The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-06-16

4
slavery Were struck from his limbs by
our own act; by our own free act, not
altogether free either, Mr.. President.
because we were rather constrained to
do 1t that we might bring him to our
aid in defending the Republic.
Is he Ignorant? is that a reason why
we should denounes him Why is he
ignorant9 How. became he isno-
rant? Do we not know that al
most every code in the Southern States
1.-THE provisions now, thank God, are
obsolete), until II very few years past,
contained inhibitions and penalties OF
the severest character for teaching the
negro even his letters, for teaching him
to read even the very record OF his sal
vationS Do we not know chat his ig-
norance is attributable TO the white
man who has held him in bondage and
sold him as q beast in the shambleS
Sir, his Ignorance is not his reproRch,
but our shame, Is he humble? Is he
helpless Is he defenceless9 Is that a
reason why a magnauimous race
should trample upon his rights
Should it not rather appeal 10 our mag
nanimity and our manhood When
the spirit OF more enlightened ciTiliZa-
ton shall have dissipated these mistS
of error and prejudices of education the
inexorable hand of History will write
terrible Judgment against men who
are disposed to trample upon the race
SIMPLY because 1t is helpless and de-
fenceless.
1t strikes me, Mr.. President, that in
stead of this unseemly Villification,
this constant derision OF the negro be-
cause he has crisp hair, because he has
long heels, because he has black skin,
because he Is in degraded condition,
the result of our own oppression, ev.
cry principle of justice and every sem
timent of honor and charity should
innpel us to give him all the aid we can
in lifting him from his degraded condi-
ton, and giving him every support and
encouragement, moral and intellectual.
within our power. Why, sir, how was
II a lew years ago, when the issue OF
the lie or death of this nation hung
trembling in the balance? Was ne
then the despised being that gentleman
would represent him TO he now? No,
sir. Then one hundred and eighty
thousand strong he rallied to the rescue
of the Republic, and on one hundred
fields of blood more than thirty thou
sand of this race yielded up their lives
in battle or persisted from disease In
the hospitals in defence of the Repub-
lie. And how much we owe to the
negro, whether in fact 1t was not the
case that it was his additional aid that
tell.
We hear often from the Senator from
Wisconsin about the imbruited char
acter of the negro, about his ig-
norance: Sir, let me ask the Senator
from Wisconsin how long it has
been since his own feIIow-citizens,
soldiers in the army OF the Re.
public, escaping from Salisbury and
AndersonvilIe and Libby, and hun
dred prison dens in the South, deus of
death, furnishing soldiers of the Union,
were eating the divided crust with the
negro OF the South, sleeping in his
cabin while he stood sentinel ut his
door, plotted by him through the
morasses, aud guided around the senti-
nels of the enemy that they might es-
cape TO their homes or rejoiu their reg
1ments, and were sent on their way re-
joicinB by these black benefactors {?
And yet these are the men the Senator
denounces and reviles and traduces
here day after day as not entitled 10 the
franchise, and not worthy OF the conf.
dence of the American people. Sir,
there is another kind OF slavery than
that which degraded the negro: il is
the slavery of passion, the slavery OF
education, the slavery OF prejudice.
Thank God, that slavery, too, is pass
ing awny: and the time is not far dis
tant when. discarding these foolish
ideas about negro supremacy and So
cial equality, the American people Will
recognize the common, genuine man
hood of the human brotherhood, and
each of the races will take its proper
position in the body-politic, and NIL
will be we'll.
Mr., President, one other remark, and
L have done, asking pardon of the Sem
ate for having detained them thus long.
We need the reconstruction of these
States forthwith. Society in those
Southern States is disorgHniZed. The
Industrial interests of the South are all
perlshing. The common prosperity of
the Union, to say nothing of the South,
demands n speedy restoration of these
States TO practical relations with the
General Government. This may not
be the best plan; but 1t is the plan pre-
sented. 1t is plan which has been ac-
the South. WHY should we hesitate TO
receive them? Why this resistance.
especially on the side of the Chamber
that has been denouuciug US for two
years past because we have been keep
ing these States out OF the Union2 Now,
when we present u plan which a ma
jority of the people themselves in these
States have accepted, why should these
objections be raised in opposition? Sir,
the peace of the whole country, the
prosperity OF the Southern States and of
the whole country demand speedy
restoration of these people to their
ancient practical relations to this Gov
ernment.
In conclusion let me say. Mr.. Presi-
dent, in the Language of a distinguished
parsonage now attracting SO much of
public confidence and consideration,
'tLet us have peace"-the peace which
this measure only can secure.