Litchfield enquirer., 1867-04-11
SPEECH OF COY. ORR.

of April Sd, from which We make the follow ing extracts It shows the spirit with which the Southern whites are meeting the reconstruction question: more fairly than any thing else we have seen.
 think that universal suffrage is mis- tahe, and that Congress will discover 1t to De a mistake: Before the law establishing universal suffrage had been passed, flavor ed glV1ng suffrage to the freedmen on sedu- catlonal and property qualification, and that for two reasons. First, it would have prevented the great influx of ignorant vo ters, upon whom evil disposed persons will act for sinister purposes, aud second be- cause 1t would have been better for the freedmen themselves. With a reasonable property and edpashnal qualification for before every freedman worthy of the priv ilege of suffrage, would, by energy and ap- plication, have obtained the necessary quail ification, whereas now, the privilege of suf- frage having been indiscriminately bestow- ed, he is left without that great inducement to improve and elevate himself. Education will improve the freedmen and elevate them intellectually and morally, and make them consequently better citizens. It IS our duty not only to educate them, but to teach them economy and thrift. ~' %-
 It is for our interest that the blacks should vote with US. How is this vote to be secured? have heard great deal said about controlling the vote of the freedmen. If it is attempted to control it by personal influence the attempt must fail. There is one way, and one alone in which this con- trol, so much to be desired, can be obtained, and that is by proving to the freedmen that their interests and ours are identical.
 
 It is not then by intimidation or by brow-beating or wronging these people that we are to secure their votes! But by showing them that their interests and ours are identical. They have intellect enough to know when we are acting with them, and they will be found standing shoulder to shoulder with the. white men on this platform. It is naturally to be expected that their sympathies will will be appealed to against us. Radical emissaries will say to them that we were their their task-mas ters and oppessors, but, if it was so, right; but that state of things has been changed and the produce of the blacks la- Dor goes into his pocket as does that of the white man into his
 < @ x@ 4,
 l have seen indications of an effort to or ganize throughout the State National Un- ion Republican Radical Party-I think this IS what they call it. In my opinion this is not wise. It would be better for blacks and whites to turn their attention to State politics, to watch carefully over" the prepa- tion of State constitution, and then when we have secured representation in Con- gress, send men there not pledged to Re- publlcans or Democrats, but men who will say: Gentlemen, we stand by that party which gives us equal rights under the con stitution. There has been widespread apprehension over the Northern and Wes- tern States that, as soon as our reorganiza- tion and reconstruction are complete, the Southern States will again fall into the hands of their old friends the Democrats. I myself was identified for ten years with the Democracy of the United States, and the distinguished Commander of this Mili- tary District, who sits on my right, can tes- tify that no one enjoyed more the conf dence of his party or received higher hon ors at their hands in Congress. None, therefore, have better reasons for person. al regard for the Democracy than myself, and confess that held on to the last with the hope that they would one day redeem their losses and turn to their former posi- tion of power and influence. ~'-A'T3 ..
 But the dream is past! We have several accounts to settle with the Democratic par -ty before for one can consent to affiliate with that party again Many of you re- member we'll the hopes and expectations held out by the Democracy, at the time of secession that there should be no war, and that If war did come it must commence ill the North and West. You know how faith fully these promises were kept when we were involved in war. l now take this op- portunity to say what I have never before said in public, that if it had not been for the delusive promises and hopes held out by the Democracy of the North and West, South Carolina would have been the only State that would have seeded. This is the first count in my indictment against the Democratic party. My next count is the Philadelphia Convention. That convention adopted platform so broad that every Conservative in the country could stand upon it. When that Convention adjourned there was every prospect that the Conser- vatives and not the Radicals would rule the country. No sooner, however, were the Democrat at home than they began to con- sider the Philadelphia Convention as a purely Democratic Convention, and to look upon the Conservative Republicans who joined in it as so many accessions to the Democratic party. The result was that one after another of the leading Republi cans switched off, and the Democrats were overwhelmingly defeated at the polls. My third count is the constitutional amend ment The Democratic newspapers said, one and all, reject it, we will come in and will not sustain this amendment. .{ Then the fourth count is that when the Sherman bill was passed, it's two most odious fea lures were tackled on to it by the Demo- crats in alliance with the s'Thad. Stevens" Radicals against the desires of the Conser- vative Republicans. The former said it was parliamentary strategy, but they should have been sure that they had the control of the Senate, which adopted the bill as amended So that the two most odieus fea- lures of the Sherman bill may be set down to the account of the forty-fye Democrats in Congress. Now, to cap the climax, eve ry Democratic newspaper says that it isvery important that we should accept the Recon struction bills. "r' "- -~
 I, said the Governor, wish to vote for no Nofto, +oy marty When WA raoroaniZa