The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-03-04

hours when they possessed the power
accident having placed them in power
10 attempt, by one grand leap of the par
ty, to secure the goal to which they hav,
been steadfastly marching; for you ar,
informed to-day by the roll call of tn.
House of Representatives in Congress.
that they no longer possess the requisite
twO-thirJs majority to pass their infa
nous amendments to the Constitution.
l say the roll call of to-day has in.
formed you Of that fact, and in their DIV.
ing hour they were enabled to pass that
amendment. And they have hurried il
to the Legislatures of the country, which
were elected without having this issue in
the canvass. / know many an unwilling
man has been worked up to force through
that amendment in the dying hours of the
Legislature. Their leader in the House
OF Representatives of this State, when
requested to postpone action OH this mat
ter until Saturday, at two O'Clock, in
order that the necessary measures O
Legislation that were still hanging back
might receive the attention of the Legis
lature, said, in response to that request
that the majority had determined, on the
taken up as the special oruer, aud
pressed until it was passed, and, there
fore, they would not delay it for any
other measure. And he said the Demo
cratic members might take the response
bility of stopping the wheels of legisla-
ton, but they could not turn aside this
majority from its purpose. Our friends
have taken these gentlemen at their
word. When they found their voice was
no longer regarded, and they could not
depend upon the statements of the ma
jority, they took the only alternative
and now say 10 the people: I'VE have
stood here TO defend your rights as long
as we could, and there is but one place
for us to go, and that is your votes at the
ballot-box. We return the trust you
placed in our hands untarnished and I'M
stained, and now it is for you to say
whether you will stand 10y the principles
you always claimed as governing the
policy of Indiana"
And tonight we meet these men face
to face. The disguise they have worn
has been cast aside, and they stand
in their naked deformty as cham
piOnS of negro suffrage in Indiana. They
can no longer delude the people. We
confront them for the first time upon a
fair field. The sword is drawn and the
scabbard is thrown away, and L propose
to engage in this fight till the people shall
have had fair opportunity to decide
whether they will give up this inestima-
BILE privilege.
This is great principle. Let us go for
ward and strengthen the hands OF those
men who have stood in the heat of the
day, and now go to their constituency to
ask them to pass judgment upon their
determine the result. These dispatches
that have come up to-day from various
parts of Indiana express the popular
sentiment. All around the lightning
flashes the public will upon the subject.
And these men who have attempted to
force this amendment upon the people
these worse than Judases-these
men who have crept into power
by downright lying-will find
themselves repudiated when they
come before the people even upon this
question. And gentlemen, there is but
one thing more / would like to say. if
they have confidence in the peOple-let
them do as our members have dOne-let
them lay their designations upon the table
of the Governor, and give us the whole
State to discuss this question in. If they
will do that, Notwithstanding their gerry
Wandering in the districting bills they
passed two years ago, there will not be
enough of them returned to the Legisla-
ture to call the yeas and nays upon a mo-
ton to adjourn.
Mr.. Mcdonald was followed 10y Hon.
w. ). Turner, who said:
'Fellow citizens, | feel tonight as
if L were something of q better man
than | have been heretofore. / have
within the last fOrty-eight hours done an
act that is, as / deem, of service to the
people of Indiana and to my constitu-
ents. Whether heretofore | have ever
done service to my country, except in
the way of an humble ci,i2en doing his
duty in matters of business, T do not
know; but / am gratitied with that serv-
ice as responded to by the constituents
of late in the Senate of Indi-
ana. l feel proud Of the position | occu-
Ply tonight. [Cheers. ! feel that the
position Of honor is with the men who
have resigned, in order to go before the
people and ask of them to indorse this
action.
We all know that every member of the
General Assembly, both of the House
and of the Senate, was elected in the late
election of 1868, ignoring the proposition
that has Just been presented to the Legis-
lature, in the shape of the Fifteenth Con-
Amendment. *
But desire, my friends, only to say one
thing more in conclusion. | have heard
from my home. AS far as / am concerned,
j was elected by two hundred and fifty
four majority; but / will come back with
majority. [Cheers,l
Cries of "Sherrod," "Sherrod."
Hon. w. F. Sherrod, of Orange, being
called for, spoke as follows:
Fellow CiizenS.I will say Dut very
few words. / feel an interest in what
has been said here tonight. 1 feel that
am occupying position this evening the
prOudest of my life. This question of ne
gro suffrage L have ever opposed, not
simply, fellow citizens, because | looked
upon the negro as an inferior being, but
because looked upon this attempt by the
Congress- of the United States, to strike
down the rights of the States as the mos:
dangerous blow that has ever been aimed
at the liberties Of the people of this cOun-
try. lApplause.l
Why, when we go back. which / have
not the time to do TO night. and look at
the position the Leaders oi .nis party have
occupied upon this question, and compare
it with their late acts, and we see they
have made the negro question to over
ride every other principle. 1t matters
not to them that this Government was
made by white men, for white men-it
matters not that this Government could
never have been framed but for the fact
that the States reserved to themselves the
right to regulate their local affairs; ii
matters not that 100000 of livea
were sacrificed to carry their per-
niciOus theories into practice; it mat
tiers not that the richest terri
tory the sun shines upon has became
a burden and tax instead of source OF
fabulous wealth-it matters not that our
commerce is Frustrated, or that our
country is standing upon the verge OF
financial ruin, and that toiling millions
are grooming under lOad-a burden OF
unequal and unjust taxation. Applause
Still these men-these fanatics, 1 call
them nothing else; they put in this negro
crusade-they hug to their bosom the
phantom of equality of the races, and
step beyond the pale of the Constitution to
carry their pernicious theories into prsc-
tice. Is it possible that
the American people are going to take a
backward step and put themselves on a
level with race which all history proves
Is Incompetent to govern itselfp
The American people want this ques-
ton submitted to them, and that is all
ask because l know there are intelligent
Republicans all over the country that
never will indorse negro equality, or 10y
their own aQts place the negro socially
equal with themselves. As far as the
Democratic members are concerned, We
are going to submit this question To the
people; we are going to make an appea
To them, l came TO the Senate will
torfv-tNO majority and let ma tell VOi