The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-03-17


the honor to represent are fully apPreci-
ated by me- I have about He daily the
keenest sense of their weight, and that
feeling prompts me now to LIT my voice
for the first time in this council cnamDer
OF the nation; and, Sir stand, to-day, on
this hcor to appeal for pTotectlon from
the strong arm OF the Government Tor ner
loyal children, irrespective OF color or
race, who are citizens OF Soutnern SLatss,
and particularly OF the great 5tate oI
Georgia. I am we'll aware, Sir tnab the
idea Is abroad that an antagonisfn exists
between the whites and blacks; that that
race which the nation had falsed from Ine
degradation of slavery, and endowed with
full and unqualified rights and privileges
of citizenship, are intent upon power at
whatever price it can be gained i has
been a well considered purpose and aim
of class not confined TO the South TO
efforts are vigorous to-day 10 educate
the people OF this nation into that belief,
as they were at the close of the war; II was
not uncommon to find this same class,
even during the rebellion, ,progn ostfeatinga
servile war. It may have been that the wish
was father TO the thought, and, Sir as q
recognized representative OF my down
trOdden people, deny the charge, and
hurI it back into the teeths21 those who
make it, and who believe have not true
and conscientious desire to further the In
terest of the whole South; certainly any
one possessing a knowledge of the cOlOred
population OF my own or any other state,
need not be reminded of the noble con-
duct of that people under the most try
ing circumstances In the history OF the
late war, when they were beyond the pro-
lection of the Federal forces While the
Confederate Army pressed into its ranks
every yv hIfe male "a nahle of beariTly a rms
the mothers, wives, daughters and fathers
of Southern soldiers were left defenseiess
whom the chains of slavery were stun
riveted and to bind those chains closer
was The real issue for which 20 much life
and property was saerihced. And now,
sir, ask, how did that race act2 Did
| they, in those days of Confederate weak
/ ness and impotence, eviDce malignance,
| hear InuCht Grant
ing, for sake Of argument that they
were ignorant and besstted, which
| supposed ignorance and credullty.
/ they, in their way, understood as 1ully as
you or I, the awful import of the contest.
| They knew If the gallant corps OF national
| soldiers were Dsaten back, and their dag
trailed In the dust, that it was presage
! too, as their fathers did before them, for
I the advent OF that epoch, over which was
J shed the hallowed light of Inspiration
| ers, to welcome the teet OF strangers shOd
/ with the peaceful preparation of good
! their tale of sorrow 10 the court Of Heaven
| In their council with the great Father,
OF all ahsy by kneT m 1o9 1esrs 81 the5 n
which patient suffering had nearly
exhausted itself, would in the end
bring them the boon Tor which
they sighed Gods most blessed gift TO his
creatures, the inestinable OOon of liberty.
| They waited, and they waited patiently.
| In the abEence of their masters, they pro-
tected the virtue and chastity OF defence
less women. Think, sir, for moment,
| to-day, if the slave population had risen
| in serVile 1nsurTectlon against those Whos
| month by month, were ngntlEg 10 perpet-
! uate that institution, which brought them
| ali the evils of which they complained.
Where would have been the security for
property, and female cnastltys and child
hoods Innocence? A bloody counterpart
of such a history OF cruelty and
wrong would have been paralleled
| as recorded by Josephuss or ia the still
| later atrocities of that reign OF terror which
| sent the unfortunate Louis XVI, and
| Marie Antolnette 10 the scanold. Nay,
| deeds in that drama ofcoId biooded butcn-
| cry, would have cut herooed the most dia-
| b0llcal acts OF Herd nlmseiI' MI. Presl-
dent maintain that the past record of my
| race is a true index Of the feeling which to-
| day animate them. They bear toward
| their former masters no reYengefui
| thoughts, no hatred no anlmos1ties; they
| aim not not TO elevate themselves by sac
| 1ifcing one single interest oftheir white fei-
| low cillzeDs; they ask but the rights which
| by Gods universal law and WIN ch the nat
uraI outgrowth and logical sequence ofthe
condition in which the legislative enact
ments of this nation have placed them.
