The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-03-05

NAC AsoAeeAeAo DeswSSa kAAo SooStaoEbA
whtsss snd Hlasisf. -as yisyxsa by an
We aenmend to oug readers }he ae-
claratioAa, of thu Hon Thomas =. Hsn-
dricks 1pop this .subiSot. His viaws viii
b" found eminently practical, liberal
and judicious. We concur in them fully
and heartily, and we believe that sensi.
BILE men generally will fully adopt them
as correct and just In his speech in
New Orleans, the ex-United States Sena-
tor said: t~ .,..,,.
You will allow me to speak of one
other question which is somewhat local
and peculiar to ourselves-a question in
which we Of the State Of Indiana shall
have. to deal, but NOT to the extent to
which you have to deal with it. In one
way or another the radicals az Washing
ton intend to have it fixed fact that the
fifteenth amendment to the Constitution
has been adopted. Right or wrong, they
intend it shall be declared adopted as
part of the Constitution of the United
States. Under that provision of the
Constitution, then, when it shall have
been declared to have been adopted, the
colored people of the whole country be-
come voters; they become clothed with
political rights as they have been before
by Congressional action; as far rs Con-
gross could do it, clothed with civil
rights. It is question for you to con-
slider very carefully what attitude you
men of the South shall occupy toward
the colored population. There is q deli
hnrofo 1e
turers from the North-a class of men
who are described as carpet-baggers-
to appropriate the entire colored vote of
the South to their cause. And what is
their cause? 1t is not your cause; it is
not the colored mems cause; It is the
cause Of plunder. And the question
presents itself just in this form: Are you,
men of the South, willing that these ad-
venturers shall appropriate that large
vote-in some of the Southern States q
majority of the entire vote? Are you
willing that this vote shall be appro-
priated for such q purpose? A voice
Not if we can help it. How can I'VE
help it? Simply enough. It is o ques-
tion simply of personal influence be-
tween you men of the South "to the
manor born," and those who have settled
here for the purpose of making their
home here, on the one side, and these
hap-hazard adventures of the North, on
the other side. That is the way the
question stands. New relations have
come to exist between you and the CO.
lored people of the South. How will
you place yourself in regard to those
new relations? They have not been of
your seeking, and they may. perhaps. be
very disagreeable to you; but the negro
is a voter in Louisiana, as he will be in
Indiana, if the fifteenth amendment is
declared adopted, and it is not worth
your while, nor is it worth my while, to
go back on the fixed fact. That traveller
in the mountain pass is not wise, when
he is overtaken by the storm, to be cast
ing his eyes back upon the plain which
he has left. 1t is his business to consi,
der the dangers which menace him at tho
time, to save himself from the threatened
peril. How can you do it? These new
conduct yourselves toward the colored
people? They were once your friends
and you were their friends. There were
social relations between yon-tho rela-
tions of master and servant. They had
your confidence and you had theirs. Is
it possible that the stranger can now
come in and make these ancient servants
of yours his servants and your enemy?
There is no occasion in these new rela-
tions which were forced upon you, that
you should entertain sentiments of dis
like to the negro because of it. It was
not of his seeking; he did not produce
this change OF relations. The altered
condition of things has been forced on
the country and on you, not by the
colored man, but by ambitious politi-
clans North and South who wish to make
capital out of it. That's So, and
cheers. l hope to see Southern men
taking this weapon, which is placed in
their hands. and using it for their coun-
trys good. You have no cause to enter
tain against the colored people feeling
OF prejudice. 'Wo won't do it, u When
your young men were far off in the field,
and even your aged men-many of them
were absent during the four years of the
war-you left these colorcd men at your
homes, where they stood sentinels at the
doors, where your wives and your chill
dren were safe under their protection.
They labored and cultivated your lands