The herald. (Smyrna, Del.) 1870-1871, 1871-01-21

ted to express my grat.fal acknowledge
ments to til, people of the State fer the
confidence repcsed in me by my cleo
tion to the highest executive office in
their gift. My appreciation Of the hon
or con. erred VIII be best evidenced by
faithful discharge of the responsible
duties of the position to which l have
been called.
If au honest desire, coupled with an
honest effort, faithfully to perform those
duties shall enable NE to do so, | here
give public assurance that that desire
is entertained and that eff 1T shall be
made. 1t is source ofgratidcstion to
NE that ! owe my election exclusively
to the v,tes of white citizens Of the
white citizens of the State. The hon.
or of the POSITION woula, in my judy
ment, have been diminished, and its
possession wholly undesired by me, had
that possession depended upon the SUI
frages Of any other class Of he CON-
munity.
While / recognize and yield to the
existing state of facts in relation to the
right of suffrage, and in nv official ca
pacity shall faithfully observe all laws,
federal and state, while they shall re-
main unrepealed or shall not have been
declared by Judicial authority to be
unconstitutional, and shall also impair
TALLY guard and protect, so far as /
may possess the necessary constitution
oil or legal POWER to do 80, ali classes
and persons in the free and undisturb-
ed enjoyment of their rights, yet it is
the conviction of my judgment that the
extension of the right of suffrage to
persons of African decent was unwise
in policy, unsound in pr ncirle, and will
be found to be in practice greStly detri-
mental to the public interest. 1t il
needless to discuss means by which
tcis extension of outrage was forced
upon the Ieoll9. Few honest sasin wi,
deny mat the political organization
which alone is responsible for it. Had
the lnetive in which this policy had il
origin been of an entirely different anG
even of the present charactes, the poll
! cy itself would nevertheless be wholly
indefcnsible.
The measures adopted to secure iii
establishment were the most fatal Ms.
saults which have been made upon oul
complex system ofgovernment, federal
and stute, since their crganizaticn.-
They were the unwarranied eAlarge-
ment of the powers of the former, aud
the pra,tical destruction Of the inher-
ent and essential powers OF the Latter.
The r ght to datern.ine h shall make,
exInund AMI execute the laws ola state
is right so vital, that net only does tho
freedom Of its citizens depend upon thcil
exercise of the right, but the very OK.
istencc Of the state itself depends upor
its possession. No community, or as
ISOLATION Of persons, he viewer numerous
can, with lrclriety, be called a state, il
such community or association does 10
POSSESS and may not exercise the p' we
is an essential element in salf-govern
, .uent. his power is the supreme Pew
e. in a state.
1t rrescribes the rule Of civil conduc
for the citizen. The citizens mus
either directly, or medistely thr ug
s representatives chosen by themselbe'
n prescribe this rule. If prescribed b
e an alien, or cx'raneous body, the reC
: of a state which can rigntfully deter
IF mine their domestic institutions, or sa
[. who and what people shall enjoy cr e'
is ercise tile right to vote, and consequen
is ly the right to participate in the ens'
y ment of the the laws, it logically t; How
in that such greater power may dcciAl
t" that no portion of the people of a sta
h. shall possess or exercise any right
We power in the government of the stat
or il is folly to call such people Free
ly 1t is niisnonler to call this governne
er self government in its administration
lie republican in character or form. 1t
n. conpulsatory auG dcsfotic, and d
We serves cxecration, and is unfit for cul
in gy or respect. The state governmer
We established by our fathers were free,
ce dependent comnIuniiis. They had til,
IN origin in the vindication of the abs
ry lutte right Of tie people of each COZ
as uuni,y TO govern thenlselSe. o
fathers declared that the colonies We
free and independent sta es, and
such, had full power to do "all acts a
things which Independent s;'tes may
right do.'' The formation ofour fed
al system of government was never {
signed for the destruction of the ST.
governments, or even fer any substant