Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-04-09

If we are to have a convention in the State
for the purpose Of changing its constitution, le
it be a convention full of intellect and power.
If the black man is to cast a vote, let him res
that vote upon standard of ability, and not bt
contented to see body of men who are mo-
competent to discharge the high duties thai
will be required of them. We know the ole
tread If. therefore, you elect ignorant men
you will have bad constitution. Give u.s.
then, the good men of the State a0outo
rather trust men aoho took up arms and aoent to
the battlefield, and has come home aoith has hon
orable scars, believing IN the justice of has cause
than he aoho skulbed from duty, and noao CLAIMS
to be q Union man. Cheers. Such one is
unworthy the contempt Of even negro.
would rather trust General Hampton riding al
the head of his column, shouting to his men te
follow, than any man who has stayed at home
and, when his country was In danger, hunted
for an ironclad or Q rat-hole. [Cheers. AND
lieye in those people who, since the war, have
lodged around the corners, declaring they were
Union men" No, no. When I hear a
Southern man say he was Union man,"
know he is a traitor. When ! hear Northern
man say he was Southern man during the
war, | know he is traitor. But when hear
colored man say he was a Union man, [ be-
lieve him from my heart. Whenever the tele-
graph announced Southern victory the black
man trembled; but whenever the tidings came
OF Northern victory we rejoiced, because we
felt that we were that much nearer freedom =
To-day, thank God, we enjoy the result Of that
freedom. We stand before the world invested
with political equality With the white man.
We can vote
Hon. Edward Arthur, sotto voce.-You are
more than our equals, Nash, in one sense, be-
cause we are disfranchised
The speaker.-Yes, sir, and we are not going
to let the halls Of Congress remain silent until
you are permitted to vote. It is the men OF
your class and your ability who recognize our
wants and whom we desire to see reinvested
with the power of doing good It is with the
men OF your class with whom we want to vote
on the great questions of the day, and by whom
We wish to be counselled and directed.
1t is not our desire to be a discordant element
in the community, or to unite the poor against
the rich; We want to live together in har-
mony-to go to work and restore the lost credit
Of the State AS General Hampton has said,
our destinies depend upon each other" The
white man has land, the black man has labor,
and labor is worth nothing without capital
We must help to create that capital by resto-
ring confidence, and we can only restore conf
y
offices.
There are said to be sixty thousand oolored
voters and forty thousand white voters in South
Carolina. Look what power you have fo1
good or for evil. But, fellow-citizens, be sure
that you use that power with intelligence, and
to the end that South Carolina, with which
your interests are all identified may enjoy the
prosperity which it gives. When citizens come
forward and meet US as gentlemen have done
to-day, we have no right to doubt the future.
[ look upon to-day as our Fourth of July. And
if we do our duty, we shall prove ourselves
worthy Of the great privilege with which We
have been invested 1t is true the majority Of
coloTed men may net be able to vote intelligent
ly, but you will be educated. In the four weeks
preceding the first election ia this district you
will be taught more about voting than the peo-
pie of Ireland or England ever did know
There never was people who have gained SO
much as we have done But little while age
we were slaves Now we are freemen. It has
been declared that we shall have q voice in pub
unite with our white fellow citizens They tell
us that they have been disfranchised, yet we
tell the North that we will never let the halls
| OF Congress be silent until we remove that dis
ability. Can We afford to lose from the coun-
ellis Of the State our first men? Can we spare
judges from the bench? Can we put fools OF
strangers in their position? No, fellow-citi
zens, no! Gloomy would be that day, indeed.
We want in charge of our interests only our
best and ablest men. And then, with a strong
pull, loag pull, and pull all together up
goes South Carolina. Cheers