Year: 1868

have been so long kept out, and now that
they are in they say that they shall not
stay in; they shall 90 out again. At least
there Is the merit Of rrankness In this an.
nunciation. They say the State govern.


ments were formed under compulsion


When our pilgrim fathers worshipped
with sentinels standing with rifles at the
tne church door, suppose some man had
charged that they were singing psalms
under the coercion Of those rihesY


Ii is said their constitutions were not
formed by the whole people. No; they
would not have been so good If they had
been. If the old plantation class had had
their way, | venture to say they would
not have been as good as they are, They
were formed by the common people. They
knew what they needed. No man can tell
the doctor where the ache is as well as the
man that aches. The only charge that
can be made against the constitutions
these loyal Southern men have made Is,
that they are too democratic. l would
ask no other thing by which to test the fruit
of this war than to point to the constitu-
uons made by black men that few years
ago toiled In the rice and cotton fields.
These constitutions are the marvel of the
time in which we live. They are objected
to, not because too despotic, but because
too full of liberty. They have not given
to those accustomed to power sceptre or
influence, but have given the power to the
people. But they have made the blacks
citizens. What else are the blacks fitted
torg They were not made to be slaves
To attempt TO make animals or machines
of men is the most monstrous violation of
the ordinances of nature and of the de-
crees of God, and 1t ought not to be OBJ
jected to these Southern Constitutions that
they have proclaimed liberty to all the
land. 1t is objected that the blacks are
not yet fitted for the suffrage. have
never doubted that 1t was best for them.
Suffrage is best for every man and for
every woman. [Applause. But no man
is fit for voting until he has exercised the
right, Voting right comes from voting
oflen--not In the Democratic sense.
Laughter Can man aim his rifle
properly until he has practised with it
Would the naughty whites of the South
pour into the ears of the blacks the rea-
sons for State policies if they had no vote
Voting makes every politician an educator
of every man that votes. We have begun
to find out that the good in suffrage is far
greater than any evils that may be in it,


| have seen accounts of the ridiculous way
in which these black hordes vote but
can point you out gang of immigrants in
New York that will vote just rs ridiculous.
Plantation voters do not half come up to
New York wards. We were asked how
we would like to have black men voting
by our side. II Is no worse than to have
immigrants voting by our side. For the
present it is not joyous but grievous; but
by and by it will bring forth the fruits of
peace and liberty. In twenty years, every
immigrant dies off or becomes q good
citizen. The only question Is, viii the
boiler bear the pressureY With us, it will. If
we could bear the pressure during the war,
and still maintain the integrity of the
Union, in spite of the foreign votes, we
can bear it under any circumstances.
would not allow an immigrant to remain
here q year before l would make him q
voter. Not that there would not be evils
and dangers connected with it; but the
blessings would outweigh them. 1t has
never been pleasant for those having the
power to give it to others. Power never
is distributed from those above downward


but comes down by revolution from those
above. Aside from their natural rights
the blacks of the South have earned the
right of suffrage by their fidelity in war
They have earned the right of self.defense
The blacks must be annihilated, or defend
themselves by the sword or by the ballot.
If there be any obligation that rests upon
us, it is to see to it that these poor
creatures do not see harm. If you doubt
the wisdom of giving suffrage to them,
doubt 1t; but they have got it, In my
younger days l once undertook to run
after an express train. never do it now.


Laughter Suffrage once put into the
hands of men, catch it if you can. You
may say they would better not have had
the ballot; you might as well say they
would better not have been born black
The Republican party gave them the bal
lot, and the question now is whether ii
shall be taken away from them by the
Democratic party. The distress of the
South arises from the fact that they have
reached a point requiring change; but
that change they brought upon themselves
and it will lead them to higher position
than they ever before enjoyed. Mr.. B
here read letter, containing a series OF
questions, and proceeded to answer them.


You have here in drop what you will
get in the New York World in pro
longed squirt. [Laughter.l care not the
Southern loyalists worse treated than In
1862" Yes but It is because of the hope
that in another year Blair will be Presi


dent, wearing Seymour's veil. Let it bC
understood that Grant is to be the mex


President, and in a month from Novem
! Der all will be quiet and peace. [Grea
| applause. "How many more Teconstruc


tion measures shall we require?" NJ


more; all we want now is administration


When they know that Grant sits in tn


chair, that will be enough. [Applause


"Why did not the Republican party in


form the South at the outset what they re
quired of itY" Principally because they
did not know themselves because
they were not all prophets. The Repub
lican party has had TO feel its way. W.
were crossing ford that had never beer
explored, and got many souse before W.
| got across. How can an honest, intelli
| gent, patriotic Christian support the Re
| publican party? How can he support thu


Democratic party? 1t is said that Gene


rel Grant is drunkaTd SO il is said tha
| General Blair Is one. | do not believe
either. But if it were so, would rathel


have General Grant drunk than Governor
Seymour sober Great applause. 1t il


said Grant knows nothing of civil affairs
| 1t Is certain that Seymour knew nothing
of military affairs II is said we want {
statesman for President What is a states


man but man OF common sense or un


common honestly And where shall W,
find man with such common sense, sucl
honesty, so modest, with so little of self
seeking? believe him to be man wht
will give us an administration resembling
that of Washington himself taking coun
sci Of wise men. If General Grant sits a


the head of the Government, not on,


working man, not one poor immigrant


not one dusky creature that by his pine


knot candle reads his spelling. book, tina


will not feel that he is safe. Who Is hii
antagonist A man ofamiable private life


man whose faults lie wholly in his pub