Year: 1868




In form. Suppose South Carolina should say in her
constitution that all black inhabitants shall be elect
Ors, would Congress sit still and see whites excudeds
Why, then, should they not intervene and exercise
the powers given them by the constitution when
Kentucky. Maryland and Illinois excluded blackss
He urged that Congress should take this stand for
the sake OF uniformity OF national preservation in
stead OF having IN the states as many standards OF
citizenship as there are States He argued that by
the provision OF the constitution for the choice OF
representatives every two years by the people, the
States are prevented from saying that portion Of
should dsiranchise all Germans would 1t not be the
duty Of Congress to restore them TO their equal
rghtsS Or II Utah should exclude all but Mormons;
Connecticut all but Congregationalists; Mary
land all but Catholics, would 1t not be
then prevent the exclusion OF the blacks? ANY tenn
porary distinctions that apply to all classes and
colors alike . would not, in ms opinion, preven,
State constitution being republican In FORM equality
being the basis OF republican governments. The
negro, being now emancipated, was entitled to equal
rights the same as every Citizen He admitted the
truth OF the doctrine of the Chicago platform that
the question OF suffrage belongs to the States but 1t
was so subject to the constitution, which says that
Congress shall guarantee to every State republican
form OF government; and no government could be
republican IN form which denies equality OF rights to
any citizen lie had been asked whether Illinois or
Sew York had a republican form Of government In
answer to inquiry he would say that the argument
that anl government Is republican which deprives
to vote Is unworthy OF child ten years old. What
is e a p bdes es On this
rights party on the other side OF the haS He had
to say to Senators and Representatives, to all the
members of the republican party, that this question
must be met. They could not bury their heads In
the sand. No question OF tariff or finance could
S
opponents will meet us every stump, and ask US
what uns, we are going to do; whether we ,.Te are
counsels must not prevail. Five millions OF
redeemed slaves ask us what we will do. II his fel
meet this question he could tell them what would be
the result IN Illinois. The republican party would
be neaten a9to oy ,s ssevemtyve thousand majority ne
Merely providing that Suffrage shall be universal
throughout all the States This the people would
umph most gloriously in November next. He asked
Has it come to this that the republican party will
draw dividing lines between the North and the
South by establishing universal suffrage in one part
Of the Union and not In the Other9 II this that
lost us our gallant Senator In Ohio, Mr. Wade. Our
opponents there said we granted suffrage to the
millions OF ignorant negroes in the South and
would not give it to the hundreds Of intelligent
to constitutional amendment but that would not
do. Kentucky would not do 1t in fifty years.
let Congress by one sublime act do it. The repub-
lican party cannot stand still II 1t stands still 1t
dies. 1t must move on. He knew that it had been
said that the republican party was endeavoring to
establish negro supremacy In this cOuntry but this
was utterly untrue. No republican press, no repub
lican Senator or Representative had ever declared In
favor OF negro supremacy. The republican party
was in favor OF the supremacy OF all men. Again. iC
had been said that the republican party was IN favor





situti0n no laws could make men absolutely equal
From what shining height would Frederick Douglass
He (Mr. Yates believed the Anglo-Saxon to be the
highest type OF man, and therefore could not under
weaker colored brethren He was in favor Of COM m
mitting the government to the hands OF al for
therein lay the greatest safety. He was not afraid
time when 1t was equally unpopular to advocate the
abolition of slavery in the District. Of Columbia
where men stood up on the auction blocks and
canked their chains n the very face Of the national
capital. He remembered in 1851, when the blood of
Elijah Loveoy sprnkled his own State for resisting
the aggressons OF prOslavery mob; and afterwards
men sprung like Minerva from the brain Of Jove
with lance and spear ready to do battle
was not disheartened by the results Of the recent
elections, and no true republican was. He was glad
that two hundred and seventeen sever thousand Iepubli-
had stood up and voted to give their just rights to
their fellow men. These were, like John the Baptist,
Sad twice the results q
suYrage in the District Of Columbia, where the black
the city from rebel dominion. He did not think he
had gone too far In the matter He granted that the
question OF suffrage was In the control Of the States
in the first instance, but claimed that Congress had
supervisory power which it its duty to ex-
ercise thus take the entire question out Of the
At the close Of Mr.. Yates remarks Mr.. SUMNER
withdrew the motion to reconsider.


THE FREEDMEN's BUREAU.


The bill to continue the Freedmen's Bureau was
Mr.. HENDRICKs spoke In opposition to the bill.
After aluding to his views formerly expressed he
went on to say that the Bureau, having been estab
lished measure OF protection to the blacks and
having been subsequently continued FOR another
ernment was still needed 1t proposed, now that


the war has been closed for three years. In the face
bill giving validity to the governments established in
the South by these people and declaring their fitness


for 81 70 % anS ey n are
this Bureau for their protection for another year at
the expense Of heavily taxed people, The assertion
that murders and outrages are prevalent In the
South had ceased to meet belief from the people,
who knew that such things are more common In
many Northern States and who know that the whole
purpose is to continue the domination Of the negro
In the South. He RELAXED instances OF Outrages re-
Gently committed in the South, of the murder OF
whites by negroes, without any arrests following,
and he claimed that 1t s for the interests OF both
races that this Bureau should be discontinued he
| claimed that the heads Of this Bureau were the
regularly accredited agents OF the republican party
and that the sole purpose OF its desired continuance
is to be found In that iact: II was an attempt to
ence OF the republican party. In reply to ques-
tion whether he favored negro suffrage in the South
he said he was in favor Of leaving to the people OF
| those States the question OF suffrage.


Mr.. EDMUNDs, (rep.) OF VT, pushed the question
further, as to what the Senator meant by the "the
Mr. HENDRICKs replied that he meant those
clothed with suffrage by the constitution and laws
Of those States which, in his opinion, remained in
| tact through the rebellion.


Mr. EDMUNDs was pleased to hear the Senator ex-
| press nlS opinion CdDuuly, t1dJ pOlitlCdl power
| there resides in the very men who began the
rebellion.


Mr. DRAKE, (rep.) OF No., asked the Senator what
his estimate OF the amount OF disfranchisement OF
the whites wasP


Mr. HENDRICKS referred TO speech made by him
some time since for q reply.


Mr. DRAKE said that Mr.. Mansfield, OF Ohio, who is
one OF the best statsticians In the United States
estimates the total dsfranchisemen in all the South
ern States at forty thousand.


| Mr. HENDRICKS replied that that is matter OF
opinion and that IL Is not easy to form an estimate
when everybody that ever held an office Is dsfran-
chiscd. lie proceeded reeratng his opinion OF the
purpose of this bill, saying that the negroes being


maintained for this purpose will never become self
| supporting.


a bid for the democratic nomination, aud insisted
that the verdict of the country will be different from
what he attered himself II would be. In reply to q
question from Mr.. Hendricks, Mr.. Drake avowed
himself OF opinion that there ought TO be universal
enfranchisenent OF the blacks in all the States.
Mr.. WILSON thought, In view OF the last seven or
eight years. the Senator and his friends should be
sparing OF their predictions In regard to expressions
OF public opinions. Whoever shall be the demo-