The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-01-14
!ced General Butler in the following

nations purest patrlots-a nah Ii Ill
nolitical fear; a man who, under aii
circumstances, defends the humble anu
the lowly: and the soldier who dared W
infict the penalty of death upon MIN VINO
dared mil down the ensign of his coun-
trv,s Iiberty-I mean Major General But
Ter, of Massachusetts" too
Butler remarked, by way OF an intro
duction, that ninety.two years ago luz
fathers of this Republic undertook to lay
tba foundations of q new nation, driven
thereto by the oppression OF BRUSH
king. They asserted then that all men
we're created with certain inallepaoie
rights. They achieved their independence,
and then formed the compact known as Inc
Constitution of the United States, under
which we now live. Those wise men TORE
saw everything but one blightlng cause ol
destruction. In almost every state slavery
then existed, and traffic IN human
flesh was thought no crime, ana was
even winked at in the Consslu-
ton but it was with the expec-
tation on the part of the greatest
statesmen that it should forever cease az
a certain specified time. 1t would tnen
have ceased but for the invention OF the
cotton gin, which rendered slavery. prolit-
obla and il therefore increased and grew
in strength until in 1920, when It's advo-
Gates obtained the Missouri Compromise;
Yielding to this, we continued TO yieu
until new territory was acquired, oy our
arms. and the South insisted that the
damniDr institution should go there TOO.
Most men believing that slavery was
mart of the Federal compact, and that II
could not be touched by legislation, al
lowed it then to expand, ana IN i9oo
Wings and Democrats agreed upon tnls
ground. Then it seemed that slavery
would curse us forever. But Wnen flerce
came into the Presidential! chair the Save
power attempted still further encroach-
ments. These were opposed ana conquer
, ed under the gallant Fremont. But the
conflict went on until Lincoln was elected,
when the proud shareholders seeded,
made war upon the Union, and attempted
tn establish a government with slavery as
it's cornerstone. Then good men no
longer felt themselves bound to sustain
Constitution upholding slavery, but were
released from obligations which the seces-
sionists had abrogated. When the war
commenced, slaves were at first returned
to their masters, but at length this was
proven to be bad policy, and statesmen
agreed that to save the Union slavery must
he eradicated. With this idea the Re
publicans fought at the ballot-box IN 1867,
and seemed to have lost the sympathy OF
the country, but in 1868 Lincoln issued his
first proclamation, warning shareholders to
renew their allegiance or lose their human
property. They did not heed the warn
| ing, and in January, 1864, he proclaimed
slavery dead in certain States forever. In
two years more the Institution was aDol-
ished all over the United States, but not
until 100000 black men were armed, and
had fought and bled for freedom. lap
plause. Then Congress said never more
Shall slavery lift its head beneath the flag OF
liberty.
Thus the negro was, enfranchised by a
slow process and when enfranchiSed he
became citizen; free american citizen
because born an American a free citizen
because disseminated and a citizen be-
cause made such by the force of arms. II
free, man must be citizen, for the right
to govern himselfby his own chosen rulers
is the inalienable right of freeman. The
ballot, then, came naturally into the hand
of the negro; and now that he has it, no
power on earth or in hell can take it from
him. Tremendous and prolonged ap-
plause. The question Of his right to this
ballot does not depend on the Constitution
nor upon any party platform. We have
bought it with blood, and let the Demo-
Gratis attempt to wreSt it from us, and
such CONCLUSIONS aoiH enS1te as never before
,oere kno,rn on this continent. Great ap-
pause.1 1t can't be taken away, for no
great people ever had great right taken
from them. The musket and the ballot,
colored friends, are yours forever.
To simplify this matter, we will go into
detail. The first great boon given the
colored race is equal rights with all men.
The expression in the Declaration of In
dependence that call men are created
free and equal " does not mean, Of course,
that all men are created either morally,
mentally, physically, or intellectually
equal, but simply that every manis created
with the undeniable right to be equal with
any other man if he can. Any law conflict
ing with this idea is unjust and oppressive.
The enemies of the negro will say you
are not their equal, but you can answer,
"We have a right to be if we can" 1t is
no affair of theirs if you are or if you
are not. Just let them keep their hands
off and all will be we'll. They say the ne
gro race has produced no Caesar,
Milton, Shakespeare, or Newton. No, it
hasn't. But 60 back in the history Of this
country fifty years, and the same could be
said of the Americans, and it was said.
English books and newspapers were full Of
| +nr &c Inf NV ha
q change. Now American books, sciences,
and battles, are ahead of all others. So
tho negroes for centuries have been in
Egyptian darkness, and is it fair to ask
them to show their Shakespeare now
Give the black man fair race, and if he
outruns me, be it so. certainly will not
attempt to trip him up.
The next great boon Of an American
citizen is equality Of political power. If
it were not for this power the strong would
Cypress the weak. The contrary would
ruin any government on Gods earth and
deprive the weaker citizens of their rights.
Equality Of right and equality Of power
are therefore inseparable.
The third boon is to bear an equal bur-
den Of the government, for every govern
ment is a burden. In other words, we
may state it as the right and duty of
every man to take his share of taxation.
Now, how shall these things be brought
about and confirmed? If we were starting
a new Government our course would be
clear, but such is not the case. What
would have done in war would not pay
now. Confiscation was war measure, and
might have done we'll, but the Government
failed IN rsa If and 40 the ey Confad arat 90