The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-09-05

amalgamation go into our cities. where
affections shxSasUuRhts 20 establish the hap-a
piness of the hybrid offspring. and you
will zee that every animal is more devei-
oped, every moral quality more depres-
sed, every physical infirmity more exag-
geraBed thanin either Of thepureraces-'
The Argument Mr. Pendleton intends
to make by this Is that the enfranehise
ment of the cblored race ~suld contri-
butte to amalgamaticn and the commiug-
ling of blood He says circumstances
have been favorable to this amslgama-
ton in the Southern States" Why does
he phrase it 50 delicately? Why does
he not saw that slavery Was favorable to
ANAL amation2 Why does he not say
that wherever slavery existed, wherever
the negro was degraded and helpless;
denied all rights that white man was
bound to respect, amalgamation existed
and fiourished on large scale. And
why does he not say that, in the North
ern States, where the negro is protected
in the marriage relation and treated as
man, amalgamation is almost wholly IN
known sz- $50 ~
In Massachusetts,. where the colored
man has enjoyed every political right
for more than thirty years, IL Is said
case has not occurred for many years.
And in this great State of Ohio, L VIII
venture the opinion that the cases
are extremely rare. If yon would pre-
vent the evils OF amalgamatlon, educate,
elevate and enfranclIise tue colored race
Give them self respect. make them feel
that they are men and women, before
the law and before the world, and you
will thus have almost perfect security
against the evils of amalgamation-
To withhold suffrage from the colored
race is to violate other fundamental prin
ciples of our Government. We say that
the Government exists only by the con-
sent of the governed" and here is a
race that is governed, but has never con-
seuted, and has no means to consent or
dissent.
We say that taxation and represen
tation should go together" and here is
O race that is taxed. but not represented.
But more than all this, the coiored man
has helped to fight your battles, and has
mingled his blood with yours on many
a field; he has been patriotic and loyal,
while thousands of whites in your
midst have been disioyal; he has paid
taxes, and helped to bear ali the bur
dens of the State; lie has shown intel
iect and capacity: ne has displayed en-
terprise and valor and why should he
not vote ? The answer is, prejudice :
prejudice which is ever strongest IN the
weakest breast.
To that unfortunate class of people
who have no politics but hatred to the
negro and who live in deadly fear of
anna lgamation, and that if he has equal
rights given to him he will become their
superior, socially, intellectually and po-
litieally, tender my profound sympa-
thies Their case is beyond the reach
of human aid. and all that we can do is
to smooth their passage to that bourne
where they are not married or given in
marriage, and where they viii be safe
from the social dangers to which they
are exposed here.
RECoN5TR UCTIOS.
When the war ended, in the spring of
1868, nine of the rebel States were left
without governments of any kind. The
officers composing the rebel State Gov
ernments were either killed, captured,
or had fed, and State authority Of all
kind had disappeared. This presented
n
Constitution of the United States, which
declares that the United States shall
guarantee to each State a republican
form Of government. State govern
ments had ceased TO exist, and it was
the duty and the right of the Govern
ment of the United States to reorganize
new ones upon loyal republican basis.
MIR. johnson recognized this condition
H., ~ IF a :
ment of the United States, but assumed
the right to initiate plan of reconstruc-
ton himself. independent of Congress.
This OF course was clearly without
the limits of his constitutional power,
but it was declared by him at the time,
and by Mr.. Seward, Secretary of State,
that these new governments would be
provisional only, until they were sane
toned by Congress, and that TIL" whole
business would be submitted to Con
gress for it's consideration at the next
session. Had the President adhered to
this purpose it is probable all would
have gone well at last. and the present
state of things would not exist. But
unfortunately he failed to submit his
work to Congress He assumed the
right to accept their new State constitu-
He received and treated their new gov
ernments as legal and republican, and
thus actually exercised the power of re-
construction without the sanction of the
people as expressed through their repre-
sentatives in Congress.
The power to form the governments
of nine States that had been in rebellion
was too great to be exercised by one
man. The settlement we had to make
with the rebels, and the readiustment OF
their institutions on loyal basis which
would give security for the future, was Q
matter of the greatest Importance, IN
which all the people were interested,
and upon which they must be heard
through Congress. As the President
had no power of himself to establish
State Governments. and as they were
never sanctioned by Congress, they were
unauthorized and Illegal, and are in thai
condition to-day In the summer Of
1866, Congress still disposed TO har