The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-02-06

80 IT,
.1s.I.....--zE.l..I .1z
mendment, to apply to those who
were not authorized to vote by the
laws OF the State before the rebel
lion-in other words, the colored
men. He proposes to allow col
ored man to vote if he has been~in
the Federal army ore year, and be
prepeses 80 allow rebel white
Inan to vote, although be has serv.
ed in the rebel army four yearsl--
He propeses thata colored man
shall not vote unless he has suffi-
cient education to read the Con
stitation of the United States and
to subscribe his name TO an oath
support the same, whereas he per
mils rebel white man TO vote who
never heard of A and does not
know bow TO make his mark even
to a note given for whisky
i Laughter ~
Again, sir, he proposes that the
colored man shall not vote un
less no shall bo seized in his own
right or 10 the right of bis wife Of
q freehold Of the value of $3.50, a
provision which, ,,of. courae, would
cut Oft nine hundred aud ninety
nine out OF every thousand colored
men in the South. The colored
man cannot vote unless he has a
freehold of $3.50, but the white reb.
ell who was never worth twenty
tivs cents, who never paid poll-tax
in his life, never paid an honest
debt, is to be allowed TO vote. Sir.
what would be tho inevitable effect
of the adoption ofthis amendment?
To cut off such large part Of the
colored vote as to leave the rebel
white vote largely in the ascenden.
ey and to put these new Stategov,
ernments there to be formed again
into tho hands of the rebels. Sir,
| will not spend longer time upon
that. a4f5
My friend yesterday alluded to
my endorsement OF the Presidents 6
policy in speech in 1869 | nev.
or indorscd what 10 now called the
, Presidents policy. In the sum.
mer OF 1865, when l saw a division
: coming between tho President and
; the Republican party, and when
could not help anticipating the
D direful consequences that must re
: suit from it, | made speech in
1 which repclled certain statements
: that had been made against the
, President, and denied the charge
i. that BY issuing his proclamation o
g May 80, 'G5, ho had thereby left The
/ Republican party. | said that he haC
| not loft tho Republican party by
3. that act. | did show that the policy
of that proclamation was even
Z. more radical than that of Mr.. Lin
0 coin. j did show that it was more
radical even than the Winter Davis
;, bill of the summer OF 1864. But, sir
|, IL WAS all upon the distinct under
I standing that, whatever the Presi
dent did, his whole policy or actor
! WAS TO be submitted to Congress
. Tor its consideration and decision
+. and, as before remarked, if tina
|, bad been done all would have beer
well. | did not then advocate uni
!, versal colorod suffrage in the Soutl
: and have before given my rea
sons for it, and in doing that l wa
} aching in harmony with tho grea
! body Of the Republican party o.
the North. II was nearly yea
after that time, when Congress pas
sed The conJilutional amendment
, which still left tho question o
suffrage with the Southern States
lott it with the white people; and il
was not until year aud half ai
| Ter that time that Congress came
. 10 tho conclusion that We coulC
not execute the guarantee Of til,
q Constitution without raising vi
II new class Of loyal voters.
d Aud, sir, nobody concurred i
u that result moro heartily than my
d self. confess (nnd l Go il with
o out shamc) that | have been edu
, Gated by the great events OF thi
Z war The American people hav
/. been educated rapidly, and tn
II man who says he has learned noil
II ing, that ho stands now where h
= did six years ago, is like an ancion
Il mile post by tho side Of deserte
n highway. We, Mr.. Prosidcn
Is have advanced stop by step =
d When this war began, we did nc
Q contemplate tho destruction {
V Slavery, | remember we'll whe
4 tho Crlttcnden resolution was pas,
i. cd, declaring that the war was nc
;. prosecuted for conquest, or
Q overturu the institutions Of an.
r State, know that was intende
n as au assurance that slavery shoul
n not bo destroyed, and ii receive
o the vote, believe, OF every r,
Q publican member in both houses {
J. Congross; but in q few months al
c ter that time it was found by til
n events OF the war that wo ooul
not preserve slavery aud suppress
J. tho rebellion, aud we must destro,
d sIavery-not prosecute tho war I
q destroy slavery-but destroy slav
d cry to prosecute the war. WhicI
!. was the botter2 To stand by th
b resolution and let the Union 60, 0
O stand by tho Union and lot tho res
/, olution go2 Congress could no
o stand by that pledge, and it iva
moro honored in the breach thar
g in the observance" Mr., LincoIl
!. issued his proclamation of enamel
n patton, setting Tree tho slaves Of tn
II rebels. IC was dictated by tn
At storm and bloody experience OF th
,. times. Mr.. Lincoln Ind no choic