The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-06
SUFFRAGE FOR THE COLORED PEOPLE.

Speech OF the Hon. Il. A. Stansbury, of
PassaIc County, N. -, on Thursday
Evening last.
On last Thursday evening, the Court House in
Camden was filled to overdowing by those who
desired to acknowledge the claims of the colored
man to the ballot Addresses were delivered by
DIR. Burdsall, Hon. James M. Scovel, Hon. Il. A.
Stansbury, and others, abstracts of which were
published in The EVENING TELEGRAPH of the
following day. No abstract, however, could do
justice to the remarks of Mr.. Stansbury, and as
they have not yet been given to the public in
full, we append them, as tollows:-
Mr.. Stansbury said that the remarks of the
President recalled the early days OF our struggle
against the overshadowing influence of the
slave power. He had himself taken part in
forming the Free Soil party in lS4S leaving the
Wing party In Vermont in the height Of it's
power. He was one OF the small band who, in
New York city. in 1867. supported Hale and
Julien for the Presidency and Vice-Presidency
in CTder to vtndlcate the principle of resistance
to slavery extension and domination. When
the Republican party was formed they found
us holding the advanced post for them, and
they only came up TO where we had been
AT come" said Mr.. Stansbury, "as an humble
member of the Republican party, to ask you To
accept the fundamental idea OF Democracy-the
equality of all men before the law; to accept. in
fact, the inevitable logical result and conclu-
sion, of all you have done and all you have
formed formed III II ally all your teachings and i ali your w9
struggles against the tyranny and injustice of
the Slave power for the last twelve or fourteen
years, do not lead by irresistible necessity
to this doctrine of impartial suffrage
and universal legal equality, then 1
would thank some one to tell me where they
do lead. To stop now, short of a full recogni-
ton of this principle, is as If storming party
should rush bravely up to the Imminent
deadly breach" with a loss of half its number,
and then sit calmly down and fold its hands
with it or step out oft. Ifthe Republican party
does not recognize this principle and defend 1t,
1t may well regard its mission as substantially
closed, and give way TO new organization,
instinct with young life, and inspired to noble
deeds by all the sacred traditions OF the past
and all the glorious hopes of the future. desire
here to say that it has been suggested to me
that have been instrumental in causing the
severe anlmadversions everywhere made
upon the action of the thirteen Re-
publican members of the Legislature VINO
word white from the Constitution and say
distinctly that have mad nothing to do with
those utterances / would not descend to such
conduct towards my fellow-members. No the
press and the Republicans everywhere have
spoken spo5taneously, ana n at De3%4oVeS ,nI, 1i
accept impartial suffrage. or we must consent tC
be regarded as having no better claims to con-
how this question is going to affect elections
and care little, SO long as know we are right
ment will bring us back to confidence
and power If we % are wrong, WI we have y,oif no rgh
position in reference to this subject, we have
but to reflect where the refusal of suffrage t.
black men leads us. Every Rebel sympathize
at the North, every foul mouthed, btgoted, de
graded, ignorant wretch in the purlieus of th
great cities, is permitted now to vote, but Frede
Flick Douglass, one of the greatest and pures
and most gifted men In the country, canno
vote in New Jersey Nor could any one o
the tens of thousands of steady, virtuous
Industrious colored men throughout tn
North, and, chiefest OF all, the mel
who all over the South, In the tria
hour of the republic never wavered in thei
LOYALTY to the national cause. and poured ou
their blood on many hard-fought field, coul
not vote in New Jersey! Ought this to be?
saw Mol thousand times, Mol
TCan we Justly or consistently impose impair
it ourselves?" .
After referring to several other points tha
have been made against impartial suffrage, M
Stansbury concluded by exhorttng his heareI
TO stand firm for the right, in undoubting conf
dence that it is always safe to do right.