Year: 1868

eCh Co1o udo lClO lCu uO CApEulCub W
undermine the cause of liberty, and at the
last moment they claim the privilege of
taking possession of the Government. Do
you remember that when the bridegroom
came the five virgins that were wise had
their lamps trimmed and were ready to
meet him? But now come the five Demo.
cratic virgins, saying "Give us your oil,
for our lamps are empty" [Applause.]
1t is too late; while they were gone the
door was shut, and Grant elected Ap-
plause.l But it is proposed by them, in
their newborn zeal of patriotism, to re-
verse the policy of the Republican party,
and declare what they have done "uncon-
stitutional, null and void" They have
been complaining that the Southern States
have been so long kept out, and now that
they are in they say that they shall not
stay in they shall go out again. At least
there is the merit of frankness in this an
nunciation. They say the State govern
ments were formed under compulsion.


When our pilgrim fathers worshipped


with sentinels standing with rifles at the
the church door, suppose some man had


charged that they were singing psalms


under the coercion of those rifles?


1t is said their constitutions were not


formed by the whole people. No; they


would not have been so good if they had


been. If the old plantation class had had


their way, venture to say they would


not have been as good as they are. They


were formed by the common people. They


knew what they needed. No man can tell
the doctor where the ache is as well as the
man that aches. The only charge that


can be made against the constitutions
these loyal Southern men have made is,
that they are too democratic. l would
ask no other thing by which to test the fruit
of this war than to point to the constitu-
tions made by black men that few years


ago toiled in the rice and cotton fields.
These constitutions are the marvel OF the
time in which we live. They are objected
to, not because too despotic, but because
too full of liberty. They have not given
to those accustomed to power sceptre or
influence, but have given the power to the
people. But they have made the blacks
citizens. What else are the blacks fitted
for? They were not made to be slaves.
To attempt to make animals or machines
of men is the most rnonstrous violation OF
the ordinances of nature and of the de


crees of God and it ought not to be OBJ


iected to these Southern Constitutions that


they have proclaimed liberty to all the
land. 1t is objected that the blacks are


not yet fitted for the suffrage. have


never doubted that it was best for them.
Suffrage is best for every man and for


every woman. ApplaUse. But no man
is fit for voting until he has exercised the


right. Voting right comes from voting


often-not in the Democratic sense.
[Laughter.] Can q man aim his rifle


properly until he has practised with it !?
Would the naughty whites of the South


pour into the ears of the blacks the rea-


sons for State policies if they had no vote
Voting makes every politician an educator
of every man that votes. We have begun
to find out that the good in suffrage is far


greater than any evils that may be in it.
[ have seen accounts of the ridiculous way
in which these black hordes vote; but |


can point you out a gang of immigrants in
New York that will vote just as ridiculous.


Plantation voters do not half come up to
New York wards. We were asked how
we would like to have black men voting
by our side. 1t is no worse than to have


immigrants voting by our side For the
present it is not Joyous but grievous; but
by and by it will bring forth the fruits OF
peace and liberty In twenty years, every
immigrant dies off or becomes a good
citizen. The only question is, VIII the


boiler bear the pressure? With us, 1t Will. III


we could bear the pressure during the war,


and still maintain the integrity OF the


Union, in spite of the foreign votes, we
can bear it under any circumstances


would not allow an immigrant to remain


here a wear before I would make him a


voter. Not that there would not be evils


and dangers connected with it; but the
blessings would outweigh them. 1t has
never been pleasant for those having the
power to give it to others. Power never
is distributed from those above downward;


but comes down by revolution from those
above Aside from their natural rights,


the blacks of the South have earned the


right of suffrage by their fidelity in war.
They have earned the right of self-defense.
| The blacks must be annihilated, or defend


themselves by the sword or by the ballot.


If there be any obligation that rests upon
| u.s. it is to see to it that these poor
creatures do not see harm. If you doubt


the wisdom of giving suffrage to them,


doubt 1t; but they have got it. In my
| younger days I once undertook to run
| after an express train. l never do it now
| Laughter. Suffrage once put into the


hands of men, catch it if you can. You


may say they would better not have had


the ballot; you might as well say they


would better not have been born black.


The Republican party gave them the bal
| lot, and the question now is whether it


shall be taken away from them by the
| Democratic party. The distress of the
| South arises from the fact that they have


reached a point requiring change; but


that change they brought upon themselves


and it will lead them to higher position


than they ever before enjoyed. Mr.. b.


here read letter, containing series of


questions, and proceeded to answer them !


You have here in drop what you will
| get in the New York World in pro-


longed squirt. Laughter care not the


Southern loyalists worse treated than in


1862" Yes but it is because of the hope


that in another year Blair will be Presi-


dent, wearing Seymour's veil Let it be


understood that Grant is to be the next
| President, and in a month from Novem-


Der all will be quiet and peace. Great


applause. Glow many more reconstruc-
| tion measures shall we requires" No


more; all we want now is administration.
/ When they know that Grant sits in the


chair, that will be enough. [Applause.


"Why did not the Republican party in
form the South at the outset what they re-


quired of 2" Principally because they
did not know themselves; because
they were not all prophets The Repub-
lican party has had to feel its way. We


were crossing a ford that had never been


explored, and got many souse before we
got across How can an honest, intelli-
gent, patriotic Christian support the Re-
publican party? How can he support the
n ,~&x II sr,c 1ao4 G1.,1