The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-04-29
,rpa.rrAL survnA0h.

~nn9Xl
counsels that should SECURE the
Republicans everywhere. He cay
"a the fact that the opposition arc Dss's1 -
,.,;..d th.n Republicans, tnaf sney ~
.o.l;n. increasingly and snsirinsly. ihs
.D ~ Of bio address il taken up in :
p..nS s1 .grduasnt thSs shs 1iiWssri Rspseli-
s.a. shaII meet the question Of negro suf-
frsre squarely and put il through. He ss1s !;
On this ,;rss pCass, Do sarseaely psotaaa
.os;nat anv attempt, come whence y may, TO
void he ,ssue, or tafat i{oa&0f.GGk efto
;snore Il. d vas put bSl6Se t6s peppis'by .
/ LEGISLATURE, in both branches of which toe
Radieslu had 90 ovsrwhsamip9 msjoEivr ana !.
s. rannaks IN bouor do sther~ise shan mees
IL. an prepared to meetit. | Am reaay 70
- before he neople upon it. | am 90 20
ssass / heI;eye il right to give the ballot 70
,ha n..ro and vrosf r. 1epy is n bin.
- y k1ns..e. freed from tn hoAeAee OF
i. ~ ehosn he freed from the bondage
81 oas,s am 80 because - freeman ne
=, J tn have. as you and have, the means,
.h ur% the ballot, Of protesting and dessnd,
;ne his personal, lsgal spa Pcli.ioaa Fsghts snd
nrIyileges. | am 80 because be, - much q
.is citizen of the United States, and should,
a much a /, have all the ffanchises Of . at
izsu. But, especially, am - bscau1 ~
has every way proved himself loyal and true
To his country. though il hAd evas bees TO haai
q country Of slavery. II eyer psariotisn
marked race, it marks the negro race IN
this land. II ever s rsee displayed patience,
forbesrsnce, courage, fidelity, and truth, that
race has, If ever race showed itself worthy
Of full cisizsnship, thst ssce hiss. Can these
things be truthfully denied? II not, Why
should 70 not see the truth, and, aseipg, ac'
i ont? Why persevere in injusticeY VII,
continue q wrong2 Why refuse 10 do right
WHY in one clause of your Constitution dis
franchis, rebels for their unequaied ciiI Z
against your country, and in another clause
disfrspchiss the defenders Of your ccuntr'
mot for crime, but because God made then
piackY Ii you say that helped to frame
that Constitution in that shape, i answer thsi
did; but answer further, that vas then.
as much az nov, for Impartial Suffrage; bs'
the Convention believed that il j. had been
embodied in the Constitution, IN the then
state Of public sentiment, our whole
work would have been lost, and
our State lost, TOO, to loyal control. The I'm
minent demand of the hour was to bar rebels
out from the control Of Missouri, and it was
deemed most important to secure that great
point and leave the rest to follow in due
lime. The due time has come. A Radical
Legislature has put the question before you,
whether you will persist in excluding the
loyal negro, slong with the white rebel. from
the ballot box2 When that negro asks yon
to permit hin to vote, and points to bus hon
orable discharge as q soldier OF the Union
against the rebellion as his claim, and you
reject bis request, you say to him IN effect, Il
not in words: i" Stand out there with traitors
for YOU are black!i' When another. hal
white, stone blind from 3 rebel bullet prefers
the same petition, your reply is, - tand o -,
there with rebels, for you are rpulatto -
When still another, three quarters white
comes with SCARED vissge to make tbs
same appeal, and tells you that in this battle
under Grant, he fought side by side with your
brother, or iu that. under Sherman, he saved
he life of your son, you answer, Stand oui
there with thai gang of gray acks, for you are
quadroon!' When still another, seven
eighths white, dumps along on his clutches 10
make the same request and reminds you that
he was manned for life in defending your
home, your wife, aud your little ones from
the blood, thirsty bushwhackers, your response
is, Island out there with those bush whack
ers, for thera is visible admixtura Of ne
gro blood in yonr veins +
Men Of Missouri Is not this so IL there
any other pretext for the disfranchf emit o.
