The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-04-21

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al that may he done by Ihe 50 Called
p""pie Of the Srates Of VirgInia, Texas
and Mississippi under the act just
passed. On this point Mr.. Bayard said:
Even when those States ratify this
amendment giving your party the
advantage of having the three votes
Of these States, then what comes? Is
the end yet to these people ? Are
they, even then, States entitled to
representation =? Not so, sir, for l IN
derstand another amendment has beeh
presented and adopted, that again
thy must present themselves before
their captors, again pass beneath their
bow ana spear, to learn what new
terms may yet be eXacted before they
shall be admitted to representation in
the two Houses of Congress
Referring to the hope OF the States
in question for action in "good faith''
by Congress hereafter, Mr.. Casserly
said:
I shall not appeal to Senators, nor
Rdjure them, as they have been Rp-
pealed to and adjured by two Of the
a0lest, most eloquent and most dis
tinguished of their own party upon
the ground of good faith-an appeal
that was literally scoffed out of this
body. Have we lived to see the dag
when an earnest, candid, heartfelt APP
peal from one member OF the political
majority Of this body to his fellows of
that majority is received with laugh
ter, is ignominiously turned out of
doors If we have come to this, I do
not wonder that measure such as
this Is likely to receive the approba-
tion of this body.
Mr.. Casserly continued c.
Mr. President, if it should so hap
pen that, unwilling to become actors,
not merely in their own degradat ton,
but In great wrong to people of the
Northern States, they shall reject
these hUmiliating conditions imposed
on them here to-day, what then will
be the policy? What next will be
the course to take? What then will
gentlemen have to offer who have
been declaring here their purpose and
their desire to have settlement of
the difficulties in those States and the
restoration of the States themselves to
the Union? t
l am sure the people of these States
will act In this matter with an eve to
their own duty and TO the obligations
arising out of the condition of their
own communities Whatever they do
Ishall not be disposed TO oriticise it in
any captious spirit. One thing l will
say: Ii the State of my home on the
Pacific coast, TO which am bound by
every tie that can link me to the IiY
Ing or the dead, were to-day rs the
State OF Virginia is, upon whose hills
we look from these windows, and if
the same hard terms were proposed to
her by this body think know that
to the extent Of my poor abilities, and
wherever my weak voice could be
heard, l should everywhere, at all
times, in season and out of season,
urge upon the people Of my State this
eternal truth of history, of man, and
Heaven, that race can survive eve
rything but its own dishonor, brought
upon 1t by its own act.
Senator Thurman also opposed the
provision. We quote from his speech:
When you coerce Virginia, Mississy
ippi and Texas to put this article in
the Constitution OF the United States,
to vote for it as a part of the COnsti-
tion of the United States, you do noe
coerce them alone. You cOerce Ohio,
you coerce indiana, you coerce Illi-
nois, you coerce every State whose
people are unwilling to adopt the
amendment. If I understand the
honorable Senator from Indiana, it Is
for the express purpose Of overriding
the will Of Indiana, the pivotal State,
as he says, that he wishes these three
States TO be coerced into an adoption
of the amendment. 1 may misunder-
stand him, but it seems so tn me.
Mr.. MoFton-Will the Senator al
low me to explaine
Mr.. Thurman-Certainl
Mr.. Morton-Not to override the
Will of the people OF Indiana. but to
override 8 revolutionary movement
in Indiana, by which the Legislature
has been broken up, to prevent that
Legislature from ratifyipg the amend
ment, as 1t otherwise would have
| done. ~ .- .-
Mr.. Thurman-Well, sir, do not
think the explanation of the gentle
man relieves the difficulty. If the
! people of Indiana are in favor OF rat
! flying the fifteenth amendment to the
| Constitution. why Is the Senator from
Indiana afraid to trust them on the
| question? Why does he wish the
question passed upon by Legislature
/ that was elected upon no such issues,
| that WAS elected upon the Chicago
| platform, which declared that to eY-
/ cry loyal State, and he will not deny
! that Indiana Is loyal State, belonged
\ the right to decide for itself who
should enjoy the privilege Of suffrage
| within it. 1t WIS upon that solemn
| pledge OF your party that you got a
| majority in the State of Indiana, q
State that not only voted against ne
gro suffrage but that adopted Its pres
ent constitution, by which negroes are
even prohibited from migrating to
! the State. by ninety-One thousand ma
jority. Now. say, if the people of
Indiana are in favor Of the fifteenth
amendment they can be trusted to
adopt it.
But reason had no weight, and the
| infamous outrage was adopted.