Year: 1869

ton, was also voted down by that BODY. In
other words, they refused in any way to con-
suit the people on the subject. Leading Re-
pubileans from Indiana. in caucus there, as
sured the friends of negro suffrage that if it
was ever adopted by Indiana, it must be done
without consulting the people, aud by a
/ Legislature elected without reference TO that
question. More than this, leading Republi-
cans in this State admi, that great majority
OF the people of the State the white people
are against extending suffrage TO negroes, as
an original proposition but they argue
among themselves, that if it is now adopted,
by the expiration of near two years, or at the
next general election, their senses will have
become blunted 70 its enormity, or at least
that many Republicans who are opposed to
negro voting will then submit and connive to
act with their party rather than again omen
the issue. And to effect this object they had
forced through the House, ani was then
pending iu the Senate, an act postponing all
elections until October, 1870, at which time
II this negro suffrage amendment is adopted,
the negroes will also have voice. Iu other
words, the leaders desire to forestall the ac-
tion of the people and force them to their
views. We desire to consult the people, and
not only 40, but obey their wishes when ex-
pressed fully and fairly. As we by our ac-
ton have compelled the Republicans to come
out on this subject, the Indianapolis Journal,
the leading Republican paper, at Iudianapo-
lis, Of the 9Th instant, in labored article on
the subject of our designations and of the
question OF suffrage, contains this paragraph
as the issue: democrats may defeat all
business, at a cost of Sl50, 900, and keep de-
feating at that price to the end Of time, rather
than allow respectable negroes the same right
that is given 10 ignorant, filthy white men,
or uncolored beasts, rather" This is in full
accord with the sentiment avowed by Ben
Wade, late acting Vice-Presdent. and near
kinsman of the present Vice President de-
| llvered last year in Cincinnati, in which he
declared that negroes were better qualified
and entitled to vote than ignorant and besot-
ted foreigners, as termed by him. We ac-
cept the issue in its full meaning. and neither
| the Journal nor other leaders of the Republi-
can party should be permitted to dodge that
issue, by talking about respectable" ne
gro voting or an Ignorant" white man vot-
ing. The effort is, by this Constitutional
amendment, to place all upon an equality,
that is, to give the co!ored man precisely the
same rights as the white man, whether re-
spectacle or ignorant. Nor shonld they be
permitted to escape this issue by any talk
about an extra session of the Legislature





pass the appropriation bills. The Committee
of Ways and Means, Republican, failed to


introduce these bills into the lIouse-whether
purposely or not we cannot state-until a
late day of the session. And upon appeals
made by leading Democratic members in
open session of the House, and privately
among members, they utterly and positively
refused to pledge themselves to postpone the
consideration of said negro voting proposition
even for two days, to enable the House to
dispose of necessary legislation.


In proof of this the address quotes the de-
bate in the Indiana House of Representatives
upon receipt of the Governors message rela-
tive to the suffrage amendment


And so the Governor when applied to for
that single purpose, tailed to give assurance,
or even intimation, that no extra session
would be called if the appropriation bill
should be passed before the dissolution of the
Legislative body. If the Republican maiori-
ty had agreed to postpone the consideration
OF the negro voting for but two days, this
necessary legislation could have been per-
fected but rather than do so, they were
willing that the deaf and dumb, the insane,
the disabled soldier and the widows and or
phans, of soldiers, those in the house of re-
fuge and judges and prosecuting attorneys,
should all be left without an appropriation for
their support In other words, they thrust
the negro in advance of everything. They
subordinate the interest of those who cannot
speak to make known their wants of those
whose sightless eyes plead for sympathy: ofl
those whose maniaca rawlings or imbecile
tones command oUr attention of the weeping
widow, the wailing orphan, and the crippled
soldier, all, all are lost sight of in the effort
to establish the legal and social equality of
the degraded colored race. All, but it is |
denied that social equality is sought We
say it is. because but the other day they ask
ed In the Legislature tG place white aud
coored children in the same schools, and the |
matter is yet pending and to be acted upon
at the extra session now soon to be called |
The Governor, in his message, in whole |
page of printed matter, labors to show that
the policy heretofore followed as to colored
children is ''illiberal" and unconstitutional |
and the Superintendent of Public Instruc-
ton, in like spirit, when treating Of this
very question of equality informs US in a
dogmatical and ex-cathedra style that ''rhe
Son of God, when he clothed himself in flesh,
took neither the Caucasian white nor Afri-
can black type, but medium between
them. Thus it is that everything is made
to bow to this insane folly of negro worship.
ANA now tney VIII attempt TO evaQe the
great, overshadowing, and direct issue by
talking of expenses and commence by say
ing that it will cost 81 900 in each county, to
hold the special election. The answer is all
this might have been avoided, if the Governor
had fixed the day of election at the April cleo
ton, and not twelve days before, as be has
done. We are sorry to say that we are CON-
PEELED to the conclusion that this is a mere
exercise of narrow-minded party spite, as
kind of punishment to our constituents
for having sent such hard headed representa-
tives here. In conclusion, we would say
that, if all constitutions and legal barriers
and middle walls of partition between the
races are to be broken down if our schools
are to be thrown open, or our school funds, |
raised by white men, are to be divided with
this people, and if they are to vote, and hold
Office, and sit as Jurors, then will our whole
State be flooded with this population. Ifl
they labor, they will come in competition
with and strike down the wages Of white
men and women if they will not labor. then
our pauper asylums, iails and penitentiaries
will be filed with them Hnldin1 tbese