The New York herald., 1867-03-04
THE STATE CONVENTION.


", D. =
The Proposed Convention OF the People Of this State
Considered Under Our Responsibility TO God and the
Proposed Crime OF Excluding the Coiored Race" The
congregation was raj her small and listened with evident
interest to the views OF the reverend orator. He
selected his text from the seventh chapter Matthew,
third fourth and ffth verses:-"why behodest thou
the that thy brothers. and consderest not
the beam that rs in thine eyes" &c. The following
s synopsis Of the sermon
In the old Illustrations of shis passage In engravinss
man represented with huge stick OF timber under
his eyelds and endeavorng look into the sppe Of s
neighbors eye 90 ind there the mote This was taxing
things literally but added great force 10 the lesson
who had great defect Of character himself or was
under the dominion OF a great vice, was no more
fitted TO play the physician surgeon Tor anotn0r per-
son with similar evil. than man who had Stick OF
timber where his ought to be could play the occuist
Injustice ourselves the laws that passed competing
others TO do justce only shamed an6rebuked rs fay
n,s nv lava s
South 70 grant suffrage to- the blacks and then voting
by ts Legislature 70 exclude negroes from the vote
or OF State voting TO make the rebel States ske out
She word whs'' In their own constitutions, atd then
voting toretau OF insert it IA their Cast cat first
clearly cast oas the mois from thy brothers. eye"
The vote that deprived netghbor Of his social priv-
iegss was not 1ue republranism, even though the
hibi.ion. aughter) He desired cali the attertion
OF the congregatior to their responsibilities ndvdu
constitutional convention for the revsiorof the State
constitution In the first place. what arrangements had
the peoples rghfss and third what pcticai athe
ism and the only way 70 avoid IL The convention bad
been discrimination INC Legislature had devised ruleJ
out the word msle" and added that all might be ad-
united without distinction OF color, whether it
bs acceptea rejected According to tho last
ment however, he had read as follows-" The amend
mrnt allowing TO vote for delegates to this
vention was lost by Of 90 against 33 for it,
In this New York had decided that
this' white mans government that the
bacx man here had, no rshes which white men were
bound TO respect 1t resolved to exclude negroes
from this INVENTION. This was an outrage on the laws
of God and OF the true purposes OF the State and or the
national constitution He Intended to take notice Of
this outrage. The constitution Of the State granted
negroes the right Of voting at $3.50 per headcoored
head. (Iaughter) Any refusal 20 allow them to vote
for delegates therefore shame The Legislature
had right to question the authority of the Lcgro
in this particular than they had to refuse se red
people OF schohnric county; h!shmen, or Catholics,
from the VOTE What business Rad the LEGISLATURE with
the color OF mans skin Why did they not hiss Il
vited 10 assemble in natiocal convention, en-
were thrown back thor original rights, which
existed before any constitution formed All had a
right assemble in conventon to consider what wersP
their rights and to elect delegates. the most
alloyed and perfect despotism perpetrated by
Legislature federal rebel 1t was hughably unjust
He could hardly believe his own eyss when he read
It, but tho statement bad not been contradicted What
ency seen This act sanctioned all the oppression
of rebels the blacks The twenty hundred
assassination than the deprivation Of this right to
many negroes It was a moral assassination. These
against the peoples original PRIVILEGES Robbery and
fraud Of kind go up down by penalties estab
lished by the state 1t was blow at pubc virtue. In
expedicncy, q party measure. wa9 no excuse,
for unjust laws were too damaging IN their re-
cults Goo had led to abolish slavery, and
providing scope. occasion and eisuss for us to
more firmly establish government on the principles
Of freedom and Justice The calm and peaceabe oppor
sn6 s Us o 20 . o
these are usually only given aftort boody conflicts
Slavery had nearly DESTROYED us for y brsnsht down
Gods vengeance The idoatr0usJ6ws were taught
bate dostry. ought toiearnwha has iegiti
natciy grown out OF chastsement The dsruption
anxious and thankful have chance pus away from
all such oppression and injustice were no causes Of
our ,rias Religious men should especially De inter.
