Year: 1867




a APPEAL TO CONGRESS.
If I could reach the ear of Congress, I |
would appeal to them to Danish prejudice, |
and consider the question in the pure light |
of reason Color is a matter of taste; and,
although the negro be at present generally
inferior, yet he is as capable as thousands
and thousands who swell the vote in our
towns and cities. The objection of ignor-
ance has been as strongly urged against al
lowing free suffrage to the white man. If
Congress desires to prevent future agitation
to render the freedman peaceful and content
ed; to remove the danger of internal war
and to create new clement OF strength in
the Government,-I would exhort its men,
bers to stand firm, and refuse admission to
State until it had recognized this right. And
thesStates would do it. 1t has been argued
that it-has been the custom of Congress to
Net the States regulate the right of suffrage
as they pleased heretofore; but these prece-
dents are of no authority now. The rebel
lion has wrought changes which require a
new line of policy. Congress is not bound
to admit any State; nay, they are bound to
refuse it admission, if this would conflict
with the ends for which the Constitution was
ordained and established.


There is danger that the hour of victory
may become the hour of overwhelming dis
aster The spirit fmagnanimity, the desire
to restore peace and harmony, and to soothe
and conciliate, are amiable traits; but these
may be pushed to point which will jeopar
die our national safety. If Congress falter
now, it may be too late to retrieve the false
step hereafter Prejudice and habit are so
broken and loosened at present, that they
may be easily removed by decided action
No,o is the time. The people are almost per-
| suaded of the justice of the measure. But,
| if the States be re-admitted with restricted
suffrage, the prejudice against the negrp will
revive; and far in the future will be the time
when convention will be called for his
benefit


The negro has been raised to situation
from which he can contemplate the wretch
edness of his past condition. Is he to look
into the future without hope of sharing its
rewards Must four millions of sturdy la
borers remain forever dumb Are those who
have breasted the cannon and the bsyonet in
defence of their country, and who pay of the
fruit of their toll into the public treasury, to
remain prescribed and degraded race Are
they not to be allowed the means of defend
ing their freedom? Are they to look for
ward to no higher elevation Are they never
to hope that their children, refined by cul-
ture, may occupy that position which they
themselves do not expect to reach? If this
is to be so, then the freedman in the free re-
public of America will be infinitely inferior
in position to the emancipated negro in the
slave empire Of Brazil, for there he finds
color no barrier to the highest social and
political success. But we trust it is not to
be so. Even upon Mr.. Calhoun's theory OF a
representation of interests or orders, the
freedmen would be entitled to voice in
Government; how much more when we place
it upon the higher ground of their rights as
persons


would appeal to Congress, by the sacred
memory of our fathers, who founded gov
ernment for the home of human freedom /; fol
the sake of the cherished principles of the
Declaration of independence, which we have
been taught to revere; for the sake of thu
down-trodden in every land, who are watch
ing the American star with anxious soici
tude; for the sake of republican liberty fol
the sake of our future peace and safety ant
our future greatness and glory for the SAX,
ofjustice,- all this and more, would
conjure them to act And when so many 0
the stirring events of the present times shal
have been forgotten, and the names of 81
many actors in the present scenes shall hav
been buried in oblivion, the future historian
will seek for those who rose superior to th
prejudices around them, and recorded thei
votes in favor of human liberty and human
progress. For the appointments of destin,
for the future are visible; and this caus
shall triumph at last, so sure as truth ant
justice are living and eternal.


CAMILLE.