Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-10-02

anu educated as tbey we're TO DeHeVe slavery
the highsst good, might have acted and
fought as they did; but the evil having
passed away said: "Nov let peace and
friendship reign" Well, there came OBJ
stacles. In the FIRST place. held that the
necessity Of our position dictated that We
should act with good iaith;that We shou'dlAke
care of the colored people Of the South, and
that they should not be made TO suffer 10
their free state for our acts. We had emsn-
cipated them, and now there was, it seemed
to me, a danger that they would be held
accountable and made to feel the edge OF
wrath, aud | said we must stand by them.
When, in 1866, very c)mmendAble effort
was made TO reconstruct this country 10
bring il in harmony without saying one word
in behalf Of the blacks, / was not ready. Ii
was said, let the States do IT, But who are
the Sgates2 You mean the whites Of the
States So held back and refused to join
that movement, because il seemed 10 me
that no guarantee, no assurance, was given
that the black people Of the South you'd be
fairly treated. We went on demanding that
| they should be euiranchissd, and they were
enfranchised. Their rights are just ss as
sursd a. yours aud mine. They are better
assured than those If the Southern whites
for while there are no black men dlStran-
chised, there are u good many white men
Who are allowed no voice in The disposition
of their own property, white men without
property vote it away and mortgage it by
enormous debt, so that at this hour do bs
Ii,ve that there are states in this UnioI
where a mortgage created by unjust aud IN
right eous legislation in form of public debts
I F,-tk - - 4 bn,
half the entire value of the property. Tn
men who own the property are allowed U,
voice. They cannot vote, and the meu VIII,
own no properly vote the taxes, and the pro
perty ismortgaged until the owners sink inI,
despair.
TINS TO BE GENEROUS TO THE SOUTH.
Now, Il seems TO me that the iime ha
come when we, who have been generous a
veil az iust to the blacks OF the South
should beRia 10 be generous, or, At leasl
Just to the whites OF the South. Applause.
they are our enemies no longer. They di
oppose the measures which We deemed nee
essary TO the public safety aud well beinJ
but those measures we're carried and they n
longer oppose them. They, through h
Democratic National Convention at Bait
more in July .sst, gave 40 authentic e1pre
500 Of their sentiments, They said: "W
accept the results OF the war. We sccsI
Emancipation. We utterly rspuds,s to
idea that the slaves are to be paid for,
the Rebel debs paid, or ANYTHING like TIL
We ask only TO be admitted on the commo
[, platform Of American citizenship, s,Andin
, there equal wish those who were once ou
slaves, equal With you who were once an
4 ir ~ / fhtrl Al
!, the Offer ough; to BE- accepted. Jhiuk ID
,, the Northern paopIe, Who foughI alaiu
III them, who vanqui,hed them, eau now atiJ
II 10 bs generous aud can uaite With them T.
. der one Gag, with one law for rich aod pj,
white and black, and we Of the North ",
remember what is good and just and graft
ing in the past, and will clasp hands vi
our late enc mics, now our cyuutrvmen,
genuine, 10 hearty and frAternAl unio
IS Those We're my sentiments. You ha
heard them 10 the past, You knoW W ,
ten thew have been exposed 70 bitter host.
~ " from old friends Men could not see ID
ny efforts to 70 bail FOR Jefferson DAVIS b,
noIhinE to do With him. be was bat Of
man. Ii was al overture 10 the who
~ Southern people. There we're millions
men who fell that act as a kindness 10 the
section. For their sake | deemed it wise
DO a, did. Aud 90 on other occasions III
=. this. Before three days had passed af
the surrender Of Lees Armies, | was plea,
log With my Northern brethren TO forbes
told them, "Iou will make a great mi
I. take II you stain your victory with one drC
= Of blood A gentleman here Ehnpered
: Mr. Greeley that the train would start
:. tive minutes. Since have but i've nj
: otes more let me Improve them to this pq
:. pose. Iou see men all around me who Al
l., 1 shall he defeated; but ! cannot be oetr,
ID ! may not succeed as a candidate, q
the effort | an making to bring this p-oI
= INTO move trusting relations wit1 each 9th
+, cannot fail II must succeed. This day m
! are on the stump al over the eountry iryl
70 prove that Grant has been more magual
a nous toward the Southern States than
. have been. | dou't wait TO contradict Tbs
/, | want the two parties RAINING the race
see Witch can be the most magnsnimo
:, and generous. Suppose am bsats
~ Thev cannot 20 back GU toe record ha
y, made any more than the record which q
- party made At Baltimore II we're beat
- to-uorfow you would ind them coming
= ne1t Winter With bill Of nearly uuiver.
amnesty. So then IN t-W years We "
!, drag them Br to 10. Do your tu'y. Their
= lore. ciuzens oi Peunsy isauis. Do whs,e
-r you thIDk right and b,sl. / believe 70
out of all this .triie aud contention, this b
=, teruess snd prescription a divine Pro
deGcs is working ont peueticent and piorio
., ends for the future CT our whole country.