Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-03-12
Noble Sentiments.

In the course of the Senate debate
upon the Suffrage Amendment, Hon,
Henry Wilson made a speech, in which
ne uttered these noble sentiments:
1T is, indeed, painful to listen, as we
have listened during this sitting of the
Senate, to the utterance of sentiments
so 1nhuman and unchristian, senti-
ments so dishonoring to human nature
Sir, We have just been told by the SEN
/ ator from Minnesota Mr., NoTtonl. who
was once with us, but never of us, that
/ the negro, no matter what may be his
| wealth, his intelligence, or his personal
/ character, is doomed to be excluded
| from the society of the fashionable and
| and respectable. The hod-carrier, he
/ tells US, may hope to amass wealth, to
ride in his carriage, to be received into
fashionable society, to dine others and
/ be dIned himself. He can hope, too, he
| tells US that his children NAV be cultur-
ed and refined. But the black man is
without hope for himself and his child
rem. Fashionable society, carriages,
and dinnersI Surely these are mighty
themes for the consideration of Amer
can statesmen. Because frivolity and
fashion put their ban upon the black
man, be his character ever so pure, or
his intelligence ever so great, states
men in this christian land of republi-
can institutions must deny to him civil
and political rights and privileges
Because social life has put and contin-
ues to put it's brand of exclusion upon
the black man, it is therefore the duty
OF statesmanshtp to maintain by class
legislation the abhorrent doctrine of
caste in this Christian Republic. This
is the argument, the logic, the position
of senators. This argument, this logic
this position insults reason, outrages
humanity, and dishonors the civiEza-
ton Of the age. Sir, it is your duty,
and my duty, and the duty of any sem
ator of the United States, to enforce
and maintain the liberties, rights,
and privileges of every citizen of
he is the greater the obligation; the
more society averts its face from him,
the more God bids us to stand by, shield
and protect him. Sir, I am grateful
to know that during this fourteen years
you and have given no votes and ut
TERED no words in this chamber to de-
grade or dishonor our brother man.
We have given no votes here we would
recall; many of the friends around us
have given no votes and made no
speeches they would recall. However
much we may be stained or SCARED
by sins, we hope to go to our final ac-
count without the fear of finding re-
corded against us the Grime of having
betrayed the cause of the weak, the |
poor or the low1y. Whatever may be |
our failings, our sins of omission or |
commission, we hope that the Oppress-
co1ored like our own will not, before |
the bar of the Almighty God, arraign |
or reproach US.
''To the senator who tells us society |
is forever closed against the black man |
and therefore the ballot-box should be, |
say that know black men of culture /
and character who are received into |
society that would be an honor for him |
enter. know gentlemen and ladies of
culture and refinement-gentlem /
and ladies who have been received in
to the most cultivated circles of Europe /
and America, and who honor that So
ciety quite as much as they are honor
ed by it, whose houses are open to that 1
noble specimen of physical, intellectual
and moral power, Frederick Douglas,
a gentleman who is every inch man.
assure the senator from Minnesota
that
Enter on my list of friends
Frederick Douglas, and ndfeeIhonored by
his friendship. The cordial reception
given by the Observation-Disclosures and |
his bride at one of their receptions, /
50 thronged by noble men and women /
was honorable alike to Mr.. Colfax and /
the great Republican party that made /
him Vice-President. AS 1 witnessed /
that manly greeting, felt that it was |
but the dawn of better era, when the /
intellectual and moral excellence /
would conquer the prejudices of class
N