Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-05-10
Senator Dixon at HOme-FIis speech I'm
Reply to an Address OF Welcome.

Senator Dixon at Home-His Speech I'm
Reply to an Address OF Welcome.
On Saturday last Senator Dixon returned
to his home in Hartford, Conn.,, and was
honored with formal welcome. In reply
to brief address from Mayor Chapman,
Senator Dixon rehearsed the history of le-
gislatlon for the past two years, saying he
saw Mt an early day purpose on the part of
the Radicals to continue state of disunion
as long as their party purposes might re-
quire, and he determined, at whatever cost,
to resist it. The late act of Congress, he
says, has established q complete despotism
over the South, and that, too without neces-
sity or excuse. He said he was not sure
Reverdy johnson was right in voting for
the bill, on the ground that if it were not
passed still worse outrages would be inflicted
upon the Southern States. The South is
absolutely powerless and must submit. In
regard to the future Senator Dixon said t,ro
measures are already proposed by the Rad
ical party. The first was to create black
party at the South /; to embody in one Or
ganlzed mass the whole black race, and in
ouce them to cast their vote against the
Wmtes. Inc line to be drawn between par
ties is line of color. Apparently, to accom-
plish this dangerous purpose, emissaries of
distinction are now travelling in the South.
They may possibly deny the purpose, but
the certain effect of their teaching is this.
What horrible state of things should they
| succeed. LIT not a war of races, q conflict
| of races would be certain to ensue. and the
black race as we'll as the white race wouId
be cruelty injured--and all for the purpose
of extending for few years the lease of
power now in the hands of disunion Radi-
| calls This is one of their measures which
should be rebuked by the whole North, as
1t has vltually been at your recent elec-
tions.
The other avowed measure, which is GER
tain TO be pressed at the next session. is
the threatened legislation of Congress- to
control and shape the right of suffrage in
the Northern States. Two bills have al
ready been introduced into the Senate of
the United States to establish what is called
universal suffrage in the whole North, in
| Guiding Connecticut. One of these bills
was introduced by Mr.. Sumner the other
by Mr. Wilson, of Massachusetts. Do you
say Mr.. Sumner is theorist-not practi-
cal But what will you say of Mr.. Wilson?
more thoroughly practical man does not
live. he attempts nothing which he does not
believe he can carry out. Both these SEN
| ators will push this measure with all their
power. Both believe in the constitutional
power of Congress to enact suffrage laws
AOA AOOAAOSoiOuU dAu OGu0F OIhLSB. 90 DOGO
have declared in debate in the Senate. In
my opinion they have fair chance of sue
| cess, and it would not surprise me as much
as was surprised by the passage of the
unconstitutional Military bill, to see our
State elections controlled by act of Con-
gress, and this old Commonwealth, which
had her own suffrage laws more than O
century before this Federal Government
existed, made to bow in humble submis-
sion to the mandates of the Radical major
ity in Congress. If you think such an ap-
prehension unfounded, look at what has
been already done, and judge from that
what may be expected in the future. If I
had told you year ago that the existing
Military Reconstruction bill would be
passed in less than year, you would have
thought me attempting to impose on your
credulity. Not twenty members of Con
gress thon thought their vote in its favor
possibility. Yet it had the entire party
vote. So predict it will very probably be
with the Suffrage bill of the Massachusetts,
Senators. The party of progress will reach
that position in the course of q year, and
those who do not keep pace with them
will be denounced as traitors and copper
heads.