Year: 1868

INVADE 1t ana take possession OI IL.
JEFF DAVIS


AS consequence of this doctrine, jeff.
Davis cannot be tried for treason-not be-
because he is not traitor, not violator
of the law, but the head of a government
de tacto, the ruler of conquered province
and we have no more power to try him
for treason than we would to try the gov
ernor of Canada for such an offence, in
case he should fall into our hands during
a hostile invasion of his country. That is
what this doctrine leads to. 1t leads to
thousand other evils and pernlcious things
never contemplated in the nature of our
government.


REBEL DEBT.


Another consequence which would flow
from the admission of that doctrine, would
be that we would be called upon to pay the
rebel debt. IF we admit that these states
were out of the union for one moment.
and were to be regarded in the light of
belligerents, it would be insisted upon at
once that when we took them back we
took them with their debts, as we would
take any other conquered province or
state. do not propose to argue that
question any further at this time.


AGAINST NEGRO SUFFRAGE.


The question Of negro suffrage is one
which threatens'to divide US to some extent,
and is surrounded with many practical diff
fculties. reject in advance, all schemes
of colonization, as they are impracticable,
whether upon this continent or any other
continent. We have no right to insist
upon colonizing the negro: He is an
American, born in this country, and he
has no other country. When he desires
to emigrate he has perfect right to do
so, but his emigration must depend upon
his own volition. | believe the time will
come when every man in the country,
white or black. will have the right of suf-
frage, and that suffrage should not depend
upon color; that there is nothing in that
which sould make distinction. Ibelieve
that in the course of years every man,
whatever his color, whether in Indiana or
South Carolina, will come to enjoy politi.
cal rights.


The right to vote carries with it the
right to hold Office You cannot say that
he must vote only for white men for Office
The right to vote carries with it the right
to be voted for. When that right is con
ferred, you can make no discrimination
no distinction againt the right to hold Of
flee, and the right to vote in state carries
with it the right to vote for president and
members of congress, and for all fedora
officers The right of suffrage being con-
ferred in South Carolina, for state purpo-
ses, under our constitution, as | have be-
fore pointed out carries with it the righ
to vote for president and vice -presidon
and members Of congress.


la regard to the question Of admitting
the freedmen of the southern states to vote
while | admit the equal rights of all men
and that in time all men will have the
right to vote, without distinction Of colo
or race, | yet believe that in the case o.
four millions Of slaves just freed from
bondage there should be period OF pro
bation and preparation before they ar,
brought to the exercise Of political power
Let US consider for one moment the con
dition of these people in the southern
states. You cannot judge of the genera
condition of the freedmen and negroe
upon the plantations bv what we hear o
the schools established at Hilton Head


Norfolk and other places, where few en-


thusastic and phianthropic teachers or


instructing the negroes. l have no dout
many Of them are making rapid progres,
but these are only as one in many thor


sands. Ninety-ninc out of every hundre
D of the negroes in the south live on planta
; tions, and you cannot judge of the cond
!, tion of the great mass by those who live
the towns. You must consider the cor
, dition of the whole mass. What il tn;
1, condition? Perhaps not one in five hui
d dred-1 may say one in thousand-ca
y read, and, perhaps, not one in five hui
l. dred is worth five dollars in property
o any kind. They have no property, pc
e sonal or real. They have just come fro
l. bondage, and all they have is their ow
! bodies


10 Their homes are on the plantations
al these men, and they must depend for su
ct sistence on the employment they recei,
E. from them. Look at their condition. I
s, l said before, only one in five hundr,
$. that can read-many of them, until with
D the last few months, never off the plant
$. tion-most of them never out of the cou