those brave men, but Of that blopd? 70,
know there is not. Had they been uha
slaves, would you, in giving them their free.
dom, have dsnssd them the ballot? u on kno
you would not Do you now behevs then
| morally or mentally unfit for it? You know
you do not. Why, then, prescribe them a
i al sn
| ground for it than prejudice "a mere IN
reasenin, senseless prejudice. 70,
have been ace ustomed 10 re
| gard the n as inferior-so inferior that, though
| citizens, they ought no. to have the common
rights of other citizens | have ID past year
known so netting Of that feeling, but, thanh
God II have outlived it, as l trust you have
cannot face my conscience and Longer
cherish or permit such feeling. Upon the
commonest and plainest grounds ofhumanity
generosity, Christian magnanmity and simple
right, appeal 10 you TO Danish Tint hateful
prejudice. and do justice TO your colo-ed fel.
bowman for all his truth and courage and
fidelity to you and your country.
History presents no such spectacle Of q
race long held in bondage and suddenly emsn
cipated making such earnest and steady ef-
forts to prove themselves worthy other free
lom, as the negroes, old and yeung, of thu
former slave States are now making. In the
face Of every obstacle which cruelty, tyranny
and revenge dare to interpcse. they are press
ing on in the pursui, OF knowledge; and the
day is not distant--if indeed, il has not al
ready come-when . larger proportion OF
them will read and writs than Of the white
people around them. In every other way
they are laboriBg for their own elevation in
responsibility. Look about you, and see II
il be not so. Don't take angle cases Of the
opposite character, but the mass, and you
will say. ~ do, that they are honestly and
faithfully trying to make themselves good and
useful citizens. and are doing IT, They thus
.refnte every argument based on the assump-
lion Of their inherent worthlessness when
free. They would convince you that they
are worthy Of your confidence and friendship
They claim the right Of all men in this land
to rise, il they can. INTO . better condition.
Why smise them down? Why keep them
from making themselves as valuable citizens
Is they are capable OF beingf Why deny
them voice in the Government they fought
to preserve. and now hello, just as white men
do, 10 maintain? WHAT did, you free
them for il ron will not let them be all
that freenen ought to be- and have all
the rights of others no freer than they? Why
irown down n whole race that had committed
no crime, done M wrong, and sgainst whom
nothing can be alleged but the color Of their
skin? Did that color prevent your asking
them to figh. for your country in the hour OF
It's deadliest peril? Mere they any where less
brave than their white fellow soldiers? Was
there any difference and power between black
muscles and white in the marches and battles
of that war? Was not the blood that was
poured out to save your country, just as much
life>biood when ii streamed from the heart Of
. negro % from that OF white mau2 You
know II was !; and yet, while you honor and
cherish the shite soldier, as every patriot
should, ynu repulse, keep down, and degrade
the bl .ck soldier. If you deny him the full
rights Of citizenship; and this for no other
reason on earth than the color of his skin!
d friends, let me speak the truth 70 you in
nne Gritty. You cannot DO this grievous wrong
without dishonor 10 yourselves and your pro.
fessed principles. Yon cannot do il without
incurring the stigma Of wilful injustice. You
cannot do i, and say that you have followed
the Golden Rule Of doing to others g Won
would have them do to ycu. You csnnot do
II, and maintain your present grand poeition
before the country. You cannot do Il, and
carry your deed to the Throne Of God for His
approval. We must do right If We would Be
great. We cannot do vilfully wrong and be
great, even to ourselves For the sake Of
our noble State, for the sske Ufouf own man
hood and honor, for the sake Of human
rights, Tor the aks Of that justice which no
people can ever safely reject Of deny, l in
yoke Jou to rise shove all prsjsdicss, aad in
November next pronounce the word which
shall ct once enfranchise the blscks and pro-