uconcern leaving the most vital interests 70 the hands OF
uuscrupulous politicians They compaiaed cf the bad
management OF the city government but they did not
avail themselves properly Of the TO- correct the
evl. The moment convention cslled 70 consider
what necessary for the protection e the people, It
assembly OF the voters butlt the people in
eir original state as they existed botore the govern
votsrs was The most vital Of ALI and ought to be settled
at once. The Legislature had no power 10 vote away
this sacrsd right That ac would o, be ins
the negro they permitted to rotupn she Union
under the constitutional amendment Whom govern
mont said the whites shall vote bot the blacks
shall not be allowed this privilege IL ogarchy II
there were but ten blacks in State. n convention
decided that onv those who vcsed in 1850
should vote TO day II would be literally excluding the
no more oearchical than ths State haabeen II was
giving the case ostensbly TO jury who had already
made up their verdict convention Of tho people
> breaking up OF faow ground the Turning OF the
sutso SO that seeds scattered barsn rocks might
be supported and developed in the sunlight II a
packed and political corruption Itnhowsd whether
the nation wanted just dealing mott whether wanted
wooden nutmegs or genuine warosl iIasshserl 1t was
he work al n snNaE wna 10
lay the foundations Of government IN violation Of right
and justice Why was men would e sseal and defraud
their neighborsf II was because OF the 0ntcry against
political preaching Of the trcachery Of oergymen for
describing politics outside Of religion, its basis
whole community, verc passed without remorse. But
they would come UP again IN Judgment There was no
laws for the good their own and tho coming genera
tons In the great day these acts would be sdjudgcd ~
Sod 1t WAS no excuse to say 81 yoted against tho
suffrage OF the blacks out a mere politcsn The most
sacred right that OF the ballot without man
came n slave. Such conduct the slungshot a
that morally kiilfd felIo II could not be
eed With comfoss to the conscience, III ye not
faithful with thsA which, Is another MANS who shall
give you your own ~ But God haa said too, ssYou
shall have your own" rad IL would aone with urribe
penalty sHc shat loveh not his brother whom b. hath
seen, how can he love God, whom he hath no, rsenY"
Human nature was bradle OF three a but the oae that
bound them all was the govern nen,al red APE OF
selfish expediency Slavery had destroyed many tions;
but with US Ee cut tiTm asunder by war In orer TO
take out tho cancer that was Consuming What
should do. with thcrootsf We aid the can er was
necessity Az essential insutun an sneiriocM OF 90
mestc society," Tie most extrav1EaDt patriotism was
that of adh ring tac constitution against ttc laws OF
God The constitution ought to 10 Interpreted ~
Northern Conscience and divine Judgment, ana not by
Southern consciencs and savchodsng guarantee God
broke the Gnon e2d out Of II cane he slav and Tree
dom with them. We had put ourselves up a. auction to
South for ninoy days. but Gca intende to save US
and tne as hc does now by the madness s the
rebels IL the south had adhered TO tie Union VIC
would gvea up God. justice and everything else
We wanted to the Union, vtsh or without slavery
But taay seyarated the Union and Ia this
way cod saved the nation. The constitutional
amendments land down as pom leon bridge fos
them 20 step into the Unon but they did accept
them and theix madnnss again neeessi'nted moro
we're md Just All isonor TO Congress- II lad
already passed the Military Reconstruction bin by
whelrnng najortics over lse veto of the President
Ste, ems was noble leader c the grara purposes Of ee
dor. and thu coorod race The Legislature Of Eassa-
setts was the ony Northernone who had the coarage
h eugh heir committee to bring In strong, just, wise
resort nc ainst tho constitutional amendment That
STATE had said eve cannot afford TO follow multitude
to do evil hut caa afford 70 stand separate and aone
riqhteou mess cad Justice" +" Thri grand. II
necessary 70 mend tho elockwork OF ths government