Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-03-25

and sombre clouds overhung the length |
and breadth of the republic, and the very
air was pregnant with foreign interference,
in those dark days of defeat whose mem.
ories even vet haunt us as an ugly dream,
from what source did our nation In It's
seeming death-throos. gain additional and
new found powerf IL was the sable sons
Of The South that vallantly rushed to the
rescue. and but for their intrepidity and
ardent daring many Northern freside
would miss to-day paternal counsels or
brothers love. tFtar lttit
Sir repeat the fact, that the colored
race saved TO the noble women of New
England and the Middle States mon on
whom they lean to-day for security and
safety Many of my race, representatives
Of these men on the field Of battle, sleep |
in ,he-countless graves of the South. II
those Quiet resting places Of our honored
dead could speak to-day, what q mighty
voice, like 10 the rushing of mighty
wind, would come up from those sepuchfai
homes Could we resist the eloquent
plcadngs of their appeal, oh sir, | think
that this question OF immediate and ample
protection of the loyal people of Georgia
would lose It's legal tcchnicalities, and we
would cease TO hesitate in our provisions
Cor their instant relief Again, | regret
is frequently flung at us that Nemesis"
more terrible than the Greek personation
OF the anger OF the gods awaits her hour
of direful retribution. We are told that
at no distant day great uprising Of the
American people will demand that these
Reconstruction acts Of Congress be un.
done and be blottcd forever from the annals
| OF legislative enactment Inquire, sir, If
| this delay in Rtlording protection to loyal
! lists of the State of Georgia does not lend
/ On uncomfortable significance TO this boast.
| ing sneer with which we 30 often meet
| Delay is isdangerous Mt best, for II Is as true
in legislation as in physic that the longer
we procrastinate to apply the proper
remedies the more critical becomes the
malady we seek TO heal. The land wants
such as dare, with vigor execute the laws
Her festered members must be lanced and
tended lie is a bad surgeon that for pity
spares the part corrupted till the gan.
CREME spread and all the body perish. lie
that is morciful unto bad is cruel to good.
Mr.. Revels then reviewed the history
of affairs in Georgia, stating that at the
election in November, 1857, for members
of the State Convention, $4,000 white and
$4,000 Colored votes were polled, and a
number OF colorcd delegates elected. A.
constitution was framed and ratified, and
u LEGISLATURE elected under il was con-
venened. After all this, supposing they
had passed beyond Congressional control,
the rebel element In the Legislature as
serted itself, and many of those whose dis
abilities had been removed by the State
Convention, which comprised number
of colored members, joined in the declara.
tion made by that Legislature, that man
having more than an eighth African blood
in his veins was ineligibeto office. These
very mon, to whom the Republican party
( extended all the rights and privileges ol
citizenship, of which they had deprived
themselves, denied political equality 10 a
large majority of their fellow citizens.
Twenty.Gight members were expelled.
On December %, 1869, an net of Congress
was passed requiring the re-asscmbling
of persons declared elected by the mil
/ itury commander, the restoration of the
expelled members, and rejection of the
others who were disqualified. All the
conditions had now been complied with,
and, having ratified the Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Constitutional Amendments,
Georgia presents herself for recognition.
The Bingham amendment proposed to le-
gali2o the organization of 1868, and would
legalizo the act of the Legislature in ap-
pointing the Judge who decided in favor
/ of class distinction in the State rs q means
of future protection for loyal Georgians.
He desired that these laws should com
menCe from the date of the present legis
latiop He asks this in the name of 10J,-
600 white and colored Gcorgians, and re-
minded the Senate that he who permitted
opposition shared In the crime.
Upon the conclusion of his remarks,
Mr.. Revcls received the congratulations OF
many Republican Senators and Others
aud then the immense audience in the
} galleries, which included many persons Of
color, dispersed. IF