The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-09-16

same time ONE HUNDRED and SEVEN
TY MILLIONS OF OUR NATIONAL DEBT
can strike of, at one blow, EIGHTY
MILLIONS OF BURDENSOMz TAXATION
CAN REDUCE OUR NATIONAL Elk
ONE HUNDRED MILLIONS
in the first eighteen months of this
Administrations can make THE
CURRENCY, in the pockets Of the peo-
pie. WORTH SIXTY MILLIONS MORE
than when it entered on its duties
deserves the confidence of the people,
whose interests it has 50 faithfully
serVed-aud can bear philosophlcally
the unjust and bitter criticisms to
Whichit has been subjected By its en-
emies. What grander. results could
the most exacting have demanded OF
the AdministrationH .ao5
sa4 EQUALITY BEFORE THE Law.
In nothing, however, has the Re-
publican party won pTouder glory and
more enduring honor than Impresslng
forward to the consumption of the
great principal Of Equality before the
law. and establishing It irreyocably In
orr National Constitution. Through
an the ages that are to coma to this
land Of ours. the Thirteenth. Four
feentb and Fifteenth Amendments OF
the Constitution, wisl stand as monu
ments of the rights Of all, q trinity OF
measures, working triple safeguard
for the poor and the humble, aud nobly
carrying out in our supreme law that
God given principle, Whatsoever
We would that others should do IN.
to yo1. do We even SO unto them
Now. If never before. we can declare
ms q nation, that we have obeyed- that
command Of the Creator, proclaimed
amid the thunders Of Sinai, there
shall be but one manner 0f IAN tor him
that is born among you and for the
stranger and henceforth. thanks to
Republican fidelity aud. in spite OF
the bitterest opposition from cur
enemies at every step, the Constitu-
tiop ike the ten commandments and
the Lords Prayer. regards man as
man, under the same equalliy before
the human law as he Is before the
divine laW-under the came oblIga-
tions aud entitled to the same priv
leges, whether the Wealthiest or the
poorest. the most powerful or the
humblest ofall our millions Of citizens.
Fortunate Indeed was 1t for our
country that it had party. which
dared to defy prejudice, to brave OBJ
| loquy, to hazard even political de-
struction, for the right. Slavery had
long ruled the land. 10 had DONNA
ted in Congress. It had controlled
| Presidents. lit had dictated both our
| foreign and domestic policy. It had
captured our Supreme Court. 1t had
muzzled pulpitss IL had broken
every party that would not bend be-
fore 10, but, In the darkest hour OF the
war it brought upon us for having
| dared to decide against the extension
| of its already broad area and enor-
nous power, the Republican party,
| inspired as j believe from that
Throne, whence flow alg good impul-
ses, determined to hurl themselves
upon it, and TO bury il with the re-
| bellion which it had inspired, IN .
common grave. There were fearful
/ odds against us-the battle 'front.' of
the South, and the serried host of the
Democracy of tho Nerth. From the
latter especially came the kitterest
| denunciations, the most unsparing
invective, the darkest prophesies Of
evil. But over all, and against all,
we triumphed. The Thirteenth
Amendment was. ratified and pro-
claimed the dark stain of human
bondage was erased from our national
escutcheon, and the nation declared
that wherever our flag hoated over
our soil, no one should bow to any
master but God.
But it was soon seen thas to give
freedom without protection would
leave the still defiant enemies of
liberty, power wherever they might
control Courts, or Legislatures, or
ADMINISTRATORS to thwart this man
date Of the people, and virtually to re-
enslave those whose letters the nation
had broken. And the Fourteenth
Amendment, guaranteeing an equality
of civil rights to all, with other wise
provisions, was proposed. The same
war was made upon it By our enemies,
as they had Intellectually made against
the Amendment of freedom. But
again the right triumphed, and the
ratification of this amendment was
proclaimed. While this was still
pending, it became evident that the
universal suffrage of the Reconstruc-
ton acts in the South, If allowed to
stand only as Legislative enaetments,
might be overthrow, whenever, by
any means-a reign Of terror at
the polls or the occasional ebb
aud flow of politics, a hos
tile majority could be secured in any
| Southern Legislature; and besides
this, the Republican organization re-
allied &C last more fully than ever be-
| fore, that justice required them TO
mako law Of equal suffrage, which
had been enacted originally for the
Confederate States, as broad as our
/ national domain. From these con
yictions ofduty, the Fifteenth Amend
ment emarated. Itconferred suffrage
on no one. Il dictated 20 70 State
| what sex or age or residence should
be required. But il a few impress
| sive words, that trampled down
all sophistries, all prejudices, all class
/ distinctions, and that fully recog-
nizsd the spirit Of the noble senti-
ment of the Scottish bard that, In
spite of poverty or misfortune, or
helplessness- e
im# A mans man for o. that"
it declared to every State, as it pro-
claimed TO all the world, that no citi.
/ zen should hereafter be debarred from
/ fhe right Of suffrage on account OF
4 race AZ color: that whoever was liable
to be called on to die for his country
ought to enjoy the right TO vote for it,
and that, as our fathers solemnly
averred in the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, SO we solemnly and author
itatively declare in the National Con-
stituti0n. that all governments de-
rive their just powers from the consent
Of the governed, and that no distinc
ton of complexion should be grounds
for civil or political ostracism. Again
the warfare Of our enemies upon Us
was renewed. Again did the Repub-
licans meet them before Ehe people.
Again did the Right triumph, and the
4 pledge of 1868 that I'VE would make