The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-08-18

'.Either he forgot or purpossly refrained to
''ten us Why Prior to the year ls67'zMas-
sssachusetts allowed : universal suffrage.
...Every man was citizen. After the Re
..publisan party sprang into life and m its
t.boyhood grappled the Democratic giant
sthe people with whom the gentleman is
..identifed (the Irish) began to be imported.
"7Aey were vorse than tho SLAVES Of Africa,
"and were found to be willing tools in the
"hands of Copperhead Democracy that
"would have crushed me and my people,
"and antagonized the Declaration OF lnde-
"pendence, that all men are born free aRd
"equal and endowed by their Creator with
"certain inalienable rights. Finding this
"condition of affairs, the Legislature OF
..Massachusetts passed a law that no man
"should be allowed to vote unless he could
ssread and write. We found that many
"were debarred that privilege because they
chad come from the s,oamps and bogs Of Ireland.
.I am glad, however, to be able to say there
"were tsw men of my identity in MasHachu-
sssetts deprived of such q boon By such cause. f"
These expressions show the existence OF
the never-dying antagonism between the
Irishman and the negro. What now will
be thought of the Irishmen of Charleston,
few though they be, who have joined tne
negro party?
Mr.. sroEBER, of Marion, white Repub-
lcan, announced his opinion that the bill
was inexpedient, and said that he would
not vote in its favor. The Rev. B. F. JACK
SON, white carpet-bagger, then took up
the cudgel and after eulogizing New Eng
land and the Republican party, and de-
nouncing e1pediency, said: "This issue Is
ssplainly before US, not merely as State,
ssbut as nation. Shall the reconstruction
"policy of Congress be sustained? That
"policy is based upon justice and equal
"rights, and the question is: will the ma
"tion fulfil the obligations which it has
"made? For two hundred years our peo-
eple have made determinations on account
"of race and color. Four millions Of peo-
"ple have been crushed in the dust. They
"have waited and waited, and waited for
sjustice, and still the gentleman from Sum-
'ter (Mr. FEnR1rER) says, Wait! we are
..not readyp. Great God haze they not
"waited long enough? Have they not
"borne their burdens, shed their tears and
"worn their stripes long enough to be
.entitled to justice at last? What more
"have we to wait for?l I say, let us wait
!ssno longer, but grasp the fruit which Prov
sidence has given to US. The gentleman
"has said that the colored people Of the
asouth enjoy their privileges by the suffer-
esan,e of the white man, and, therefore,
.they should not demand an enlargement
"of these privileges. Sir, they do not ask
"this boon as chsrity-as a beggar asks
"for bread-but as men they demand it as
ca right which the Republican party has
.spledged itself to bestow.
He denied that the bill contemplated
social equality, and proved his position in
these words: eff two men sleep in hotel,
ssor sit at the same table, or are guests
ssunder the same roof, or travel in the
sssame conveyance, the idea Of social equal
ssity is not necessarily involved. 1t is not
$50 under the present circumstances, and
"no law that We can make will force itupon
ethe people. This is question that must
CIRCULATE itself, and depends solely upon
.the mental culture, character and habits
"of those who may be brought into social
..relation. 1t cannot be regulated by law"
Whipper, Of Beaufort, q very black and
very able negro, said: "The gentleman from
"Sumter says it the billy will break up the
sshotels. If he will 60 withus to the kitch-
zen of frst-class hotel he will see there
SO big black man handling the meat that is
ssto be eaten in the dining room. Go to the
ssdining room, and he will find him passing
s.over the plates with all the familiarity in
"the world. 60 to first. class barber's
s'shop, and you submit to his manipulations,
"even to the taking hold Of that infallible
thermometer, the human nose.
awe are told. that this measure will de-
"fest the election Of GRANT and CoIFAx.
"My reply is this: That if doing right will
"defeat GRANT and CoLFAx, let them be
"defeated. If we have got to stoop and
scatter to the prejudices Of men, in order
"to effect such an object, it were better
"they had not been born"
The vote was then taken on o verbal
amendment by Whipper, and the scene is
described by our reporter in these words:
s.Many of the negro members were 30 ex-
"cited that they sh outed, Yes, yes, yes "
"Others simply said, yes, forever The
s.latter seemed the most popular response.
"Several white men attempted to explain
their vote, but were not permitted to do
$50. Several colored men enjoyed the
privilege without objection. The issue
s.made was purely one Of race"