Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-06

| policy OF Congressional Reconstruction
and with a general denunciation of il
odious doctrines. He became more spt
cific. lie grasped the main and might
column which supports the whole edifice
tore it from its foundation, and left j
PROSTATE upon the ground. The powe
of the Federal Government to prescrib
the right of suffrage within the States, 4
dictate who shall vote and who shall no
vote, to enfranchise the negro and dis
franchise the white man is the great pilla
on which the entire vast fabric of recon
tructiOn rests; it is the vital keystone
without which the whole arch of reyolu
ton and despOtism, as it now spans thu
South, would fall into ruins. The Senator
and his party now cling to that power q;
the ark of their covenant-not the cove
nant of peace, of safety and of salvation,
but, rather, the covenant of discern, dan
ger and desolation. Yet, in November,
1865, he thus denied this power, and, in
the most explicit terms, repudiated all
night upon the part of the Federal Gov
| eminent to its use or exercise. | read
from his message to the Legislature:
''The subject of suffrage is, by the
| national constitution, expressly referred
to the determination of the several States,
and it cannot be taken from them without
violation of the letter and spirit of that
instrument"
Was language ever broader or clearer
And yet the subject of suffrage has been
taken from the States, and he who here
says that it cannot be done without a
violation of the letter and the spirit of the
national Constitution has voted over and
over again, as a sworn officer under that
instrument, to do it. He has not only
assisted in breaking this express provision
of the Constitution in regard to all the
States of the South, but he has turned
with a parricidal band and stricken down
the rights, the sovereignty, and the popu-
lar will of the State which hOnors him
with the position which he wields against
her. Has the subject of negro suffrage
been determined by the people of Indiana
Gov. Morton admits that it is expressly re-
ferred to them by the national Constitution.
He admits that it cannot be taken
away from them without violation of
the letter and spirit of that instrument.
Who dares to say that they have been per-
mitted to make their own determination
on this momentOus question of domestic
policy If the voters of Indiana desire
negroes to assist them in the management
of the State, when were they permitted to
say 500 If they are opposed to this mix
ture and partnership, why were they not
allowed to express their opposition
They have always heretofore determined
the subject of suffrage in the State and
their right to do so now remains unim-
paired. Who opposed their exercise of
this right? All are familiar with the his
tory of the last Legislature. The Demo
cratic members of that body struggled
long and harl in behalf of tha right of
the people to determine the question of
negro suffrage in Indiana. They
in order to carry it as
a new issue to their constituents. The
party in power, afraid to trust the people,
resorted to a fraud and a hollow cheat
without parallel in political history, in
order to claim that Indiana had done what
her people would refuse to do by more
than fifty thousand majority, that she had
ratified the Fifteenth Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States. But
the leader of his party in Indiana was not
only opposed four years ago to the be-
stowal of suffrage on the negro by the
Federal Government, which he has ever
since supported, but he was intensely OPP
posed to the negro's enfranGhisement by
any power; he denied him the ballot from
any quarter, and pointed out In unmeas-
ured terms the worst evils that can befall
the human race, white and black, as
of negro suffrage. He says
that even though we should admit that
the electoral franchises natural, human
right, still he would reject it for the ne
gro. In his speech of September, 1865,
he makes every concession in his power
for the sake of the argument and then
eXclaims
81 submit, then, however, clearly and
strongly we may admit the natural rights
of the negro, | submit it to the intelli-
genoe of the people, that cOlored State
are not desirable; that they
will bring about results not to be hoped
for; that finally they would threaten to
bring about, and believe would result in
a war of races"
He proceeded further to paint in strong
colors, and then to denOunce the picture
of negro Governors, Judges, member of
Congress, and Senators. He was then q
of Andrew JohnsGn's, admins
tratiOn, and in strict and sweet accord
with his famous policy toward the South.
He went far beyond the position of the
Democracy. He would refuse to endow
the negro with the ballot even
though be had natural light to its pos
session. The consequences were so fearful
to his prophetic vision, so filed with hor-
ror and blood, the blood of helpless infan-
cy and feeble old age, of imploring mothers
and screaming babes, slaughtered IN the
most baleful war that ever burst upon the
earth, war of unassimilated races--th9t IL
shuddered and turned his back upon the
claims which oven great Nature herself
might make for the enfranchisement OF the
black. His prejudices, and his reason also,
so revolted against negro officials in this
Government that he turned an ear deaf as
an adder's to the voice of natural rights if
any such existed. He became" philosophio
upon this gIeat theme, and In his message
Of November, 1865, he advances this uuan-
swerable disquisition;
SIT is a fact so manifest that it should
not be called in question by any, that
people who are just emerging from the
barbarism of slavery are not qualified to
become part of our political system, and
take part not only in the government 81
themselves and their naighhors, but Of the
whole United States. So far from bellev-
ing that negro suffrage is remedy for ell
our national ills, doubt whether 1t IS re-
medy for any, and rather believe that its
enforcement by Congress would be more
likely to subject the negro to nerolless
persecution than to confer upon him any
substantial benefit.
Have the negro's qualifications for the
first places in the Government improved
so rapidly in the last four years and half
Did they reach the proper standard within
one year after these wise Utterances, for
within that time the Senator changed his
position if not his opinions.
Here, then, behold this fierce assailant OF
the Democratic party, first denying that the
Federal Government could prescribe the
riGht OF suffrage within any OF the States,
and next espousing that doctrine, and with
blazing zeal assisting 10 shackle every State
in the Union with negro suffrage in viola
ton of his own Interpretation of the Ma
tional Constitution, and in defiance OF the
popular will, which he and his followers
we're afraid to meet. Behold him, first OPP
posing the reimbursement of the negro,
even if the claims of natural wight went IN
needed, and then turning to embrace him
I as the future hope and stay of the Republic,
clothing him with the ballot and every civic
and military power, right and honor. Be-
hold him, first describing the negro as a
barbarian, destitute of qualifications for
government, Just emerging from the sordid
and degrading elements of barbarism, whose
contact on terms of equality with the white