Year: 1867

oIaIes, saying, III you Will adopt that


Amendment you may come into Con-


gress and be represented there, provid-


ed, you will send to us loyal men who


love Republican Government"


Were these hard terms, my friends


Was there anything tyrannical in that


Was there anything that an honest man
could not dof We wanted no traitors


in the counsels Of our nation, and by


the favor Of God we never will have
them. Cheers. Now, what argu-


ments did they put forth on the other
side against that Constitutional Amend
ment, that our legislators in their wis
dom and intelligence proposed to their
constituents last winter? Why, the
Constitutional Amendment was this,
that if the seeded States would permit
the colored men to vote, then they
might have representation based upon
their numbers. If they thru,t them
out and would not permit this need of
justice to prevail, then they should be
restricted to what they had heretofore.


Was there anything wrong in that Is
there any man here who wishes to give
premium to traitors by giving them a
greater number Of Representatives in
Congress, because they had raised their
accursed arms against the best Govern
ment in the world? That was the po-
sition that the Democratic party, So
called, in this State and in other States,
took. They said, that while slavery
prevailed you had only a certain repre-
Sentation for the enslaved. Five shall
count equal to three freemen in the rep
resentation in Congress That was in
the old Constitution as a compromise
made at the time when slavery prevail
ed throughout the seeded States and
others. Now, we propose, since we
have freed the slaves, representation,
like that of the Northern States, for
every freeman. Then you must give
these freemen the right Of suffrage, and
if they are not good enough to vote,
they are not good enough to let you
have their votes by reason of their num-
bers. That was all | asserted before.
Their declaration was that because those
men had committed treason and forfeit
ed the right to hold slaves, they should
therefore by reason Of that crime, re-
ceive larger representation in Con-
gress. That the traitor, instead of be-
ing hung for his crime, should have
greater influence in that Government he
sought to destroy than if he had re-
mained a true and loyal man. All this
Vallandigham contended for last year.
| have no fear of such doctrines pre-
vailing. | have no fear of such Dem
ocracy. The true test Of such Democra-
cy is in the doctrine that all men are
equal before the law, and each stands
on the same privilege, unless forfeited
by crime. This is the essential element
in the approaching canvass. There are
no doubt men here who have strong
prejudice against the colored men, the
result of education. Men are not to
blame for that, but they are to blame if
they suffer what they know TO be preju-
dice to prevail on them to do injustice to
anybody,


ARGUMENT AGAINST NEGRO SUFFRAGE.


One of the strongest arguments
against giving the colored man voice
in the Government, is that he is igno-
rant; but there is none so Ignorant but
they would hang him for violation of
law. .#..


The law excuses no man on account
Of his ignorance, and yet that would
exclude him from voice in making the
law that is to punish him. Will this
objection stand with the American peo-
ple7 lsit not the quinteScence Of mon
archy and aristocIacyf A Government
is free in exact proportion as it extends
the right Of government to its citizens.
A despotic power dou't permit any man
to have part in the government, and
free government is despotic in exact
proportion as it excludes citizens from
the right Of government.


Do you wish to adopt the argument
of the British tories, who to-day are
struggling to keep down the masses Of
citizens whom they have ground to
powder for generations? ! hope to
God we shall stand by our true princi-
pies, until we have taught every nation
under heaven the true principles of gov
ernment, and the laboring men come
forward everywhere, and claim their
just part in all that belongs to them.
This great issue depends upon the
faithfulness of the Republican party of
the United States. If we shrink from
our integrity, the aristocracies of the
world will rise in their triumph and be-
come seven fold more the children of
hell than heretofore What are the ar
guments put forth by monarchs and ar
istocraces to maintain their craven, sell
fish statusi in the governments they have
so long controlled? Exactly the same
as this candidate for Governor put forth
in his late speech to persuade the Amer
ican people that we have class Of men
among us too ignorant to participate in
their government If you don't arm
the meek and lowly with the power to
protect themselves in a government,
who will look to their rights and save
them from the accursed domination Of
the aristocrats Having followed the
cause of the Republican party in all its
great deeds thus far in the progress of
the last few years, who is there that