Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-04-02


| the pre- udlce OF race, the Latred
! the unquenced resentment against the
| negro that inspired us? Nor, sir; but
we could not eradicate our convic-
tlons, we could not falsify history. We
could not surrender all that was high
and noble aud valuable to the mad
idea of negro supremacy in the South
The descendants of Locke, Milton,
aud Hampdrn; he countrymeu of
Washington, Webster and Story; the
the proud sons of fathers and mothers
who had cherished and preserved iib-
erty and law aud honor with their
lives and with every sacrifice for
thousands of years could not surren
der all the heritages and the memories
and the lessons of their own race, snd
look to the dark land of the sun for
their rulers aud eXemplars. They
saw Europe, the country of white
men, radiant with civilization aud
learning and beauty. They saw Amer
ica, bis home in the New World,
bright with liberty, progle.a, and
Christian glory; and they could but
see Africa In its dark and arid night,
uubrOken in successive barbarism and
lgnorance, aud all the rays of civiilza-
tlon for five hundred years battling
around its coast and not able to pen.
srate its dense aud deathly deserts
mile from the shore. Could we hesi-
tate, ought we have hesitated about
our duty?
We resolved to be just, to be kind,
to be humane 10 the black man, TO
respect his equal rights before the
Jaw, to give him every opportunity for
Improvement and advancement; but
never, never to give up 10 hIm the
proud inheritance of our race, the low,
of civil and religious liberty, the ad
iniulstration OF justice, the lights of
knowledge, the virtues of our fathers,
and all the iuestimabia blessings of ii
Christian civilization. Far from il
curing your censure for this, We are
entitled to your commendation. IL
your mistaken policy of reconstruction
you struck down the white race al 4
YOU exalted the black. la your
amendments to the Constitution there
are no discriu uinations against the
black man, but there were and ar.
cruel exclusions, impedimeDts, diSn-
bilities on the white man. You dis
qualified from holding Office, and voi-
ing to :, during the progress Of recon-
struciiDu every man in the South who
having ever held any public office
OF trust and honor had aided the rt-
bellon. This disabling clause iDclud-
ed oil the experienced, trusted, abb,
men OF the South who had admins
tered her governments. It left the
government of that country IT tho
hands of the inexperienced, embarras-
sed as they must be- With the difficult
element Of negro suffrage, misled br
designing and corrupt men. See what
immense power you placed Ill the
hands of four millions OF blacks IN the
Southern States. Is there any pre-
cedent or parallel to It in the annals OF
human government ? It is the first,
the only time III the history OF the hui
man family that slaves have been made
the political rulers of tueIr former
masters. Senator's, when you put the
Chains al fetters OF your disabling
clause upon the white men of the
South and excluded them from partici-
patton iii the Government and invest
ed tie black man With all the rights
and powers ara privileges of the citl-
Il unimp.ired, did you not commit
an act of cruel prescription sgainst
the white people of the South You
bound the Southern people in in
COAtUCt dIIu COlIIsiOil Will
blind, untraiDed negro suffrage. You
dashed Mazeppa hand and foot to the
Wild steed of the desert, and left rider
aui horse t. the vultures who pursued
their ruin.
It is true we had fought yor boldly
and bravely; bnt the war was over; We
had made peace; we wished to be
brOti ecs agai0. And now / ask #
there wa5 any just reason that tn, ne
groes Of the South, whom your faith
ers no less than mine had made slaves,
who had contributed nothing to the
discovery and conquest OF this contlL-
eat, who had given no aid III the es-
tnhlishment Of our liberties, who had
exhibited no Capacity for civil govern
ment or for social order, and who bad
none OF the qualifications OF educa-
ton or experience for 5elf-adninlstra
toni ask you il there was any just
reason that these people should b.
given political supremacy, polIt1cai
advantage, political rank over pro-
scribed people who for eighty years
bad been your brothers, whose fathers |
bad fought with yours at Bunker Hill,
Yorktown, aud New Orleans, and who
could array against four years of civil
war, against four years Of alienation,
fonr generations Of patriotic, unselfish,
illustrious devotion to the nation, its
liberties and its glory?
Yet, Senators, here today, in the
face of all that may be said about
these four years of hostile and con
fronting war by men threatening dis
union, men trying to tear down the
Government, by men shedding oceans
OF blood, present to you eighty years
OF our devotion to the country.
show you these houses builded by our
fathers. I walk this Capitol, and as l
enter the Rotnuda l see four pictures
illustrating Southern history. As [ go
out upon the eastern square of the
Capi!ol I see the -tatue to the Father
of his Country. with that immortal in
scription-
Ist1d eimu'acrum
Ad magnum exemElum ibertatis
Nee sine Ipsa duraturum
AS [ go to my home and pass down
the Potomac the toll Of the bell tells
me that there sleeps Washington, a
southern man. AS go by way of Bal
timore and down to Fortress Monroe,
/ see the Ripraps, the work of Cal
houn. Though his name has been
stricken from the fort he projected, /
tell yon you can never tear it from the
pages OF American history. AS long as
those stones he planted there beat
back the waves to the sea the morning
guu and the twilight cannon will echo
tilet nhme; and there is not gallant
tar on the proud decks of your Navy
VINO. "a lolg as he respects and loves
free trade aud sailors rights, will not
rememb Der the narne and honor the pa
trIot who defended them in this Cham
Der and the other end of the Capitol.
[ rep at again. 1 would impair no
right ., the color-d man. [ wonld pro
tect him faithfully in every right Sc
cured to him by the Constitution, and
especially by the thirteenth, four
teenth. and fifteenth amendments. /
would protect him i'll his liberty, his
citizenship. his right to vote. Iwould
go fnrther, and educate him and
elevate him to the high position
Of all the duties and capacities of
L