They appeal to you and 70 me to see that
will enable them to pursue their daily aYO-
| cations with success, and enJ 10y their lib
| critics of citizenship on the same footing
with their neighbOrs and friends. L do
not desire simply to defend my own race
from unjust and unmerited charges,
an expression or M full and entire
confidence in the integrity OF purpose
| with which 1 believe the President,
Congress, and tue Republican party Will
| meet these questions, 50 prolific of veal or
woe, not only to my own people, but TO
the whole south. They have been, 50 far
as l can read the history OF the times, tn-
1uenced by no spirit or petty tyranny.
| The poet has well said 80 it is excellent
to have a giants srengtb, but it is tyran-
nous to use il like a giant" And how
have they used that power, lodged in them
preston towards those who sought to rend
in twain this gOOdiy fabric of our fathers,
and the priceless heritage OF SO much
hardship and endurance IN revolutionary
| times. Let the reconstruction enactments
answer the interrogation. No words OF
mine are needed TO defend the wise and
beneficent legislation which has been
extended alike TO both white and
. | coIored citizens Ghe Republican party
Is not inf anled as some would fain have
the country believe, against the " hole pop
nation OF The South. Its borders are wide
[ enough for all truly loyal men 10 nd
within them peacs and repoSe from the
! din and discord of an angry faction; and
: be that loyal man white or black, that
7 great party OF our Republic VIII, II consist
: ent with the record II has already made
: | Tor posterltyi throw aroonu ulDh some @ Itn-
7 partial security in his pursuit OF hoerty
and happiness. If q certain class OF the
! South haa accepted in good faith the be-
4 nevolent Overtures which were offered TO
Q them with no niggard hand, to-day Woalo
I not ind our land still harassed with feads
and contentious. remarked, ar MI
g protection for The defenceless race who
. now send their delegation to the seat o.
: | Government, 10 sue for that which this
: | Congress alone can secure TO them. And
. / here let me say farther, that the people o
= the North owed TO the colored race, a deef
Z obligation, which IL IS no easy matter u
D When the Federal armies were
e ! threatened by death and disaster, ano
l. sonahre clouds overhung the length anC
breadth of the republic, and the very al
was pregnant with rumors o. iGre4gn IN
| terfeTence-in those dark days OF defeat
. whose memories even yet haunt US as az
ugly dream, from what source did oul
nation IN Its seeming nd Gesyn 1s tR599 fa99s
. power2 1t was the sable sons Of the Soutl
) that valiantly rushed to the rescue, ant
but for their intrepidity and ardent dar
ing, many 8 Northern ftreside would miss
to-day. the paternal counsel or brOtheTt
love Sir, / repeat the fact that the col
ored race saved to the noble women o
New England and the Middle states tn
men on whom they lean to-day for seeu
rity and safety. Many OF my race. repre-
Sentatives of these men on the field o
battle, sleep in countless graves OF tn
y South. If those quiet resting places of on
n honored dead could speak to-day, what I
mighty voice, like to the rushing of
mighty food, would come up from thos
sepulchIal homes. Could we resist the elO
quent pleadings of their appeal? All Sir
, 1 think that this question of Immediat
'' and ample protection for the loyal peopl
of Georgia would lose its legal technicali
ties, and we would cease to hesitate in on
provisions for their instant relief
:. | Again, l regret this delay on Othe
grounds. Taunt is frequently flung al II
That a Nemesis more terrible than "a Greel
personatton of the anger of the god
r awaits her hour OF direfu1 Tetributfon. W
are told that at no distant day a grea
uprising OF the American people will de
mand That these reconstruction acts o
r | Conoress be undone and blOtted fOreve
from the annals of legislative enactment
n | 1 INQUIRE, sir, iT this delay In afiosdin
j. nrotection to the loyalists OF Georgia doe
n / NOT lend an uncomfortable signlfcanc
u 10 this boaStiDg Sneer with which "
S SO often meet. Delay IS Gan nSeTo0s az Dssl
! / for II IS true in legislation as in physiC
q tL,nt lnnonr we DrOcraSlLnaLo 70 ami.