The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-12-19

INDIANA, am not able to perceive. L
took my. ground openly in that contest
The views that expressed are in some
instances preserved.
He also says that in 1860 in the State
Of Indiana the constitutional amendment
then proposed were approved by the
people. voted against those constitu
tional amendments, here in the Senate,
but any expression Of the people of
Indiana in regard to them had not then
been given. In the canvass of 1866,
while / admit that the proposed consti-
cussed, think may refer to the Seno-
tors speechs which was the opening
speech of the campaign, and by all odds
the ablest speech, il which, while he
did discuss that question and the pro-
priety of the proposed constitutional
amendments, 7 think he will admit that
more than three fourths of the address
which he made then to the people
against the Democracy of the State as
unworthy of their confidence, and large
ly illustrated by that style of literature
which was then very powerful, which
seemed to justify the description of
Democrats as ''copperheads" and "trai-
tors but thank God and the judg-
ment of the country that the time has
passed when that sort of appeal finds a
power with the people, and think from
this as it was in the canvass of 1867 the
question will be who is in the right, and
not who can use the most approbrious
epitlets toward the other.
My colleague thinks that the people of
Indiana are willing that the people of
the District of Columbia should be
forced to submit to negro suffrage when
they are not willing to submit to it
themselves, and he says that in that
the people of Indiana are not consistent.
am not pa epared to say that the people
OF Indiana, upon SO grave question as
that, would deliberately place them
selves in an inconsistent position.
think if the question could be submitted
to tle men of Indiana whether the ne
groes of the South, under policy which
clothes all the negroes with the right to
vote and strips portion Of the white
population of that right, SO as to give
the supremacy to the negroes, think if
that question could be submitted to the
people of Indiana such policy would
be defeated by majority unknown in
the politics of that State.
knew that my colleague considered
it an act Of Inconsistency to force this
policy on the South and not to assume
it at home, for had observed his very
able speech at Columbus in the recent
canvass in which he declared to the
people of Ohio-I can not give his
words, nor can express the idea nearly
as well as he expressed it-but he sub
stantiaIly declared to the people of Ohio
that, supposing. this policy of enfran-
chising the negroes in the South, if they
refused to do it in Ohio they would be
naked to the scorn and condemnation of
the world. Well, sir, they saw fit to
stand in that immediate attitude, which
my colleague described, by, think,
fifty thousand majority. Now, how can
he say that people, fair, honest and
generous, who would repudiate policy
when applied to themselves as being
unworthy of them, unjust to them, unsafe
to their institutions, would force that
same policy upon another people, upon
the District Of Columbia ? This Dis
trict was no part of the rebellion. THIS
District was always, during the war,
within the lines and within the power of
the General Government. Then WHY
/ can my colleague say that the votes OF
Indiana would repudiate negro suffrage
at home and yet would vote for it in the
Districtof Columbia? lean not believe
that they would be inconsistent; and as
! believe that at home the people are
opposed to this, am opposed to it for
the District of Columbia. If my col
league and to-day were in the LegisIa
ture of Indiana, how would we vote
upon the subject? He was the Govern
or of the State for years, and he deliver
ed his messages, and he never called
upon the people Of Indiana to amend
their Constitution so as to enfranchise
the negro. His party was largely in the
majority in the Legislature, and yet
they took no substantial steps to amend
the Constitution of the State so as te
oil 10 IL
the negroes. They would never venture
upon it as political test at home, were
seeking all the while to axoid it, hoping
that there is sentiment in the people
which will induce them to force upor
another community that which they viii