Year: 1867

your State governments by authority
Of the so.called Congress, mere con
clave Of portion Of the members of
that body. By whom is il dictated ?
The principle that whoever forms
government should form it for them
selves as well as for others, is correct
one; but the men who propose this
for us do not live in any Of the ten
States to be affected by their legisla-
ton. 1t is not made to suit either
white or black, or any other class of
our people, but to suit themselves,
while they are not affected by it and
if you act upon their proposition, in
a manner to suit yourselves, you will
not be accepted by them; nay, you
violate the Constitution to subyert the
Government. And by carrying out
these measures you disfranchise your
own people. Suppose we concede, for
argument, that it is right to eufran4
chise all the negroes if this be right
by what principle of lawof morals do
we disfranchiSe the people 80, but,
you say. "the whites have been reb-
els" Then they should all be dis,
franchised, and not part of them


Besides the government you are to
frame is to be civil government, aud
last for all time, and for peace, when
there can be no rebels, / see it stated


that Gen. Siekles has advised that the
disfranchising feature be repealed or


modified, and for the reason that the
enfranchised class are not fit to fl! the


offices. Well, if he has done so, he
has acted wisely, and has shown him
self capable of approaching one truth.


And it is great truth-One that will


hide a multitude Of sins and it might
be well for his fame if this recommens
dation alone could be remembered of


his administration. In the face of


the fact that a republican government


can rest upon and be perpetuated only


by the virtue and intelligence of the


people, you propose to exclude the


most intelligent from participating in


the Government forever


You will by these measures iuaugu-


rate a war Of races. A people who


will abrogate their own government


and disfranchise the most intelligent


of them at the dictation of those who


are not to be affected thereby, and


live under the dictatiOn of foreign


power, have no conscience; but if you


have a conscience hope to reach it.
BY all you hold dear | warn you that
by accepting these military bills you
inaugurate a measure that will exter-
J, inmate the African race. Some of
; you who have come among us are ta'
king the negro by the arm-telling
him that you are his friend, and that
you gave him his liberty Te hypO,
\ critics Ye whited sepulchers Ye
mean in your hearts to deceive and
buy up the negro vote for your own


benefit. Applause. The negroes
g know no better. But | would ask
, them: If these men are faithless t.
e the Constitution Of the country how
f can they be faithful to you? YET
t these men admit in the very act thai
a they are disrcgarding the Coustitu
= tion. They take an oath to support il
= with the purpose and intent formed


beforehand to violate it, and vote for
L measures contrary to it. They are
: not fit to be trusted by any animal
] dog or man, Applause. Such
e man would betray his pointer anc
n such woman sell her poodle The,
n are not capable Of being the friends
/ of anybody but themselves don
a pity the whites who are to suffer b,
: hese measures. "You knew you
}. duty and did it not, and if you ar
h beaten with many stripes we have tn
l. authority of scripture for saying tina
,r your punishment is just; but to Sc
it the poor African led off by clap ira
% which they Northumberland and use
" because they don't understand it, an
= thus led to the slaughter by men VIII
l are fait'lless to every prineiple-uu
u der the belief that they are being el
ID eyated and exercising God>giye
r, rights lis enough to make any ma
Or feel sick at heart, and experience tn
Sc deepest pity for the unfortunate
~ race.


is This is not the first time that sue
le things have been attempted. Unfol
ul tunately, there have before been bot
Of fools and knaves in the world, an


some Of you, it would seem, will NJ
Of learn wisdom from the lessons of ii
to past. If the Constitution is dead, v
ne are outside of it, and, pray, whi
o. government have we ? We have notl
a. ing, in that case, but the will of O
TX unlawful conclaye, and don't you kno
k0 this means only anarchy and then de
Rs potism and tyranny? What Undue
,el ment is held out to you to accept the


propositions You say it is to E
ry back into the Union and for tn
at you are willing to submit to disfra
it chisement and the Inauguration of
g. policy that tends to a war Of race
H. all to get back into the Union-ju
ou where you are already, and alwa
ch we're !


What do you want to get back in
by that sort of Union for? If you a
d. not now in it, what can you expect
cd getting in in such way as they prese
he to you2 You say it is to get repi
lat sentatiou in the Unior Is not lie
he lucky in the TTnion2 Has she a
wn representation? The telegraph
ate forms that resolution has been ]
not troduced into the so called Congrt