Mississippi index. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1865-18??, 1867-07-30
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measure resOrted to to effect it. You
hrst propose to abrOgate your State gov
emments BY authority of the sO-called
Congress mere oOnelave of portion
Of the members Of that body. By whom
is this dictatedi The principle that
whoever forms government should form
it for themselves as well as for others, is
a correct one; but the men who propose
this for us do not live in any of the ten
States to be affected by their legislation.
1t is not made to suit either black or
white, or any other class of our people.
but to suit themselves, while they are
not affected by it; and if you act upon
their proposition, in a manner to suit
yourselves, You will not be accepted by
fthem; nay, you violate the Constitution
to subveft the Government. And bv
carrying out these measures you dis
franchise your own people. Suppose we
concede, for argument, that it is right
to enfranchise all the negroes; if this be
right, by what principles Oflaw or NOR
ais do we disfranchise the white people?
20, butt you say, "the whites have been
rebels" Then they should all be dis
franohised, and not part Of them. Be
sides, the government you are to frame
is to be a civil government, and last for
all time, and for peace, when there can
be no rebels. ! see it stated that Gene
raj Sickles has advised that the disfran-
chising feature be repealed or modified.
and for the reason that the enfranchised
class are not fit to fill the Offices. Well,
if he has done so, he has acted wisely,
and has shown himself capable of appre-
ciating one truth. And it is great truth
-One that will hide multitude of sins;
and it might be we'll for his fame if this
recommendation alone could be remem-
bered Of his administration. In the face
of the fact that a republican government
can rest upon and be perpetuated only
by The virtue and intelligence of the peo-
pie, you propose to exclude the most in
telligent from participating in the Gov
ernment forever. ....
You will by these measures inaugu-
rate war of races. A people who viii
abrogate their own government and dis
franchise the most intelligent Of them at
the dictatiOn of those who are not to be
affected thereby, and live under the die
tatiOn Of foreign power, have no con-
sciences but if you have a conscience /
hope to reach it. By all you hold dear
warn you that by accepting these mill
tary bills you inaugurate a measure that
| will exterminate the African race. Some
of you that have come among us are TAX
ing the negro by the aym-telling him
that you are his friend, and that You
gave him his liberty Ye hypOcritesl Ye
Whited sepulchers!l Ye mean in your
hearts TO deceive and buy up the negro
vote for your own benefit. (Applause.)
The negroes know no better But /
would ask them: If these men are faith
less to the Constitution of the country,
how can they be faithful to youY Yet
these men admit in the very act that
they are disregarding the Constitution
They take an oath to support it with the
purpose and intent formed before hand
to violate it, and vote for measures CON
trary to It'll They are not fit to be trust
ed by any animal, dog or mani Zap
plause) Such a man would betray his
pointer, and such woman sell her poo
dlel They are not capable of being the
friends Of anybody but themselves. l
don't pity the whites so much who are
to suffer by these measures. "YOu knew
your duty and did it not, and if you are
beaten with ,hany stripes we have the
authority of scripture for saying that
your punishment is just; but to see the
Africans led off by a clap-trap which
they don't understand, and used because
they don't understand it, and thus led to
slaughter by men who are faithless TO
every principle-under the belief that
they are being elevated and exercising
GOd-given rights, is enough to make any
man feel sick at heart, and experience
the deepest pity for the unfortunate race.
This is not the first time that such
things have been attempted. Unfortu-
nately, there have been before both fools
and knaves in the world, and some of you
it would seem, will not learn wisdom
from the lessons of the past. If the Con
stitutiOn is dead, we are outside of it,
and, pray, what government have we?
We have nothing in that case, but the
will Of an unlawful eOnclave, and don't
you know this means only anarchy and
then despOtism and tyranny What in
ducement is held out to you to accept
their propositiOnsi You say it is to get
back into the Union! and for this you
are willing to submit to disfranehisement
and the Inauguration of a policy that
tends to a war Of races all to get back
into the UniOn-just where you are all
ready, and always were!
What do you want to get back into
that sort Of Union fort If You are not
now in it, what can you expect by get
ting into such as they present to yOul
You say it is to get representation in the
UniOn Is not Kentucky in the Uniong
Has she any representation The tele-