Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-04-06
Beautiful Extract.

-'S EN>>S OS%'So ~
Indiana, on the XVIII amendment. He made
a capital speech in Terre Haute, last week,
from which we extract the following:
A government could not be built up of such
materials. The race had had every opportu-
nifty for Advancement but had never risen
above barbarism. They had had fruitful
land, land of fertile soil. aud mighty rivers,
where the wealth of nature was boundless,
but it had been all to no purpose. The Sax
ons, the Angles, and the Britons were once
savages, but when the day dawned for them
they advanced upon such career of great
ness as adorns and iluminates all history
The negro has had the same advantages, but
the result has been entirely different. The
people of Indiana want such partner to
assist them in their government. The career
of the African in the past, is an illustration
of what his future experience must be. The
speaker said he had no bitterness toward the
negro, who was a being brought into corro-
ding contact with the white race, which was
his superior, and the inferior race must gradu-
ally diminish and finally become extinct. 1t
is not pref judice but wisdom to preserve the
white race in its purity.
l would keep the powers of this Govern
ment in the hands of those men to whom our
fathers gave it. How great has been our ca
rcer under their wise precepts. When l look
back feel as Adam and Eve must have felt
when driven forth from Paradise; they look
ed back and through the half open gates
caught glimpse Of the beautiful flowers, the
shady groves. the sweet fruits and all the lux
uries they had lost forever So we to-day
stand amid the distraction of the elements,
and see around us the effects of the curse of
civil war, of mixing races, of jarring urls
diction, and everything in confusion, as when
the curse came upon the world, and the clouds
swept low along the tree tops; the birds flew
shreking through the air, and the beasts fed
atfrightcd across the plain. To night in the
midst of this confusion and disturbance of po-
litical principles, with the clouds lowering
over our heads, charged with thunder, fash
ing with the lightning and ready to burst with
fury upon US, as look back into the beauti-
tul past. where our fathers precepts adorn
the gallery of our glory, it seems as though
we had been driven from Paradise, and | long
to 90 back and drink one more deep draught
from the fountains Of their wisdom 1t is
enough for me to point out what has been
achieved by their great doctrines 1t incnes
me to turn away from these modern innovators
who call themselves refOrmers, and contem-
plate the dignity and glory of those ancient
men.
As for myself, I shall never bow down TO
this thing. / would, as l have just said, keep
the powers of this government where our IA
Tiers placed them as best for our safety, for
the safety of your children, and also for the
safety of the black man. These men who
propose negro equality are the worst enemies
of the colored race. As for myself, | would
throw around the negro by our own wise leg
islation, the safeguards OF the law. would
not put him in the schools with your children.
nor upon the jury bench, nor into the Iegis~
llturc. I would to God that [ could be heard
all over my district, and all over the State,
upon this question. [ would to God there
was to be general canvass, and then that the
people might be allowed to decide this issue
at the ballot box Then We should know
whether they wish the negro in the public
schools. in the Legislature, and beside them
in the jury box. for that is what negro equali-
ty means and nothing else.
Do not make mistakes in this matter. You
are great powerful nation, the greatest that
the world has ever seen. Yon have forty
millions of people, and you are the strongest
nation the sun ever shOne upon. The rivers
of South America are broader and deeper
than ours. There groves are spicy, and their
fields groan with the riches of the earth yet
they have no rank among the nations. They
made the same mistake which the Republi-
cans are now making. and incorporated an in
ferior race into the body polite 1t led at
last to an admixture, and finally to equality,
and those great countries arc Inhabited by
mongrcls, and yet they are countrymen of Co
fumbus aud the descendants of the followers
of the great Cortez.