The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1870-09-29
SPEECH OF
Hon. RALPH LEETE,
~ Ironton, O., Sept. I'D
fr. President and FcllmO-cnfzens :


the political and social fabric Of the United
States
In 1861, when the appeal from the majority
principle to force, was taken by the Southern
people, their ralying cry was "Southern Rights"
while, at the North, the talismanic word which
summoned 100000 Of men to civil and deadly
strife, was UntOn"
Neither party seems conscious Of the real
cause that was impelling them forward to meet
front to 'front.' at the point Of the bayonet.
The real signification Of that war cry, was the
emancipation Of slavery
1t is but the plainest teaching of history, that
events are much greater, and wiser, than men,
who are the unconscious instruments Of an un-
seen power which shapes the course of that hui
man progress which we call civilization.
At about the same time that slavery fell in the
United States, II was abolished in Brazil, and in
all the vast dominions of the Russian Empire
Hence the one great liberating impulse at the
same time pervaded the Scandinavian, the Cas-
lillian, and the Anglo-AmeriOan heart.
The past cannot be recalled nor restored.
Slavery was an institution belonging to an age
that can never return.
am of those who believe in the upward ten
dencies of the races Of men toward higher and
better life, and that the future Of humanity will
be better than its past.
also believe that each nation, or distinct
branch of the human family, must, in its own
way, work out the problem Of its civilization
and advancement.
The history of mankind presents little else
than scenes of conflict between different nations;
or between the oppresser and the oppressed Of
the same nationality.
What an appalling spectacle do the two most
highly civilized nations of Europe present to the
world at this timel France and Prussia, the
exemplihers of the world in arts, in science, in
arms, in literature, and In philosophy are again
met in deadly combat, nation against nation,
kings and people in the 1ieid OF carnage. VINO
can discern any cause for this awful strife, other
than the ancient antipathies between the Celtic
and Teutonic races?
For more than ten centuries, these races have
led the van of European civilization, and yet
each century counts its wars between them.
The war from which this country has just
emerged has brought out the following leading
results:
ist Emancipation and enfranchisement of
the slaves.
Cd. A vast public debt and inequality ftaxa-
ton.
Ord. An enlargement of Executive power and
patronage.
18th. The will of numerical majorites, in place
ofwritten constitutions and laws, as the govern
ing power of the country.
9th. The creation of private corporations by
Congress, and monopoly by them OF the public
domains.
which the Republican form of Government
rests. Until the adoption of the so-called Fif-
teenth Amendment, each State determined for
itself what class of its citizens should vote.
The law of Congress provides that foreign born
persons may be enfranchised, so as TO vote after
a residence of five years in the United states.
The five years provision was put into the law
for the purpose of enabling strangers to our IN
stitutions TO become acquainted with their ma
ture and character, before aiding by their votes,
in the direction of public affairs.
When the Israeites were delivered from
Egyptian slavery by the hand of the Almighty,
they were compelled TO undergo forty years dis
cpline under Moses and Aaron, before they
were deemed At to organize and sustain gov
ernment of their own.
The Fifteenth Amendment ignores all lessons
of experience, and assumes that the p0or, lgno-
rant slave of yesterday Is transformed in the
twinkling of an eye into an intelligent and ylr-
tuous citizen, fit to sit on juries, and hold of1ce
to-day.
There is no rght-minded man who is not will.
ing TO accord to this tropical people, the full
measure of civil rights; that is, the right to ac-
auire and hold property, and enjoy the same
measure of protection by law, that other people
have. These rights had been secured 70 thein
before the adoption of the 18th Amendment.
The great body of the blacks did not look lol
anything more.
Three years ago the question of negro suffrage
was directly submitted to vote of the people
and by them rejected by decisive majority ol
over 50,000
Then the Democracy, everywhere, said that Il
the proposition was rejected by the people, yet
| the Radical Congress would submit an amend
ment to the Constitution of the United States tC
be ratified by the State Legislatures. Our re
publican friends said no, that II the ,Pr1posltoL
was rejected by the people, that would be an enc
How stands the fact? The Fifteenth Amend
ment was submitted, through Congress, TO the
5Sth General Assembly of this State and they
rejected it. Last canvass the Republican lead
ers ignored the suffrage question in this part o.
