarge over the rebel pirate,
Alabama. Colored men will in the
future asin the past, in. all times of
national peril, be our fellow-sol-
diers. Taxpayers, countrymen,
fellow-citizons and feliow.soldiers,
the colored men of America have
been and will be. 1t is now too
late for the adyersaries of national
ity and human rights to undertake
to deprive these tax payers, free
mon, citizens and soldiers Of the
right to vote. -t-
Slaves were mover voters. II
was bad enough that oui fathers,
for the sake of the Union, were
compelled to allow masters to reck.
on three. .fifths OF their slaves for
representation without adding slave
suffrage to the other privileges of
the slave. e.holder. But free colored
men were always voters in many
of tho colonies, and in several of
TIE States North and South, after
independence was achieved. They
voted for members of every Con-
gress prior to tho adoption of the
Federal Constitutions for members
ofthe Convention which framed the
Constitution; for tho members OF
many of the State Conventions
which ratified it; and for every
President from Washington to Lin
coin. ,53 b &gI .rt
Our Government has been called
the white mans Government. Not
go. II is not tho Government Of
any class, or sect, or nationality, or
race. II is q Government founded
on the consent of the governed,
and Mr.. Bromall Of Pennsylvania,
therefore properly calls il the Gov.
ernment of the governed 1t is
not the Government of the native
born, or of the foreign born, ofthe
rich man or of the poor man of the
white man or Of the eolored man,
it is the Government otthe freeman
And when acoloredmcn wereamade
citizens, soldiers and frcemen, by
our own consent and Votes, we were
stopped from denying to them the
right of suffrage. e.er'' les' r-.
GenerskShorrpan wasright'wheh5
he said in his Atlanta letter. OF "a !;
"If you admit The negro TO this
struggle for any purpose, he has a.
right to stay. in for all; but whom
the. fight is over, the hand that
drops the musket cannot be denied
theiballot,, y, ~ slss e.s ~
Even our adversaries are com.
PEELED to admit the Jeffcrsonian
rule, that "the man who pays taxes
andpwho fights for the country is
entitled to vote" -.
Mr.. PendIeton in his speech
against tho enlistment Of colored
soldiers gave up the whole contro,
versy. He said: "Gentlemen toll
us that these colored men are ready