Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-02-27

them. Many Of them were taken to
Fort Miffiin, and there incarcerated
for from twenty to fifty days, and
then sent home, without a trial, with.
out the presentment of o single charge
against them. When | had sought
the Attorney General of this Com
monwealth, and asked the interven-
lion of law when / had called upon
the brave hearted and liberal Senator
from Erie [ Mr.. LOWRY TO aid mo in
administering to these victims their
plain right--the law-these men were
taken from the military rule and sent
to the United States Court at Pitts
burg for trial; but no Indictment could
be sustained against them, and they
were sent to their homes untried and
unconvicted. You may slander my
people as you choose, but when you
want a stalwart arm, when you want
a brave heart, when you want the
men who can shoot with deadly aim,
then you come to us.
Sir, ] speak warmly, because j
speak feclingly upon this subject. ]
have heard too much of such language
as has been uttered here to night I: /
wish to hear il no more.
Sir, the man who shot the provost
marshal voted for Abraham Lincoln I;
he lived within three miles of my own
town. / know all the facts and cir
cumstances connected with this affair,
and before any court and jury in this
Commonwealth he would not be con-
victed of crime higher than man.
slaughter. This officer never showed
his warrant, never produced his au-
thority, and fired first upon the man
who was fleeing from him. These
are the facts of that case. So much
for my defense. III
Let me ask you what avails such
answers as you give to the charges
we bring against you ? We have
charged the man you have set as your
idle with crimes, and we have endeav-
cred TO prove our charges. / quote
now from the reports OF Congress of
the proceedings Of the United States
government in 1868.
Mr. Stevens, of Pennsy lvania, in
troduced a bill on the 9th of January,
for the enlistment Of one hundred and
fifty thousand soldiers, persons of col
or of African descent. That bill was
passed they were enlisted. On the
first day OF May rebel legislation came
! find it in McPherson's History of
the Rebellion. On the 9th of Janu-
airy the negroes were authorized TO
be put into the service. They were
in the field before the first day of
May. When that day came, 1 lind
upon the statute books of rebeldom
the law for retaliation against the
employment of negroes. What was
the retaliation Itwas that negroes
should not be accounted the equals of
what men that negro soldier would
not be exchanged for white soldier,
for they denied our right to put arms
in their hands.
Secretary Stanton said the negro
was the equal Of the white man under
all circumstances the rebels of the
South refused TO recognize this, and
you made the white men in Southern
prisons suffer in consequence. That
is the true history OF this transaction.
That is what you have TO answer for.
Had you accepted their proposals, and
exchanged white for white, you would
not have kept suffering white soldiers
in Southern prisons You would not
have had ten thousand lives to ac-
count for. Then you might have said
that Secretary Stanton was not to
blame. The Senator from Bradford
and the Senator from Lawrence may
well talk about principle. Here was
principle with vengence. A princi-
cipie that declared rebels should not
say that negro was [not1 equal TO a
white man, and vindicated that prin-
ciple at the white mans expense You
inflicted barbarity, ruthless barbarity,
upon your white soldiers TO vindicate
the principle that u negro was the
equal of the white man.
Principle I. forsooth, that would thus
punish men of your own race. Prin.
ciple that would thus entail degra.
dation and suffering upon the men
you should protect Why, Senators,
if this be principle, 10 what will not
principle drive you! To what base
uses may we not come at lastY The
Senator from Lawrence Mr.. Brownel
admits in effect that this was the prin-
ciple that was everything with his
party. Mr.. Stanton would not reoog-
nize the fact that a white soldier was
better than negro and he deter
mined that white soldier should not
be exchanged for white soldier until
the rebels acknowledged that negro
shonld be exchanged for a white man.
Now, let me read you again from
this book, on page $50. Rule 81 of
the rule Of war is given as follows;
"No beligorent has a right TO declare that enc
mics Of certain class, color or condition, when
properly organized soldiers, will not be treated
by him as public enemies"
This rule was made to sustain the
principle you avow. 1t was the legal
form Of your accursed doctrine-pun.
ish the white soldier, because the reb-
els refuse to recognize negroes as
soldiers.
We may even admit that the rebels
did wrong, but would you add wrong
to wrongi Would you add barbarity
TO barbarity, crime TO crime, misery
TO miscryy Senators may prate of
the history Of the past six years, and
talk virulently about Democrats.
But the time has gone by when you
can turn our flank by any such argu-
ments. Where is the Union, to-day 7