The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-02-08


men have been allowed to vote so that they
shall not be under the control and power o
the rebels. This is the polcy--to divide the
political power among those men for the
protection OF each Sir, the charge that We
intend to create negro supremacy or color
ed State governments is without the slightes,
foundation, for it would have been in the
power Of Congress to have easily conferred
such supremacy by simply excluding the dis
| loyal from the right of sulrage-a power
whick it had the clear right to exercise
Now, Mr. President, allow me to consider
Tor moment the amendment offered by the
Senator from Wisconsin, and upon which
his speech was made, and see what is it's eff,
tect-l will not say its purpose, but its inev-
table efFect-should it become law. |
will ask the Secretary to read the amend.
ment which the Senator from Wisconsin has
proposed to the Senate.
The Secretary read as follows:
Hroriaed, nevertheless, That upon an cleo.
ton for the ratification Of any constitution,
| or OF officers under the same, previous to its
adoption IN any state, no persons not having
| the qualifications of an elector under the
costitution and laws Of such State previous
to the late rebellion shall be allowed to vote,
unless he shall possess one of the following
| qualifications, namely:
|. lie shall have served as soldier in the
Federal army for one year or more.
2. lie shall have sufficient education to
read the Constitution of the United States
and to subscribe his name to an oath to sup.
! port the same; or
8. lie shall be seized in his own right, or
IN the right of his wife, Of freehold of the
value Of $3.50.
Mr.. Morton. Sir, these qualifications are,
by the terms OF the amendment to apply 10
those who Were not authorized to vote by
The laws Of the State before the rebellion
IN other words, the colored men. He pro.
| poses to allow a cOlored man to vote if he
has been in the Federal army one year. and
he proposes to allow a rebel white man
| % vote, though he has served in the rebel
army four years. He proposes that a col,
Jred man shall not vote. unless he has sufli-
| cient education to read the Constitution Of
| the United States and o subscribe his name
20 an oath to support the same; whereas he
| permits rebel white man 10 vote who never
| heard Of A, and does not know how to make
MS mark even 10 u note given for whisky
! Laughter
Mr.. President, the column of rccoustruc.
ton, as before remarked, has risen slowly.
1t has not been hewn from q single stone
1t Is composed Of many blocks, painfully
Land up and pat together, and cemented ~
the tears and blood Of the nation. Sir. we
have done nothing arbitrarily. We have
done nothing for punishmeut-aye too little
Tor punishment Justice has not had her
demand. Not man has yet been executed
Tor this great treason. The arch fiend him.
self IS now at liberty upon bail No man is
10 be punished; and now, while punishment
has gone by, as we all know, we are insisting
only upon security for the future We are
simply asking that the evil spirits who
brought this war upon US shall not again
come into power during this generation.
again to bring upon us rebellion and calam.
| lily. We are simply asking for those secu.
rites that sc deem necessary for our peace
and the peace of our posterily.
Sir, there is one great difference between
this mon party and the SO. called Demo.
cratic party. Our principles are those Of
| humanity; they are those of Justice; they
are those OF equal rights they are prin,
tipIes that appeal TO the hearts and CON
| sciences Of men while on the other side we
hear appeals to the prejudice Of race against
race. The white man is overwhelmingly in
! the majority in this country, and that ma.
! iorty is yearly increased by halt million
! Of white men from abroad, and that majority
gaining III proportion from year to year until
the coIored men will finally be but handful
in this country; and yet we hear the preju
dices of the white race appealed to to crush
this other race, and to prevent this from
rising to supremacy and power. Sir, there
is nothing noble, there is nothing generous
there is nothing lovely. in that policy or that
appeal. How does that principle compare
with ours? We are standing upon the broad
| platform OF the Declaration OF Independence,
that ''all men are created equal; that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain
inalienable rights; that among these are
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. +"
We say that these rights are not given by
laws; are not given by the Constitution !;
but they arc the gift of God to every man
born in the world. Oh, cir, how glorious is
this great principle compared with the in.
human might say the heathenish-appeal
to the prejudice Of race against race; the
endeavor further to excite the strong against
the weak the endeavor further to deprive
the weak of their rights ofprotection against
the strong.
SARCASTIC.