Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-02-28


ing Republican has ever said SO he spoke
only for himself, not for another. deny
the statement Ia toto, insist that these re-
construction measures are as fully within
the powers Of the Constitution as any iegls-
lation that can be had no. only By reason,
but by authority. And who are the men
that are talking SO much about the violation
Of the Constitution and who pretend 70 be
the especial friends Of that Instrument
The great mass Of them only three years
ago, were in arms to overturn the CoGstitu-
tian and establish that Of Montgomery IN its
place, or were their Northern friends, who
were aiding and sympathizing IN that under
taking.
had occasion the other day to speak Of
what was describedas unconstitutional Union
mana man living inside Of the Federal
lines during the war, symuafhizing With the
rebellion, and who endeavored TO aid the re-
belliou By insisting that every war measure
for the purpose Of suppressing il, was the
violation Of the Constitution Of the United
States. Now, these men who claim 10 be
the especial friends of the Constitution are
the men who have sought TO destroy il by
force of arms, and those throughout the
country who have given them aidand comfort.
Sir, you will rememberthat once celebrated
French woman was being dragged 70 the
scaffold, and as she passed the statute of
liberty she exclaimed: How many crimes
have been committed in thy name; and l
can say to the Constitution, how many crimes
against liberty, humanity and progress are
being committed in thy name by these men
who, while they loved not the Constitution,
and sought its destruction, now, for party
purposes, claim to be it's especial friends.
Ny friend from Wisconsin yesterday
compared what he called the Radical party
Of the North to the Radicals of the South,
aud when he was asked the question By some
Senator, who are the Radicals Of the
South, he said they are seeessionists.
Sir, the secessionists of the South are
Democrats TO day, acting in harmony AID
concert with the Democratic party. They
we're Democrats during the war who prayed
for the success of Mcclellan and Pendleton,
and who would have been glad to vote for
them. They we're Democrats before the
war. and the men who made the rebellion.
These are the Radicals Of the South, and
my friend from Wisconsin, after all, Is ae-
ting with that Radical party.
The burden Of his speech yesterday was
| that the reconstruction measures OF Con-
eress are intended to establish negro su-
premacy. Sir. this proposition is without
any foundation whatever. / believe it was
Mr. Trumbulll that 10 every State but two
| the white voters registered outnumbered the
cOlored voters; and the fact that IN two
States the colored voters outnumber the
| white voters is owing TO the simple accident
| that there are more colored men Ia those
States than there are white men. Congress
has not sought to establish negro supremacy
nor has Ii sought 10 establish the supremacy
Of auy class OF party of men. 1t It had
sought to esablish negro supremacy 1t would
| have been an easy matter by excluding from
| the right of suffrage AL men who had been
concerned in the rebellion, in accordance
| with the proposition Of the distinguished
| Senator from Massachusetts, Mr.. Sumner
/ in his speech at Worcester, in 1865. he
| proposed TO exclude all men who had been
| concerned in the rebellion and confer suffrage
| only on those who we're left. That would
have established negro supremacy by giving
the negro an overT Thelming majority 10 every
State. and if that had been the object OF
| Congress it could have been readily DONE
| But. sir, Congress has only sought to divide
| the political power between the loyal and
/ the disloyal It has disfranchised some fifty
/ thousand disloyal leaders, leaving all the
| rest of the people to vote. They have been
| eufrapchised on both sides, that neither
should be placed in the power of the other.
| The rebels have the right n vote so that
| thew shall not be under the control and
| mower of the Union men only, and the
/ Union men have been allowed to vote so
| that they shall not be under the control and
| mower Of the rebels. This IS the policy, to
! divide the political power among those men
for the protection Of each. SIR, the charge
that we intend to create negro supremacy
or eolored State governments Is without the
/ slightest foundation, for 1t would have been
in the power Of Congress 10 have easily con-
ferred such supremacy BY simply excluding
the disloyal from the right of sUttrage-s
power which it had the clear right to exer-
else -,
Now. Mr.. President, allow me TO consider
for a moment the amendment offered by the
Senator from Wisconsin, and upon which
his speech was made, and see what is Its
effect-I will not say its purpose, but ITS
inevitable effeet-should it become law. l
will ask the Secretary to read the amend
| uant wbi.h the Senator from Wisconsin
has proposed to the Senate:
The Secretary read as follows
Protidetf nevertheless, That upon an cleo
tion for the ratification of any constitution,
or of officers under the same, previous TO It's
adontion in any State, no person not nav
ip1 the qualifications of an elector under tue
constitution and laws of such State previous
| to the late rebellion shall be allowed to vote,
unleza ha shall nnssess one of the following
qualifications namely:
l. He shall have served as soldier IN
the Federal army for one year or more.
3. He shall have sufficient education to
: read the Constitution of the United States
! and 10 subscribe his name to an oath to sup
! port the same; or.
3. He shall be seized in his own right, OF
: in the right of his wife, Of freehold OF the
value Of $3.50.
! Mr.. Morton. Sir. these qualifications
, are. bv the terms Of the amendment, 10 ap-
nv "a those who we're not authorized tc
vote by the laws of the State before the re-
, beIlion-in other words, the colored men.
He proposes TO allow q colored man TO vote
, if he has been in the Federal army ONT
I year, and he proposes to allow rebel whit'
man to vote. although he has served IN tn
D rebel army four years be proposes that
e colored man shall not vote unless he ia
. sufficient education to read the Constltu
: ton of the United States and to subserlo'
his name to an oath to support the same
4 whereas he permits q rebel white man t
: vote who never heard of A and does no
> know how to make his mark even 70 not
. given for whisky. Laughter.
\ Again. sir, he proposes that the ,colore
. man shall not vote unless he shall be pos
n Sessed in his own right, or in the right Q
q his wife, Of a freehold Of $3.50, proVisio
r which. of course, would cut on nine bur
q dred aud ninety nine out OF every thousan
!. eolored men in the South The coiore
! . - 80 ,,nleSs he has freehold