The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1884-04-12
Senator Vance Pays his Respects to
senator Hoar.

Il do not think, with these sta
tistics coming by State authority
to the United States Government.
year By year, that there will be
Senators from North Carolina ma
king such speeches as We heard
yesterday. That State win have
something else to say, if she is the
tail State among the thirty-eight
OF the American Commenwealths
in the matter of her school chill
dren, than what her Senator told
us on this floor yesterday
lpresume the Senator will stand
by the record, will he mott | was
going to say that as a matter of
course it was subject of NORTH
cation to me as well as to other
Southern Senators to be constant
ly made aware Of the fact that our
States are at the tail end of liter
acy. But, sir, there is a deeper
depth of modification; and l am
much in the condition of a young
man Of whom l once heard who
had the misfortune Of being knock
ed down in a fight with a circus
company. Though not much inju-
red, he took to his bed as though
he would break his heart, and in
reply to those who endeavered to
console him by telling him that
any man was liable to be knocked
down, that there was nothing in
that, "Oh, yes" said he, 81 know
that; but, Lord Lord they knock
cd me down with the same stick
they stirred the monkeys with"
Laughter.]
1t is a source Of modification to
me for any Senator to get up and
appeal'to the figures and say that
my State is at the bottom in re-.
gard to iIliteracy, but It adds a
pang to the sharpness of that NOR.
tidcation, 1t adds another under.
story to the depth Of that humilia'
tion, to be told SO by the Senator
from the Tewksbury State; a Sen
ator from o State that has fatten-
ed on the public taxation Of this
country; a State that from the
very beginning of the foundation
Of our Government, rather Of our
struggle for independence, has
sacrificed every principle and ev'
cry profession that was inconye'
nient for the purpose Of gain. to
taunt those with poverty who
have been kept poor by the pro
cess Of plundcr; a State that il
more responsible under heaven
than any other community In this
land for the introduction of sla
very into this continent, with all
the curses that have followed it
that is the nursing mother Of the
horrors Of the middle passage, and
that after slavery IN Massachu
setts was found not to pay solo
those slaves down South for q
consideration, and then thanked
God, and sang the long-meter dox
ology through their noses, that
they were not responsible any
longer for the sin of human sla
very, should at least be modest il
applying epithets to her neigh
bors.
If ! may be permitted to disturb
the dignlfed solemnities Of thil
body for one moment, will state
what it reminds me of. / heart
once of an old maid who got re
ligion at . camp-meeting. Imme
diately after she experienced the
change she commenced exhortinl
the younger and prettier womel
in regard to wearing jswclry ant
gew.gaws, and warned then
against the pcrnicious conse
quence to piety Of such vanities
"Oh, girlsl" she said, Il tell you
/ used to wear earrings and finger
rings and laces and furbelows Iik'
you do, but l found they wer'
dragging my immortal soul dow
to hell, and | stripped them ever,
one of and sold them to m,
younger sister Sally" Laughter.
That is the way Massachusetts re
lieved herself from slavery. Tha
is the way she preserved he
whiteness Of soul.
Now, there was no necessity 70
the remark Of the Senator fror
Massachusetts. l had made no as
sault upon him. He was support
ing the bill, as / supposed | wal
lie was supporting It in his peculia
way, and I was supporting It i
mine; and the remark, as you vii
see, Is entirely illogical, inconss
quential, and disconnected. ]
was a pure emanation Of venor
toward the Southern people an
toward my State. There was n
necessity for It and | have felt !
my duty to allude to 1t as | bav
done.