The union Democrat., 1869-08-21
From the Daily Examiner, July 81.
GREAT SPEECH
HON. EUGENE CiSSERLI.
on TIKI
FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT,
AND TaE
LABOR QUESTION.
JULY IS, 1862.
Reported in Phonetic Short Hand by Andrew J.
Marsh.

Reported in Phonetic Short Hand by Andrew J.
Marsh.
By invitation Of the Jeffersonian Society, the
Hon. Eugene Casserly, Z. S. Senator, addressed
one of the best and most enthusiastic audi.
ences ever assembled in San Francisco, at the
Mercantile Library Hall. on Wednesday evening,
July IS. 1869.
Philip A. Roach, Esq. Vice President of the
Society, presided and on the platform were seat
ed, besides Mr.. Casserly, the orator Of the even
ing, Hon. Thos. A. Hendricks Of Indiana, Hon.
S. b. Axtell, NJ. c., and large number of distin-
guished Democrats, including several from East.
ern States.
The meeting was as large IS the size of the hall
would permit, and as enthusiastic as it is in the
nature OF the Democracy to be.
Mr.. Roach called the meeting to order, and
said he had tke honor Of introducing Hon. Eu-
gene Casserly, U. S. Senator. They had provided
no music for the occasion. but the proper music
with which to receive their distinguished Sena-
tsr was Democratic cheers, and he proposed
three cheers for Mr.. Casserly. The cheers were
given with a will.
Mr.. Casserly came forward and when the ap-
plause had subsided, spoke as follows:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen assembled /:
Ii rejoices me once more to look upon the
faces of the gallant Democracy of San Fran
cisco (applausel with whom | followed so
long losing banner without batting heart
or hope, until at last victory crowned our
efforts, and we captured the citadel of the
enemy, never, | trust, to have it wrested
again from our hands. LApplause.] pro-
pose to speak to you, as well as to the peo-
pie of the State, some words tonight on the
great issues of the present campaign, the
so-called Fifteenth Amendment to the Con
stitution, and as connected Herewith the
important subjects of Chinese labor in Cali
fornia to the exclusion of white labor. and of
Chinese suffrage, the certain consequences
of the other two.
1t is common thing for men of strong po-
litical convictions, especially if united with
ardent party attachments, to regard each
election as the most important that has en-
gagged the attention of the people. Last year
We had good reason for that judgment, such
was the character of the issues involved
What were those issues, and what questions
did they raise? They raised the question of
the entire reconstruction policy of the Rad
ical party,-the question Of the power of
Congress practically to annul the Union by
keeping out of it portion of the States, and
out of the Congress and the Government, at
the will of the other States controlling the
Congress, and forcing on them terms of ad-
mission into the Union which were unknown
to the Constitution, and dictated not by any
love of the Union, nor by any true patriot
ism or craftsmanship, but by spirit of
malevolence and revenge, and by settled
partisan purpose to establish a permanent
Radical ascendancy in the country on the
basis of a sectional negro asceDdancy in the
South. Those were the issues of that con-
test. 1t seemed to me, as it did to others
who had the privilege of addressing you last
year, justly seemed, as think, that the con-
test was the most momentous that has ever
divided US since the adoption of the Federal
Constitution. How little did any of us then
dream that in less than one year from that
date we should have upon us a contest inf
nitely more momentous? How little did most
of you comprehend the boldness of the Rad
lcal party in its strides to Capitalization and
the destruction OF the States. The contest
of last year was one that respected the re-
so-called, of some of the States
upon terms dictated by Congress. But here
Is this Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitu-
ton which is wider and goes deeper far-an
which proposes to reconstruct
from the bottom, by permanent provision
of the Constitution, not by an Act of Con-
gress, not the ten States of the South, but all
the States in this Union, as well those that
adhered to the Government in the war as
those that were arrayed against it. Let me
rn ~ Ion
of that Amendment, in order that we may
understand what we are considering:
" Be it enacted, &c, (two-thirds of both
Houses concurring.) That the following
to the Constitution of the United
States be submitted to the Legislatures of the
several States, and when ratified by three
fourths thereof, it shall be part of said
Constitutions:
Article l5 The right of the citizens of
the United States to vote shall not be denied
by the United States, nor any State, on &C
count of race, color OF previous condition of
servitude.
Sec. 6. That Congress shall have power
to enforce this article by appropriate legisla-
ton
BY the Fourteenth Amendment, gentlemen,
which they claim has been ratified, position
| beg leave most emphatcally to deny, Tap
plause,] all persons born or naturalized in
United States, and of the State wherein they
resided. Taking the Fourteenth and Fit
teenth Amendments together, supposing both
adopted, they take away from the States of
the Union the control of the question of suf-
frage within their own borders, upon any
grounds, having reference TO race, color or
previous condition of servitude. That is the
length and breadth of it. 1t strips the States
of all power over the subject. Now, gentle
men, / propose to show you that this amend
ment is the most vital that has ever been Of
fered: that has ever been thought of, so far
as respects the rights of the States, or the
existence of the States, as having the least
claim to be free States of the Union, or
States retaining any vestige of what we un
derstand by freedom in State. What do We
understand by this 1t is freedom to regu-
late its own government in its most essential
and fundamental elements. The State OF
California, for instance, if this amendment
shall pass, will have no more power over the
question of suffrage within her borders, in
respect of race, color or previous condition of
servitude than she has over the franchise in
Canada. 1t is no longer hers to regulate.
The right is taken away from her forever, or
so long as this provision shall stand. OBJ
serve these important words, previous con-
dition of servitude." No matter what may
have been the depth of the degradation to
which slavery of any kind may have reduced
a hundred thousand, or any number of peo-
pie from Asia, either Chinese or Hindoo, who
may be imported here, no matter what their
untitness for the franchise, it shall not be in
the power of California to prohibit in any
degree to those degraded beings the right OF
uffr in her borders. This amendment
takes them all in. [Applause.l Now, what
is the right of suffrage! | think we exercise
it so frequently and familiarly that we do not
always perceive as we should the true i'm
portance OF the right. 1t is like the air we
breathe, while we enjoy it, we feel it not, but
when We want it the want is an oppression.
The right of suffrage is the right that lies at
the foundation of all governments, the right
to take a part in the government, to say who
shall constitute the government, and how it
shall be carried on, upon what principles and
IN pursuance of what policy. Don't you per-
ceive now that it is a right that lies at the
foundation. and is, in fact, the bed rock
of government? tApplause.1 When you drop
q. IL l.aaI