! the State.
wear ago, was Republican by majority of two
Ne sooner had they got fairly warm In theil
seats, than they proceeded to rescind the action
of the former Legislature, ana ratined tht
amendment in the lace OF 0OiOOO majority OF thC
| voters againsttt.
Do YOU call that sound Republican doctrine,t ,tC
change the fundamental laws without the con
II was sneh Reconstructed States as Arkansas
| Mississippi Louisiana, Alabama and Florida, IN
| all of which there was not so many legal white
| votes as there is in Hamilton county, that set
tied the suffrage question for Ohio, Pennsylvania
| New York and Indiana, where the majority o
| the people was against the amendment New
York, at their late election, repudlated thl'
| mode of regulating suffrage by $1,000 majority.
If the black man shall, by his industry, intel
| ligence and moderation, prove himself not only
capable of governing himself, but competent u
| govern Others, then, and then only, Will he haV'
| Yindicated his right to the position his whit
| allies have assigned him. -.
| IL is known that there was only about 100000
! negroes in the United States, and that non'
have ever, voluntarily, emigrated from, Africi
| here, and they will, in the natural order ant
| progress of population, seek warm climate
| and their places be filed by the native whit
! nonuiation, and European emigrants, so that, a
the very worst, they Will only form balance o
power party
THE CHINESE QUESTION.
! II Is, however, different with the Chinese. Tha
| ancient cradle of population, with lts 4OOG00,OO
! of people can send out swarms by ten millions
| annually, until the entire country shall be IN
| undated with the Mongolian race emma occu
| pies the same latitudes as the States OF thu
II is M eternal law of population that immi
! grafton follows given lines of latitude; accord
| Inply Northern Ohio was settled by people from
| New England, the Central part by emlSrahlu y
| Southern portion of the state received the mas
| of its early settlers from Virginia.
She German, the Norwegian the Englis,hnan
| and the Spaniurd, sought out the same tsotherma
! lines i'm America they left in Europe.
The railroads which Congress has provided to
building by land grants, VIII create demant ma.
| series of wears. The Union Pacific Railroad Wa'
| principally built with Chinese labor.
| tits the unanimous testimony Of theengneeIs
! and of the officers of this great road, that th'
| Chinese formed the cheapest and The most sub
lnissue laborers that could be employed Ana II i
| reported that Mr.. Huntington, the builder
| that road who is now President OF the Chesa
peake & Ohio, which is in process Of construc
| lion from the mouth of Big Sandy to the sea
board, has provided to put 1000 Chinese at wori
! upon that road. 80, ,
agriculture, and all the mechanic arts. Th'
| Coolies in Texas, and on the sugar plantations
are rapidly taking the places of the forme
| slaves; 1t is but few weeks since the newSpa
ners chroniced an importation of $500 init
| Texas They have made their appearance II
the shoe factories ut North Adams, in Massachu
/ settS. - :, ,,-...,--, -
ii is said that the coliers in Pennsylvania ar
| considering the question of putting them mt
the coal mines of the Lehigh and Schuy XIII ant
fitet the Coolie will be satisfied with cent
bushel for digging coal. They have attalne'
great perfection in working the metals, ana ~ l
not unlikely that they will soon be compelh
| i'm the Iron works for the places now held bX ma
tive American and European mechanics. Whel
| these Orientals shall have been here five years
| thew will, under this Fifteenth Amendment, b
| entitled to naturalization.
In China the average wages Of common 10
borer is S5 a month, out of which he feeds an
steam ships make the voyage from Pekin t
san Francisco in about thirty days. Thecool1t
are shipped as freight at an agreed price pc
head the same as live stock.
CONGRESS, ut its last session, made grant
land IL the Northern PailToad Co., which
-. I..r his nGgNninlRg-