Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-10-14
Joint DseRSstSa Between Cobb and Passusre,
The Joint discussion between Fl,

| y MaSA Sobb, .lHe hepuDilcan CaDd}-
fdate for Congress, and Mr.. PAssMoRE.
the Democratic nominee for the same
office, came off in this placs on Mon
day evening, before very good audi,
ence IN the City Hall
Col. COBB had the opening, and &C.
eupied nearly an hour, mainly upon
the subject of reconstruction. which
IS the real issue before the people
He alluded to the condition of the
rebel States under the military rule
OF President JOHNSON at the first meet.
ing of Congress after the close of the
war; and showed most clearly that.
after fair trial of Mr.. JoHSsoS's
plan, that 1t was not such as to Sc.
cure protection to the people in those
localities. The Congressional plan
was to secure civil governments for
those States as soon as they could be
brought about in such manner as to
meet the wants OF the people and Sc
cure the rights of all classes common
surate with their obedience to the
laws of the land. Those States be-
ing without civil officers or civil laws.
the continuance of the military au-
thorlty was necessary for the preser-
walton Of order during the process of
the organization of State govern
ments by the people that would be
| Republican IN form and sufficient for
the protection of life, liberty and
property. Col. COBB argued with
much ability the right of those who
had been loyal to the Government
during its struggle for existence. to
the organization Of those States and
lie was unwilling to see them set aside
while those who did all in their power
to overthrow the Government dictate
terms upon which they should again
become members Of the Union. He
vindi1ated the position of the Repub-
lican party upon National issues in a
manner that could not be successfully
confuted by the sophistry or rhetoric
OF the Democratic leaders.
Mr.. PAssMoRE followed Col. COBB :;
and, after pleading Illness, fatigue,
&c, launched out upon the recon
struction question as the nam issue
dividing the parties. He claimed
the reconstruction laws Of Con
gress were unconstitutional and at.
( tempted to offer several reasons for
his belief, which, being sifted of the
verbage of rhetoric, eliminated in the
simple fact that they allowed negro
suffrage. and the Democratic party
| had no show of securing their votes.
He thought it very unjust to allow
| ignorant ..niggers' to vote, while such
learned and intelligent men as had
heretofore held all the important Of
fees in the South were excluded that
! privilege. He argued in a most elo,
| quent manner that the negro was in
ferIor to the whites, and that this was
| a white mans government where the
darkey should not be trusted with
so sacred thing az the ballot If
| Mr.. PAssMoRE holds to the doctrine
of intelligence as a qualification for
suffrage, he would exclude a larger
percentage Of whites than black. in
the Southern States for it is con,
coded fact that the negroes in that
portion of the Union are to-day far
ahead of the ''poor whites in both IN
telligence and education But such
is not the real objection to negro suf-
frage. If they could be relied upon
TO vote the Democratic ticket their
right to vote would find no more ar
dent advocates than Mr.. PAssMoRE
and his political friends. While the
great portion of the whites Of the
South have proved their fidelity to
the Democratic party by lending a
willing hand in the attempt to destroy
the Union, the colored man has ever
been found on the side of the Govern.
ment, ready to lay down his life for
its preservation, and, in the eyes of
| Democratic dema gogues and office
seekers, is therefore disqualified for
the exercise of the right of suffrage,
even though his literary attainments,
knowledge of the principles of govern
ment, and the power of eloqence rem
der HIM the pier of far more distin-
| gulshed men than Mr.. PAssMoRE.
After speaking an hour upon the
reconstruction question Mr.. PAssMoRE
switched off upon the currency track,
and attempted TO rehearse Moses NJ .
! STRONG views upon that point; but
he failed to make them sufficiently I'M
derstood 10 enable US TO give lust
review OF his remarks. He was evi-
IDENTIFY IN favor Of Mr.. PENDLEroN' 5