Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-03-02


mann ON the proposition 70 Strike
The word White Out of the Com
stituIiOn.
On the afternoon of the 26th, when the
question was up in the House to submit to
vote of the people an amendment to |
strike the word White out of the Constitu- |
tion, Hon. JOHN II. PUTNAM thus poured |
hot shot into the Republican leaders who |
hesitated to march up to the support of
their principles.
Mr.. PUTNAM said:
MR.. SPEAKER: 1t is amusing to witness
the frantic efforts Of the gentlemen on the
other side of the House to so season and
SAVIOR the African as to make him palatable
to the Democracy. They coax, and beg,
and flatter by turns, and then dare us to as
sist them to submit the question to the peo-
pie of the State. Their appeals remind me
of an amusing little incident in which the
immortal j. N."fgured prominently. He
met gentleman on the train and demand
ed to know whether he had nerve. The
gentleman responded in the Affirmative
He then inquired whether he could stand
the pressure. The gentleman thought he
could. WELL" said the Immortal"
too strong for the gentleman; he hadn't the
TerUe.
. The Radical party hope by the aid of ne
gro votes to bind the Democratic party hand
and foot; to secure cheap and purchase
BILE element to throw into the scales to bal
ance against the votes of the medium masses
of the country, and thus insure to them
selves perpetuity in power, and to the
country class legislation for the benefit of
the capitalist and the aristocrat; and yet
upon this floor they have the frigid impu-
dence to ask Democrats to assume the press
ure; to exercise ReTve and dtuide the responsi-
biLity aUith them.
Mr.. Piatt-May I ask the gentleman a
question e.
Mr.. Certainly.
Mr.. Piatt-Is- not the Democratic party
anxious that this question should be submit
ted to the people
Mr.. Putnam-The Democratic party is
willing that this Republican Legislature
shall submit it to the people, and make it an
issue in the approaching election. We are
willing to go before the people with you
upon the we'll defined proposition, whether
we will share the administration of our
State Government with tee negroes or not.
We have no fears Of the result. The intel
ligence of the people is sufficient assur-
ance of your defeat. But, sig, it is prepos-
ferrous to ask Democrats to assist you in the
submission of this question. One of the
cardinal tenets of our faith is that this is a
white mans Government, made by white
men for white men. During the past five
or six years of agitation, looking to this re-
suit, we have fought you earnestly, al
though, regret to say, unsuccessfully, and
now In the apparant elimination of your
schemes, it would lily accord with the pluck
of the grand old party to lower its standard
and desert its faith. If it goes down upon
this proposition, it will be with its banners
flying and its drums beating.
But in the face of the events of the past
six years, can not see how gentlemen on
the other side can consistently refuse to
submit the proposition. If / were a MEM
Der of the Radical party, and indorsed the
action of this Congress in forcing negro
equality upon the people of the District of
Columbia and of the territories, and favor
ed the Military bill just passed, which has
only for its object negro suffrage by COM
pulsion in the South, would not come
here with my knees shaking and my teeth
chattering, when the proposition is made
to extend the right of suffrage to the ne
groeS of Ohio. I aUOtLld haze the DlGnhOOdto
be consistent, and would be perfectly willing
to extend to the negroes of my own State
the blessings and privileges which / had
extended to their race in other localities.
I 1oould not force upon a people eohona ctrcuna-
stances had placed otrader n1y authority q thing
that a0ouzd not accept for myself The politi-
cal agitation of the past seven years has
tended to this result; has had this for
its only object, and now, with a ma
ioritV of nearly. three-fourths in both
branches of this General Assembly,
and only .three-fifths are required to
pass the resolution, yo~ Radicals haze not
the moral courage to sa1dorse your Ooo1.
do1naGS, but come whining like whipped
ours to the Democracy, and ask them to
share the responsibility with you. Shame
on such representa- of principle !!
There is not a man among you who is not
favorable to the proposition, bat you are
cOacdrds, and are AFRAID Of the responsibility.
Here, upon this floor, in the name of the
Democracy of Ohio, challenge you to a
contest upon this question. You have
forced negro suffrage upon the unwilling
people of the Territories and of the District
Of Columbia. and InOw dare you to make
the issue in Ohio Submit this question !;
ask its Endorsement in your platform, and
give us candidates who will not finch in
the contest, and if the indignant protest of
an awakened people does not bury you
under an avalanche of popular Indignation,
we will at least have the satisfaction of
knowing that the African has been, swal-
lowed and that the ''lOyal'' element will
have to whet its appetite for other food.9
| Mr.. Gardner--Would not the gentleman's g
party be out of capital in that event? y
Mr.. Putnam-The party to which the
gentleman is attached has furnished us with
capital sufficient for oaw generation, at least ;
and we will find that, as soon as reason re-
sumes its sway in the popular mind, we Will
work the capital with very unhappy re-
sults for the Radicals.
Mr.. EncelI-Does the gentleman pretend
to say that the people are insane?,
Mr.. Putnam-That portion of the people
adhering to the gentleman's politics are po-
litieally insane. 1t is the only charitable
view of the case. / don't wish to believe
that so large portion of my countrymen
are really so lost to all the principles OF
Justice and magnanimity, and so predi-
cate the trouble upon the ground of politi-
cal insanity otherwise, 1 would have to
believe in the doctrine of total deprayity,
as applied to the Republican party. Ihave
thought it would be good idea to enlarge
the contemplated dimensions of the new lu-
matte asylum, to locate it in the gentlernan's
district, and to devote it to the cure OF that
species of insanity. Tho constituency that
send the gentleman here would have need
to avail itself of its advantages. r.
.I Can ATOrd to Lose am Arm fOE
My Country ~
At the battle OF Kenesaw, Colonel o.
the Federal army, gallantly leading his
. regimentin the charge, was brought from
his horse by bullet from the rifle of 9
rebel sharp-shooter. The wound was 9
severe one, and week and fainting,.. he was