The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-01-25

that tney were lulclAi& S-ASS~6T
so,;d Msss With the party that would give
,han, the;, r;shts, snd that, too, ia the face OF
the intelligence and wealth Of the State, AND
II face OF threats TO take the bread from their
very months
de. native of Virginia, had come to Ar
kansas since the close OF the war. not only
because the constitution guaranteed him the
rights and inmunities of o citizen here, but
because this part Of the Louisiana purchase
was common territory. Objection had been
,xsIlefo oAyeueureYs, and The same vodM
h4ve feen equaily good agsinst the ~Sseonr.
These men who had conquered IN the war
wauId 90 where they pasased srd do as they
p,eased. The gentleman's warnings against
the Republican party weighed nothing VITA
Nm. He was not afraid Of the men whose
glittering braid had been seen on the skirmish
lines in both armies; for them the negro vote
would be solid, as they had too much at stake
10 trust others than those who were pieoged
10 give them their rights. He had no antipa
tliy towards the whues; he xculd Drop ~
curtain Of oblivion on the sod which contains
ed the bones of his oppressed and wronged
ancestors for two hundred and hfty years.
Give us the franchise, and if we do not ex-
ercise it property, you have the numbers to
take ii away from Us. He did not blame
Northern people for rejecting negro suffrage.
- they had been asked 70 sccepi Il rnsrsly -
xncoueasa Khs Souihto do 20. . s6csioe ovsr
which they claimed to have the right TO legis-
late as the conquering people. II would have
been Welding position for them to have &C
tepted it, and for tha, reason they did not do
80. II would be impossible for the .nfgro to
get Justice in State whereof he VS. not
full citizen. The preiudices of the entire
court would be against him. He did not ex-
pee.the negro to 10 Ike possession of the Gov
ernment; he wanted the franchise given him
AS IN incentive to work to educate his chill
dren. He did wan. TO make the white man
ned ssal upon which to elevate the negro IN
TO office. He did not desire 70 discuss the
Question of the inferiority OF races. I'M
pleasant truths must then be told; history
teits = g pnpr white ancestors who lived on
The acorns when urorr al from the oaks of
Didona, and then worshippea la.- zoe as a
God. He concluded by calling upon all Inc.
who would see justice done to Meet this ques
ton fairly and fear not to record their votes.
Mr. Brooks tradical) obtained the floor.
ard said be would move an adjournment with
the understanding that he would be allowed
the. floor tomorrow morning. Thisswas
agreed 10, ard the convention Hdiutrned NJ
clock,
The speech CT Mr.. Gray {colpredj was re-
ceiyed with enthusiasm, and the honorable
representative of the white mans party
or the '.rebel party was completely annihi
lated, aud thai, too. by xso. whom they
so denounce as UNFIT for suffrage and OF an
inferior race,
Mr.. Brooks, on the following day, took up
the question of ftaa opting the present Con-
stitu;ion, and replied at length to Nr. Cy-
pert of White, as follows:
Nh. President: I. may not be amiss 10
briefly call attention, by way of review, to
some OF the points presented ny the gentle
man from White Mr.. Cypert, }ebell. | hope
| shall be excused from reciprotaring the epis
thets, which might be properly characterized
as blllingsgate. that have come from the other
side Of the hall, Such epiibss applied to
honorable members Of this Convention, and
to members Of the Congress 9f the United
States as "factious, 'sloafers, I carpet sack
gentlemen, = interlopers," perjurers."
fools, and g liars, do not constitute the
staple of our argument, or tho style of our
rhetessc.s We desire to employ ii Abe great
work before US, OF forming the organic law
OF the State Of Arkansas, under the prosis-
Ions of the en- Actments of the Congress of The
United States. And If, sir, We cannot sustain
our position and carry through the objects OF
this Convention without condescend,pg TO
such style Of remark and Ni}kost SWINGING
such want of this com Hea courtesies OF
civilization, We respectfully desire to be per
mitteI TO bow ourselves out of the capitol and
surrender the contest
his style OF treating the subject Of recon
straetion. Of the reorganizatio4f Of civil gov
eminent here, under the protection of the
flag of the Union and the enadtments of the
loyal Congress Of the United States, ia rot
psculisr 70 the honorable gentleman from
White, but is characteristic Of the press and
that element Of society in Arkansas. which
he has the honor to represent here upon this
floor.
the gentleman from White indulg ed in
very complimentary remarks upon Yesterday
respecting the existing Constitution. the pro,
visional government, and the officers admin.
isiering that government We rejoice, SIR.
President, in the advancement made by our
friends upon the other side of the question.
We remember very DISTINCTLY, but a few
months since, Immediately after the surren-
der, when the loyal men Of Arkansas under
circumstances Of trial and persecution unpar-
alleed in the history of the coaoify, had in.
angerated form of civil government here.
that this same class Of genslemens who
are now ensaiored with II and overwhelmed
with admiration for the loyal EXECUTIVE Of
the provisional government in Arkansas,
denounced III unmeaspred terms this
very provisional government. and those
loyal men, who ct the risk Of lie assembled
at this capital and ct almost starvation's
point, laoored day and night to institute such
Government for the State. These men in
yeighedsgaisst us ~ Traitors, denounced MS
as vampires, proclaimed rs . pack Of thieves
and robbers Of the State Of Arkansas, and
characterised this provisional government as
a great humbug and hoax, and these very
gehtlem on their return from the rebel army
at ehoui At opce g overthrow by rev0lution
or otherwise this tama provisional govern
And now they love the dear old pruyision-
al government and beast of the prosperity il
Wrought them. The improvement In these
gentlemen, is no doubt attributable to their
loyal associations. They have come to a better
mind; We coegnsulate sAsm and the State
and the country a. large, aud we hone as
evil cennsnicsaiHs em1upt Fcod snAnners.
The counterpart nay prove tsuss and trust ere /
!Qpg. We may hail them brothers beloved rs
oval men, ready to sustain the f1Ag and de
interests OF the country. The gentleman |
stated Yesterday that tn provisional govern
nsnt bad been recognised By every depart
neu Of the general government. and was |
therefore, obligatory upon ~, and that this
IN attempting to form new con-
'tltution, were "reyol,ienists. submit sir,
hat whLa Ne provisional eOvefsment Of Ar
Kansas, g syery gentleman on this Hoor and /
2 the eesntfy knosa has been honored and
'asfishsd ~ every logaliA Of every class 81
.O}or in the atafrsAsX ~ - .t,r.,4 Il