The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-10-11

well afford to be the calumniator of
one half of the people OF this coun-
try -.
on isbe3 " profession of virtue and
sna@aanimity on his part, you will
Re surprised when I tell you that,
throughout his speech, he misrepre-
sented me, misstated my position, and |
the position of the party to which [
belong. The burden of Mr.. Hen
bricks charge against me was that in
1865, four years ago, [ had made a |
opposed the principle and the sub
or | had declared myself against the
principle of negro suffrage, or of I'M
partial suffrage. Now, If that were
even true under the circumstances, 1t
would hardly be as great a crime at
that time as having opposed the war
and favored the rebellion, aud doing
many other things Of that kind. But
l want to say, IN general terms, that
the statement made by Mr.. Hendrlcks,
and which was reproduced in the
i Cincinnati Enquirer this morning for
the purpose of forestalfing my speech
tonight, wantto say that it IS Unfair
In every particular; that so far from
having denounced or opposed the pro
priety of the Fifteenth Amendment
IN that speech. the speech, was predl-
icated upon the very idea that suffrage
should not depend upon race or color.
[Cheers.l
The occasion of that speech was
this. Mr.. Sumner had made speech
. ! XNo-o--fo-, N1n Skako { NorTToF7 fTnn
, of Massachusetts,, think IN the
month of July, 1865, in which he adj
! vocateda plan Of reconstruction based
upon the idea Of DISTINGUISHING all
J the white men of the South who had
, been engaged in the rebellion. and
r comforting the right of suffrage upon
] colored men, the effect of which would
| be. perhaps, to make twenty colored
/ | votes for every white one. / opposed
that, and [ opposed it In common
0 | with nine hundred and ninety-nine
s men out of every thousand in the
. Republican party. Applause. And
S it was not adopted or sustained by the
e Republican party. And the arguments
q that introduced upon that occasion
e have been brought forward, IN {
garbled and disjointed form, to prove
g that I was opposed to the principle O.
it impartial suffrage in the Western
it States.
l. But [ went further at that time.
D, believed at that time-in which wa
+ mistaken, and in which, perhaps, tn
greater part of you were mistaken
% believed at that time that we coul'
rs reconstruct the South upon the whit
r basis. | entertained some fears abou
III 0P E00 M
ID colored voters to the right of suffrage
RS who had just come from slavery, an
De who were without education, Wlthou
OF property, and without knowledge Q
lie business, and / preferred, if it coul
g, be done, that they should have a pc
r, riod of probation and preparation @
os some ten or fifteen years, and that wa
IN the general feeling In the Repub
l. lican party at that time. But tn
er short experience of a year aud
IS | half demonstrated to us and to tn
nc world that we could not re- establis
a. loyal State governments upon whit
- basis; that Notwithstanding the freed
men were uneducated, without prop
70 erty, without q knowledge of business
D. we must run all risks of conferrin
d suffrage upon them for the protectio
ID of the lives, liberty, and property Q
Is the Union men Of the South, and tn
l. establishment of loyal State govern
to ments. Applause. The experienc
re of the winter of 1866, and of tn
5e year 1866, brought Congress to tina
~ conclusion in February, 1867, an
ne none more than myself fully indorse
g. the principle upon which TeconstruC
n ton was established by Congress.
Id But, now to return to the misrepre
US sentation. To show that lay speec
IL recognized the principle of impartit
s. suffrage, and that | have been pei
OF sistently misrepresented by Mr.. Hen
ty bricks and other Democratic polit
ay clans for the last two years-neve
1t condescending before to explain it
IS say now, to establish the misrepre
r sentation, [ will read two or three ez
r tracts from that speech.
q. g. l believe that the time viii com
I'd when every man in the country, whit
RS and black, will have the right of SUI
IN frage, and that suffrage should nc
IS. depend upon color; that there is moth
n ing in that which should make dis
gs tinction. | believe that in the pre-
IN cess of years, every man, whatever hi
ne color, whether in Indiana or Sout
Sc Carolina. will enjoy political rights.
10 ''In regard to the questions Of ad
sc hitting the freedmen Of the Souther
IL States to vote, while admit the equi
er rights Of all men, and that in time a
e, men will have the right to vote, will
out distinction of color, or race, "
&c. believe that in the case of four mi
rs lions of slaves just freed from bono
of age, there should be a period of pr,
baton and preparation before the
be are brought to the exercise of polite
OF power. :
ur IF bad the power, I would a
be range it in this way: would giV
m these men, just emerged from SLAYER
by a period of probation; / would gi'
IL them time to acquire little proper
and get a little education; time
learn something about the simple
forms of business. and prepare then
On selves for the exercise of politic
h. power. At the end Of ten, fifteen
of twenty years let them come into tt
" enjoyment Of their political rights"
81 He was not then in favor, as he ha
rs ii = q 4bo 9raunodsofa on Franc ic