Year: 1865

MIA, in the senate of the Unite


states, on the goth inst, in RepI


to Mr.. sumner of Massachusetts.
Mr.. COwan.-Mr. President, I am no


disposed to allow the speech Of tn


honorable Senator from Massachusetts


(Mr. Sumner) TO go 70 the country with


out a very brief reply. If thst speeel


be true, and if it be a correct picture


Of the South, then. God help Us; ther


this Republic, this Union is at an end


then the great war which we waged 70,


the Union was a folly; then all th,


blood and treasure which We have ex
pended in that war in order 20 restore


ourselves to cOmpaniOnship with the


people Of the South have been equally


fOllies. But, Mr. President, is it true


Or IS not this a series Of sr B1rfs state.


ments made up BY anonymous letter


writers, people who are down there


more than likely stealing cotton, people


who are down there in the enjoyment


Of place and power, people who are in
| terested that the disturbed condition


OF things which exists there now shall
always continue because they make


profit of it Is there any man who has


had any experiencein the trial Of causes,
any man who knows any thing about the


nature Of evidence, who does not know


that the honorable Senator could have
sent his emissaries into any one county
in the lately rebellious States and gath
cred up from the experience of knaves
and fools and discontented ngle-idead
people far more than he has given US
in this speech


We are are told here Of the exeep.
tionRl instances Of bad conduct on the
part Of the people of the South. Why,
what large volume it would take to
hold sll that If q man we're to 90
about any where in the loyal States
and hunt up what he might suppose to
be reasonable expressions, heretical
expressions, how many could he find
| And yet we are treated to all this here
as fit was the whole Of the evidence
in the case One man out Of ten thou
sand IS brutal TO negro, and that is
paraded here as q type of the whole
people of the South, whereas nothing
is said of the other nine thousand nine
hundred and ninety-nine men who
treat the negro we'll One man ex-
presses a great deal of dissatisfaction
at the present state of affairs and that
is paraded here, while nothing is said
of the other ten thousand men who are
cOntented to accept it and make the
most Of it


What, then, are we to dO2 We are
to suppose that the people Of the South
ern states lately in rebellion have
common sense; and when their utter
ances are in accordance with what is
common sense and the dictate Of their
own interest, Ve have a right to pre-
sume it to be true But according to
what we have Just heard, everything
that has come from the people of these
States and from their public bodies,
from the representatives of these peO-
pie, ls to be taken as false; and WHY
Because some cotton agent, some cor
respondent of q radical newspaper in
the North, some Otiice-hOlder who has
been making profit Of the state Of
things there, chooses to say it is al
false.


The heresy of State Rights is not de-
stroyed there, the honorable Senator
SAYS. Have we not heard from almost
all the public men Of the South that
that question was put to the Arbitra.
ment of the sword, that they have lost,
and that they submit Have they not
acquiesced in the abolition of slavery
that thing Of all others which was the
last, in the opinion of every body, that
they would submit to-


But still further guarantees are want
ed we are not told what they are.
What are they? What Is wanted2
Every body admits that the negro
ought TO have his natural rights secured
10 him l believe all the moderate,
conservative men of this Chamber are
fully agreed that every man should
have his natural rights secured-the
right Of life, liberty and the pursuit Of
happiness; the protection Of property,
limbs, and reputation; that he should
have the right TO sue and be sued, and
to testify in courts OF justice The ne
gro has not hitherto been allowed in
the southern States, TO testify in courts
of justice, aud Why Because he was
a slave, and if ] had been a citizen Of
the southern States when slavery pre-
vailed there, would have resisted his
right to testify in the courts A wit
ness, like 3 voter, ought to be a free
man; he should not belong to another
man. What chance would litigant
have against the master Of slaves If
the slaves could testify 1t seems 10
me that the slave ought not to testify
for the same reason that the wife ought
not TO testify either for or against the
husband. Would you ask a negro to
testify against his master, to 20 back to
that master and be subjected to his i'll
will because of his testimony Would
you allow him TO testify for the master
as against a party on the other sidey
Certainly not


But now this state Of things has pass
ed away. Now the people of the South
ern States, themselves, 50 far as ] un-
derstand them, are ia favor ofopening
the courts to all these classes Of people.
And, sir, they must open them for their
own security ! am willing to leave
that to themselves their own interests
will compel them to allow all people TO
testify, unless they are excluded by
these disabilities that have heretofore
excluded witnesses from testifying If.
the honorable Senator from Massachu-
sets. and those who think with him,
desire thsS these people should have
the right Of suffrage, why not say 90
boldly


Mr. Sumner do say SO.


Mr. COTan- Very we'll; that is so
much that is clear, make L broadly. we
may differ from him, but the people
will decide am perfectly willing TO
aequiesce in their decision. / do not
care which way il is: but the people
will decide that question, and they will
decide II promptly. If the honorable
Senator from Massachusetts, wants to
hold the doctrine that these States are
not States; that they are not constit-
uent members Of the UnioU, Les him
say 90; there is q tribunal to which that
car be referred. 10 be wishes TO take
issue with the Presideuton these points.
let the issue be made fairly and square
ly, and It VIII be met Thank God in
thus Government, not like that of Rus
sia' which he has eulogized, there IS a
power above US all there Is a power to
whose sbitrament and award We can
appeal and who viii settle this thing
conclusively.


NOW Nj. President, am for recon
Citation. / want 10 have the Union
restored and a Union means a Union
BY consent not by force. would like
to make friends Of all the people with
whom We have been st enmity here
toiore ] do not want the contest 10
go on any longer But are We to make /
friends with them, and are they to be /