Year: 1867

itself, peaceful method by which it
could be changed. They arrogated
to themselves no perfection of hu-
man wisdom through which they
sought to bind future generations


They framed it to suit their then ex-
listing wants and necessities, but re-
served the right, and pointed out the
manner, in which they and their pos
terity might change it Thus it is
allotted to each generation to make
such changes as the advancing civil
ization of he world requires


The disdain, with which the govern
ing classes of the South have reject.
ed the mild requirements of the pend
ing constitutional amendments,
proves them unfit and unsafe to shape
the Legislation of this country.


In my judgment the time for other
and additional action has now arriv-
ed. We must look beyond those
classes. The Disloyal should no
longer be permitted to act the part
of the dog in the manger. Now,
they neither enjoy the full benefits of
our representative Government, nor
permit loyal people in their midst to
enjoy them. They seem to have for
gotten that their every system of
slavery has been weighed in the bal
ance by the great popular heart of
the nation and has been found want
ing ; that time nor eternity will not
restore it. 1t has been cast into that
vortex where


Though the mills of God grind slowly
Yet they grind exceeding small


Though with patience He stands waiting
With exactness grinds He all.


1t is criminal in US if we suffer
loyal citizens of the South to be
much longer thus deprived of their
full rights They have right to de-
mand speedy action. While we talk
and procrastinate, they suffer. The
disloyal, basking in the sunshine of
executive sympathy and executive
favor, have again raised their heads,
and are no consolidating their power.
| see no other course left but to give
enfranchisement and power to the
loyal masses of their citizens. Let
the test be loyalty, not race nor color.
1t is the lowly, the humble, the down
trodden, who most need the protect
ing arm of the Government. Wealth
and high order of intelligence usually
secure protection to their possessors;
the poor and the ignorant require the
aid of the ballot for their protection.


The rights of labor and muscle
must not be overlooked nopdisregard
ed. They lie at the very foundation
of our national prosperity and our
continued existence as one nation
When the unity of our nation was
assailed by the recent rebellion :;
when the peril was so great that
every loyal family was compelled to
give up some of it's loved ones 10
fill the depleted ranks Of our armies;
when the conscript submitted himself
to the military authorities for exami-
nation, no such interrogatory was
put to him as "Can you read and
write 2" nor that other interrogatory,
" Does any colored blood flow in your
veins 2" Neither ignorance of letters;
nor race nor color afforded any
ground for exemption vigorous man
hood fixed his liability.


Whoever was required to risk his
life in the defence of our Govern
ment, whoever was required to raise
his stalwart arms to oppose that
mighty rebellion, has, in my iudg- |
ment, sufficient educational qualif- |
cation to enable him to take a part
in shaping the future of that nation
whose unity his valor helped to pre-
serve.


| trust, therefore, that the bill this
House has lately passed, providing
for a restoration of civil govern
ment in Louisiana, may become a |
law ; and if found to work well, that
its substantial provisions may be ex-
tended to all the disorganized COM
munities of the South. Those civil |
governments, which the President |
has assumed to establish, are of no |
binding force. Let the citizens, who |
are now without any adequate pro,
lection, be temporarily protected by |
our military power. That power
should be carefully yet firmly exer-
cised. Rebels must not arrogantly !
dictate what loyal people must do;
they must be taught that every per-
son who is protected by the ample
folds of our flag must love its stars
or fear its stripes.


1t is my earnest desire that the
time may soon come when there
shall be such a state of facts existing
in all the States lately in rebellion as
will admit of their representation
being restored ; but do not want to
see their Representatives come back
here exhibiting that sense of AFRO
giant superiority which was formerly
manifested on this floor. When they
take their seats let it be with no as
sumption of superiority, no admiss-
ion of inferiority let it be with SEN
timents of political equality and of
national unity.


BY one general test and rule we
should fix and determine under what
requirements restoration shall be
had. Let US scrape away all the un-
sound accumulations begotten by
slavery till we c. me to the solid
rock, and build anew then perma-
nency will be given to the structure
in which harmony and justice shall
commingle. Do not let US subject
the people of this nation to a multi
plicity of brilliant operations like
that which characterized the expert