The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-08-11

iiidue Al tiaborate anu blIter assault on the
sixth and seventh resolutions of the democratic
Platform, which relate 10 the civil rights bin,
and the votes OF the two Senators from Indiana
in Its favor. On the 18th of Jnne the republican
state convention met at Indianapolis. and with
these votes fresh in every mind, Endorsed Sena-
| tors Morton and Pratt with hearty approba-
they represented the Sentiments OF the peone az
/ the State.'' On the 18th of July the Democratic
State convention arraigned Them for misrepre-
sue is formed in Indiana between the two
Issue Involves BY The first section of the civil
rights bill as IL passed the Senate and is now
the lO0, 900 and upwards Of negroes in the United
States are suddenly and imperatiyely, by the
force OF the 'aw, thrust into an absolute equality
lwith the white in the full and equal enfov-
ment of the accommodations, advantages, facfl-
| ties and privileges of inns. public conveyances
/ public amusement, and also OF common schools
| and public In stitulions of leaning or beneyo-
taxation, and of cemeteries so supported. and
also institutions known as agricultural colleges
endowed by the United States ~
i Thisfs the most extensive and remarkable So
ciaI revolution ever attempted by legislation in
the history of the world. Ii overthrows in
hundred years in this country and establishes
/ radical change in The daily customs of forty
millions of people. I know of no parallel to it
| in the h s'ory OF the nations OF the earth SEM
ator Morton says it is only prejudice which
.lis Vast measure, vast In It's scope and
| senator ave ws it will Fyen IL this we're true
and there we're no higher arguments egainst
1 IT, wise statesmanship always respects the
honest pretudices of the people and calls IN the
aid of time, and the educating influences OF ex-
fines, and prison houses to remove them Cicero
| Burke, jefferson and Webster could speak with
all what's prejudice? 1t is nothip z more than
a thought. an operation of the mind on given
/ sunIects an idea, an opinion, sometimes well
4 founded and sometime not, either suddely con-
/ ceived, the result of long and settled habits
or Of the accepted traditions OF the past. In any
IagovernmeHt is never warranted in Violently
| and suddenly assaulting such convictions and
denoncing the severe penalties of high crimes
i against those who do not surrender them. In
| fact what is often den0ml nailed prejudice as
o ten proves the highest instinct OF wisdom
different races of mankind. wherever this in
| stinct of wisdom, which Senator Morton calls
i prejudice, has been broken down, the most Ia
mentable and degrading consequences have fol-
lowed. 1he pages of history are open to all, and
from the Influence of those political leaders who
not only go down in the dirt on their knees, but
on their very faces will there behold forestlad
owed the inevitable consequences to roth races
/ by the enactment of the civil rights bin. ~
/ will not pause TO picture TO you the conse-
hotels. the theaters the railroad ears, the stage
coaches and the steamboats,. Your own minds
will readily conjure up the scenes that viii take
place But on the great question of education
/ we can not be too deeply concerned in view of
| this Revolutionary measure q Does any philo-
sophie and fair minded person believe il a safe
and judicious step, tending TO the future eleva-
| tion and welfare OF the country, to coerce to-
| into the schools and colleges
everywhere throughout the Uni ed
1 States? That is the question to be answered in
this canvass. Senator Morton says it is shasred
of the negro in addition to prejudice which leads
and he affirms that we wish negro children to
grow up in Ignorance and vice. In this he is
OF the democratic platform before iim he was
not warranted in making such statement. In
1--WE are in favor of a liberal system of educa-
ton for the benefit of the negro as well as the
| white children of Indiana, but are opposed TO
the mixture of the black and white races in our
schools or other educational institutions."
The Senator contends that system of separate
schools, as here advocated by the democratic
party, for the liberal education of both races,
will not reach every isolated negro family in
the United states psrnapS nlp not nor Is every
schools. All that can be expected is, that the
great bulk of our population, black and white,
School system for each race viii accomplish ths,
for the great mass of negro population is con-
school district in that entire secsion in which a
| negro school could be supported. And
in the North the negroes have gem
so that their separate Schools could
be maintained by the liberal assistance
which may be extended to them. 1t thus ap-
pears that the negro race is perhaps as well To-
Gated to receive the benefit of separate schools
States and Territories, and beyond the mount
aims and rivers of the far west. They are in a
situation, therefore, TO be educated as a race in
their own schools, and then TO send forth teach
ers to enlighten the remote and scattered peO-
pie as the white race does. This course can be
willie the adoption OF the civil rights biii viii
| break down the common schools Of most of the
Southern States, dive the white children from
them in Others and work the same results in
many parts of the North. The rich man car
hire teachers at home, while tn.
poor must educate their children a.
the PUBLIC schools With the blacks ks, or not at all
"The old bug-bear OF social equality which
has SO often done service in the cause of the
! | OF those who do not feel entirely confident O
their social position"
do not mean to be disrespectful to the Sc na
| tor when say that those who are opposed tc
the civil. rights bill quite secure In their
% and that thousands Of humble laSorers a are q:
| scrupulOus in regard to the social and educa-
tional associat ons OF their children as thet
does. And believe this As as true of the voters
! of his party as 1t is OF mine.
; | the democratic party to be opposed to the civil
= ghts bill because we were opposed 10 the be,
| st0Wal of negro suffrage. he says that the op-
ponents of this bill resisted the civil rights o.
the negro at every step and declared that 70 con
fer upon him the right OF suffrage would be the
, dlshonor and destruction of the republic" In
| uttering this sentence Senator Morton evidently
close of the war he sounded the keynote OF op.
position TO negro suffrage in Indiana as ne has
: since done in it's favor. He opposed 1t both on
| constitutional grounds and on the general
| grounds of public policy. In November, 1866, he
thus forcibly stated the constitutional objection
, in his message to the Indiana Legislature:
"The subject of suffrage fs,by the national con-
stitusion, expressly referred to the determine a.
tion of the several states, and it can not be
| taken from them without violation of the let
ter and spirit of that instrument
| No proposition was ever more correct than
this. and yet 1t was not long until the Senator
was engaged in violating, according to his own
doctrine the letter and spirit of Constitution
by taking away from the several States the right
| TO determine the subject of suffrage in their
| midst. On the grounds of public policy he
stated his objections to negro suffrage in the fol-
lowing forcible manner:
at is a fact so manifest that IL should not be
| called In question by any that a people Just
emerging from the barbarism of slavery are not
qualified to become part of our political sys.
ten, and take part not only in the gov yernment