Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-01-17

hlmF Give him ballot, with full eiyi
and political rights: Why not; Th'
Indian Was here before the white man
African or Mougolian. He spoke of grant
ing suffrage to the colorei men as craze
WAS neither wise nor judicious. But tn
act was done and he could not see now ho,
il was to be undone.
He would not discuss the responsible
for il. He would admit, for :he sake o
argument, that both sections, both pOliti
cal parties were respor sible. Some per
sons who held high rank in the imtellectua
world, hold that in the history of the Afri
can race, this country was TO be seen il
the hand Of God for the accomplishment
of great purpose in another hemisphere
Where Shall They Coz
Events appeared TO be shaping them
selves in a manner TO justify .uch conclu
eiOns. The race question, raised by the
changed attitude OF the two races toward
each other was a burning evidence that the
| issue was not confined to any locality, sec
! ton, or party. What was TO become OF
200, 600 Indians in this country, and l00,-
/ 900 Cinnamon, was a difficult problem, but
| the most profound inquiry applied directly
to the pending bill, and that was what was
70 be the fate of the SIX or eight million of
negroes in this country. They were citi-
zens, had the ballot had all civil and poiit-
ical rights white men had. shich were
denied to other colored races. Would
colored people in the United States be able
/ to maintain themselves on an equal footing
with white men, so no, to jeopardize the
well Be ing of American institutional
The opinion appeared 10 be growing that
they could not. The interest of both races
required the problem should be carefully
weighed and fairly dealt with.
Butler saw in the absence of colored
people from all high positions of this coun-
tr,' proof of unreienting, unforgiving in
durable race pre- judice. II any body had
predicted before the war that the Southern
States would within few years be repre-
sented in both houses of congress by men
then slaves, he would have been laughed
at aud dericed rs uegT tailist If, after
many negroes bad been in congress. 1t had
been predicted that in ten years not one
negro would be sitting in either house, the
prediction would have had few believers.
If anyone predicted today that within half
a century not full-blooded, genuine negro
would be found in the United States ii
would not be believed. yet there were men
who exp cted that very thing.
The bill he said, contemplated gralnal,
orderly, voluntary movement of colored
people out of the Southern States provided
government aid enable them to do so II he
were called upon for authority whereby
congress could properly make such sppro-
prialioH he should point 10 appropriations
made TO ad Iniians moving out of the
Northern. Middle and Southern States. and
to appropriations to exclude Chinamen. 1t
appeared to him proper exercise OF the
constitutional power of congress to appro-
PIRATE money tor the national wefsre The
citizenship of the Negro strengthened his
cl4im over that of the Indian for such gov
eminent assistance. Th- Negro would not
move out of the Southern States except on
his own motion. Nothing in the bill would
coerce or compel him to move, but IT would
be for the Negro's own good and for the
good of bis bite neighbUfs also. While
the negroes remained in large masses, and
exceeded in numbers their white neighbors
they actually refrigerated.
Observation and Experience
convinced him that where the white race
is in the ma jority the white man is better
off and the negro is better off 1t is con
ceded on all hands that if the negro is
ever to attain the full stature of his man
hood, he must have a fair chance in an
open field.
He did not believe in the total. hopele..
depravity of the negro race. He believed
if the government would do its duty fin-
stead of coaching him and confusing him
With civil rights and empty statutes, if it
would render him substantial assistance in
his struggle for regeneration and real free
dom, he would ilumine the dark continent
of his fathers with the light of Christianity
and law.
Butler quoted at some length from the
book of +. W. Blyden. colored clergy
man vho had lived many years in Africa.
TO show that the ultimate regeneration of
Africa rested with the negroes OF the
United States.
He also quoted, with parallel sense.
from the letters of other colored clergy
men in this country. and speeches bY
Daniel Webster. Edward Everett, Stephen
A. Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. He
said that If the South could be thus re-
/ lieved Of part Of its supersbundance of
cheap labor. there would be such an immi-
Z kEdhtbb vi hnl pTbEIt
siEe ci'izens that the prosperity OF the
South during the last decade would pale
into insignificance as compared with its
/ future progress.
/ Hosr said that il seemed to him that the
[ proposi ton of Butler was the most aston,
\ ishing he ever heard in the legislative bis
I tory of the Senate, or in the Legislative
( history of any free. civilized and prosper
T Gus people. The United States a, tbi,
+ moment is
/ Growing in Wealth,
strength, and prosperity still the demsnf
for labor kept more than abreast with the
general grosth of the country. From all
ciimes under the sun, lahorers are thronR-
ing. And yet, in the Senate Of the United
States, pr psi i'm vas made that, By
force nation. aided by its trea ury. eight
millions lstorHrs born on American soil
every one Of them and entitled to every
right. N be deported what the Senator
Justly STYLED dark region of dark con
,insnt; and Which "a. less known to read
ers Of history today than Shen the faihel
of history attempted description oft, 800
years before the birth of Christ.
Hoar paid 'sb compliment to e1 Sen
stor bruce OF MIesissipPs, shl elZDt or Ter
other coored men Who hsi sat ia tn.
House of Representatives for several years
and declared that be coHli have no bette
examples of l. gisls,iv- character for parit,
aud c-nduct; for soundness of Judgment
for ability in debate, than Representative
of tha; race. 1t was not that the colore,
race conld rot he male ct for freedom
that the proposition was made. but simpl,
on the ground that the nature Of things. o
the nature of man. vas such that men o
different races. Especially of diferen
comple1ions could not live together i
harmony, peace, freedom. AMI honor unda
the iavs Of this public. II that was tru
declaration independence Vas a lie; tn
, constitution Of the United States the cor
sti,ution of every American State rested o
rottenness; the Christian religion vas
: solemn mrckery ard solemn false hoot
Tbs question has never been tried and v
= have no right to ask single coiored man I
: Turn His Back Upon His Country
o. upon any community in it until be b,