The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-05-26
Hon. Vim. Loughridge's
RECORD ON THE
Fifteenth Amendment
INDICATED.
WASHINGTON CITY, d. C,)
May 16, 1870.

May 16, 1870:
General M. Hedrick i:
My DEAR SrR--I am Obliged to
you for calling my attention to an
article in the Sigourncy Ne,cs, where
in it is alleged that l voted against
the Fifteenth Amendment, and thus
disgraced my district and the State
OF Iowa. | am also told that this
charge is being circulated privately
in different parts Of tho district. The
same charge was made year ago in
the columns of tho Oskaloosa
Citizen, and at that time
IT'S utter falsity was shown by
the Oskaloesa Herald, in a long arti-
Gle reviewing the facts, and moro re.
Gently by the Montczuma Republican
both of which papers fully vindicat-
ed my action and l had supposed
that the matter was fully understood
at least by politicians of the district,
and | have no doubt
that many of my friends
VINO may have placed confidence in
NIX political sounduess heretofore,
Will be surprised to learn moro than
year u er the vote was taken that
] had voted against tho Fifteenth
Amendment. Tho question would
naturally arise why / was not de.
nourced at the time all over the
Sta.c by the press and the people, as
ought to nave been had l voted
aga ast the FIT ,nth Amendment.
L do not p pose now, or in the
Il. G, to turn aside to notice charges
a my pers onal character which
m, , be put in > circulation upon the
cye of elections or of nominations.
My life and conduct for the eighteen
years | have lived at my home in
Orkaloosa ought to be sufficient to
establish character either for good
or for bad, and by that l shall stand
or fall.
! But when charge ike this is
made, in relation to my action upon
one OF the most important measures
ever enacted by the American Con.
gross, a charge which, if true, should
stamp me as unworthy of the conf.
dence and respect of the noble men
who placed me in this responsible
position, and when such charge il
sought to be sustained by fragmen.
Il tary portion OF the record thrown
into political Almanac, I doom il
due to myself and to my friends who
, have SO generously sustained me
thus far, that the falsity of the charge
should be exposed, thoroughly and
fully, by the records of the country
| Some who make and circulate THU
charge knoD it to be false, and make
it for malicious purpose; such mer
are unjust and unworthy, and woulc
stoop to any mean thing for tempo
rary success. Others who hear thu
charge may not have the means o.
knowing whether it be true or false
II The editor Of a political paper
ought to know the facts before max
ing the charge; at least if he desires
to retain the confidence CT his
readers iu the reliability of his pape,
as a source of political information
and its fairness as public journal
The charge made is, that "voted
against the Fifteenth Amendment, ;
1t is utterly false, and without tn.
least foundation in fact. On thu
: contrary, while the amendment wa
= under consideration, I made o speed
in the House in it's favor, nd to show
!, that did not desire to disgrace tn
! fair fame Of the State of Iowa, bu
did desire that her voice should b.
heard con that line" in Congress,
j give you the following extract from
|, my speech in favor Of the amendmen
J, which will be found on page 1879 O
tho Appendix to the Globe of tina
session:
"a noble example of this cours
:, has been set by the State which
y have the honor in part to represen
/ on this floor.
"The people OF Iowa, at the eject
r ion held last November, adopted al
amendment to their State constitu
:, ton, by majority of over twenty
4 four tn usand votes, striking out tn,
word white from their State consti
tuition, and s.bolishing, so far as civil
or political rights are concerned, al
determinations on account of race
or color.
"The people of Iowa ere not afraid
) to extend to the colored man equa
rights; they are not afraid that, with
fair start and an equal chance in
t ace of life, the colored race will
Gu tr.p the white, and become thesr
superior in il le!ligence and power
at least they are generous enough to
be willing to give him fair chance
There are, | admit, certain class Of
people in Iowa, as there are in every
State-and they universally vote the
Democratic ticket--who are fear.
fully exercised over the danger OF
negro equality and even of negro
superiority, as likely TO result from
the admlssion Of the colored men
to equality in civil rights. They
seem to be satisfied that with an
equal chance the negro will rise to a
level with themselves, legally, social
". and Intellectually and impelled
by this iminent danger, this class Of
people bitterly and uncompromising.
~ opposed the extension of civil
, rights to the negro and the power.
tul organization Of tho Democratic
party, sympathising with it's mem.
bers in their fears and the threatened
danger, threw the weight of It's in.
. fluence in the scale against equal
rights. But, with all opposition,
justice triumphed. Satisfied that
duty, principle, and consistency
required it, the people of Iowa put
their feet upon prejudice and tram
pied it in the dust, and decreed and
wrote down in their constitution that
within the borders and Jurisdiction
Of that proud young empire ofliberty
and of law all men, wherever born,
whatever the color of their skin,
whatever their previous condition in
life-all shall stand equal before the
law.
"And now, sir, in Iowa, as it shol'd
be in every State and the world
60 A mans man fc.a' that"
Il The following are the CONCLUDING