Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-08-14

Iuc llluSOTdOlOu COHC6Tl6u, IlldG YOU pay
a very much larger sum of money to the
two stores than you did when you dealt in
one only. Under the guise of loyalty there
has been an amount of public corruption
and public larceny, the like of which was
neveS conceived in any other country UNI
der the sun. am not here, as have said,
with figures and specifications, but 1 make
the charge, and can prove it on the testi-
mony of leading Republicans can prove
it by the evidence of figures, which will
not lie.
NEGRO SUFFRAGE.
But before discuss these questions there
is another vital issue which demands at.
tention, for, as have said, L am dealing
with the living present; deal with the is
sues of the day, and ignure those of twenty,
ten. seven, five or four years ago. In 1868.
the Democratic party said the negro ques-
ton was upon us here in Ohio, but the Re-
publican leaders denied it. They can not
deny it now. 1t is here, and we must meet
it. Some of you whom L recognize now
present were living, if not as active men,
as children at least in the year 1902, when
at Chillieothe the early settlers of Ohio
formed a State Constitution. They came
at time when we had united Govern
ment, when there was no sectionalism-
when no appeals were made to sectional
spirit. They came from Virginia, from Ma
rYland, from Kentucky, from Pennsylvania,
from New Jersey, and from New England.
They came. as brethren. They came as
men who themselves had fought through a
seven years Revolutionary War, or the de-
scendants of the officers and soldiers Of
that war. They met together and formed
a Constitution. There. were in proportion
as many negroes in the South and in the
North-yes, more in proportion then than
now. There were as many in the State OF
Ohio in proportion as there are now. The
same reasons prevailed on the subject OF
negro suffrage then that prevail now,
The same God reigned in the heavens
in 1902 as reigns now. 1t was
the same Bible then as now,
teaching the same lessons of wisdom and
truth-the same justice, human and divine
the same humaiCY-the same everything
that it is to-day. Yet the men who were
brought up in the school of George Wash
ington and Thomas Jefferson, and our faith
ers, the patriots, but not the loyal men oi
'76, inserted in that Constitution the word
"white." Why, because they meant that
there should be white mans State gov
ernment in Ohio. They meant that the
negro should have no part or lot in the ad-
ministration of political affairs. That was
the Specification of the word "white."-
There were negroes here but the men ol
that generation believed they were not fiji
of white men; or whether fit or not they
said this is a government and country sci
! apart for the domination. of the white race
: That constitution continued until 1S51.-
Now they tell you that our colored troops
fought well down South, and that our col
)red friend Frederick Douglass is 6
great orator and great statesman, and
that John M. Langston and other coloret
persons are fit to compete with the Wash
. ha A6onnSas tho Iafforsnno nf c
former day, and the Clays, Calhouns an6
Websters of a more recent period. These
| men who tell you this are no
of the kind who framed the con.
stitutien in 1902. They believed tha
these persons, whatever might have
been their intellectual capacity, ought no
to intermingle, and were incapable of be
ling successfully intermingled with thi
white population. The negroes are not tn,
men who helped to make Ohio what it wa
from 1902 to 1851. In 1851 another Consti
tuition was adopted. Both Wings ant
Democrats were in that Convention, ant
| both parties united in reinserting the wore
''white" as a qualification for the right O
suffrage and office-holding. They wer
against negro equality-there were non,
on either side in favor of it. The negroe
fdid not hew down your forests and max
of them the beautiful farms yoa see arount
lyou. You did it yourselves, or your faith
Pers before you. The negroes didn't max
your railroads and canals, it was old Padd,
fwho did that. Laughter.l The negro diI
not clear your fields. He did not brin!
about that vast and accumulating civiliza
tion which has marked the career of Ohio
which, almost within my short recollection
was a howling wilderness, and is, TO-DAY
the abode of three millions of happy peo
pie. The word white was in both Consti
tutions; both parties agreed in disfranchis
ing the negro-to keep him from partici
pating in or exercising the rights of civi
government. l am not in the habit &
| panderihg to the hates or prejudices of th
democratic party on the question of tn
negro. 1 leave all allusions to hi
curly head, his thick lips, his fla
nose aud eboo shins to the slang
whangers' of the Democratic party, wa
/ prefer that style of argument, with thos
of like kind belonging to the Republi
can party. say to you it L believed tn
negro was capable of assimilatlng wit
the white race there is nothing before Go
or among men which would stand in tn
way as a justification from excluding hiI
from political rights and privileges. 1t
not because of any of the peculiarities com
monty attributed to the negro that woul
exclude him., Neither do propose to dis
kcuss whether the negro is the equal of tn
white race. Upon that my opinion is fixe
<by study and refiection-tiXed because
concurs with the opinions of the ablest an
wisest men who have investigated the sub
Iject-fixed, because up to the present tim
the negro has given no evidence of capacit
for self-government. do not propose I
discuss that question. l care not whethe
he is our equal intellectually or not.
matters little to me. He may be the ST.
perior of the white race. He certainly is t
some members of it L know of. When ma
tells me the negro is the equal of the whit
race, / never enter into an argument wit
him. because / presume he ought to know
taking himself as the representative of th
Ilwhite race and making his estimate accord
ingly- Laughter.] Assume that the ne
gro is the superior of our race, still If theT
Is an impossibility of assimilation or anna
gamation, it is sufficient barrier made
1.-The Almighty himself to prevent what
now being attempted. Every nation
represented in this countryside Dutcl
the Irish, the Scotch, the English, til
Welsh, the French, the Spaniards, the Au'
ltrians and the Russians, every race in Ell
rope has contributed to the populatio
here. They have married and intermal
Tried. There is not man among you wh
lis not intermixed in his descent. 1 hay
the blood of five different races flowing
my veins. We have all commingled tota
ly and absolutely, and are now one peopl
If the negro were capable of this intermi2
ture and assimilation he would have ju;
as much right as the German, the Frencf
man, the Englishman or the America
born to those rights and privileges OF cit
zenship which are enjoyed bywhites. I
.r--9 NEGRO EQUALITY. Ir17S
] base my opposition to negro equalit
on this: that God has created barrier b
tween the two races; and what God HI
fput asunder man has not power to brin
together. Those marks / have indicate
may be the semblance of that which is witt
in to donate that incapaclSy for combinir
that race and miugling it into one Wi
ours, and for that reason there ought to |
no attempt to raise the negro to polite
or civil equality. He is man as you a
Il don't say he is brother. daughter
He is a man-God made him man-but
l follows not th at He made him of the mo-