Year: 1868

lrOiH slavery, are qtailueu lor tHe eAeICisc
of political powers, is to make the strong
est pro- slavery argument 1 ever heard.
1t is to pay the highest compliment to the
Institution of slavery.


What has been our practice for many
years? We have invariably described
slavery as degrading to both the body and
the soul. We have described 1t as bring
ing human beings down to the level of
the beasts of the field We have describ
ed it as crime. depriving the slaves of
intellectual and moral culture and of all
the gifts which God has made the most
precious live shall now turn round and
say that this institution has been bless
ing to them, instead of curse that it has
qualified him for the right Of suffrage and
the exercise of political power, we shall
stultify ourselves and give the lie to those
declarations upon which we have obtained
political power.


Let me inquire for single moment, in
what condition is Indiana to urge negro suf-
frage in South Carolina or in any other
state? Let US consider the position we
occupy. We have, perhaps, twenty-five
thousand colored people in this state.
Most of them can read and write many
of them are very intelligent and excellent
citizens-well to do in the world-well
qualified to exercise the right Of suffrage
aud political power. But how stands the
matter We not only exclude them from
voting we exclude them from testifying
in the courts of justice ; we exclude them
from our public schools and make it un-
lawful and a crime for them to come into
the state Of Indiana at any time subsequent
to 1850. No negro who has come into
our state since 1850, can make a valid
contract he cannot acquire title to a piece
of land, because the law makes the deed
void, and every man who gives him en-
ployment is liable to prosecution and fine.
l sent out the 2Sth Indiana coIored regi-
ment, recruited with great diff Guilty and at
some expense. 1t has been in the field
two years. 1t has fought we'll on many
occasions and won the high opinion of off,
GERS who had seen it. We got credit on
our state quota for every man who went
out. Yet, according to the constitution
and laws of Indiana, more than one half
of the men in that regiment have no right
TO come back again and, If they do come
back, they are subject to prosecution and
fiue; and any man who receives them or
employs them is also liable to punishment.
Now can Indiana, in this condition-with


twenty-five thousand colored men in her
borders, to whom she denies suffrage and
political power and almost all civil rights
with what face, say, can Indiana go
to congress and insist upon giving the
right of suffrage to the negroes in the
southern states? If her congressman ask


to do this, they will naturally be asked in


turn, what have you done with these peo-


pie in your own state? You have had


them for many years. You have long had


an opportunity to make this issue as to


whether they ought to have these rights


Their mental and moral condition is much


superior to that of the great mass of freed


men in the southern states.


What have you done? You have done


nothing. I ask you what would be the


moral strength of any politician presenting


these questions in congress? l ask how
any member of congress, from Indians
J who has not made the issue at home, car


present himself and urge the right of con-
gress to enfranchise the negroes in thu
southern states? 1t may be said there arI
only few of them in Indiana, and it i.
not important. But if the few who ar,
here have q right, moral or natural, to tn,
franchise, when you refuse it to the few
yOu AOAo ~ W stii. w hSu JOu ASluoS 4
to twenty-five thousand, you violate SCUM,
principles just as much as if you refuse i
4 to five million. | tell you these northern
: states can never command any moral fore
t on that subject until they shall first b
: just to their negroes at home.


n | now come to the consideration G
i the question of the admission G
f negroes to the right of suffrage
: will consider more particularly the pla
n of Mr.. Charles Summer, man of gres
q ability and one whom L consider yer


pure man. / will read from q speech Nj
# Sumner recently made at state conver
J. tion in Worcester, Mass, [extracts om
e ted]


S In other words, Mr.. Summers propos
d ton is this: That all persons who hav
n been connected with this rebellion shall
/ excluded from the right of suffrage an
= from all pOlitical mower for an indefinit