Year: 1876

fused to receive them He told
them that they belonged to u differ
ent race, and could not with pro
pliety be Incorporated into the
army! This was showing great re-
spoct for the colored people! The
hope had not then been given up of
restoring the Union, as it was be-
fore the war, with slavery in full
blast. In the course of time, as the
civil war progressed, the Republi-
can party saw that there was no
hope of bringing the Southern
States back into the Union except
by conquest and subjugation.
Then, for tho first time, their kind
ness and consideration for the ne
gro began to show itself President
Lincoln issued proclamation, Ac-
c]aring the slaves free in all the
States that did not lay down their
arms and come back into the Union.
This proclamation showed that they
cared nothing for the slave or his
interest, but only as power to
preserve the Union, for which alone
the war WAS commenced. They
we're willing for him to continue u
slave ii this would end tho war.
Giving up all hope of restoring the
Union by consent Of the Southern
States, they began to think how
best they could conquer and destroy
; the South. Then tho idea came
into their minds of eniisting the
no gro i'll their army, and by that
means increase their forces and
greatly weaken the defence of the
Southern States. Was there any
love for the colored people in put
! ting them as they did, in the front
of the battle! They Thought only
Of their own interest and their own
success through the slaughter of tho
colored troops!


! When the w;lr WAS over and tho
conquest Of tho Southern States was
accomplished, they did not think of
giving the right Of suffrage to the
colorcd people! Governor Morton
expressed the views of the Republi-
can party when he declared himself
opposed to this extension Of the
right of suffrage. President john.
son, when he gave m" my instruc-
ton as Provisional Governor of
South Carolina, directed mo to con-
fine tie right of suffrage to white
persons WHO had taken the oath Of
allegiance. Hc did not include Il
single colorcd man in South Caro-
lima! And So it WAS in all the
Southern States. L myself
t!lought that colored mon who
coul>t read and write, and paid II
tax Oh five hundred dollars worth
of property, should lc allowed to
vote. The Republican authorities
lit Washington Thought differently
ut tnat time. But Il sudden change
came ove: them when they found
That al the Southern States had
gone Democratic and elected Demo
cratic Cove: nors, members of Con-
gress nnd Senator's. They then
! determined to enfrlnchisc the ne
grocs an disfrancilise the white
people in order TO give all the
SoHtho,n States to the Republican
p::.y. Was there any regard for
~tAa c)l, rel people in all this Was
it not TIC il own interest and their
own party purposes which prompt
cl item to bestow this boon on the
negro? They required five years
rcs.Icn~e before Il foreigner was
ailowcl 1 to vote. This was to enable
him to become acquainted with our
l.ws, our constitution and form OF
government. He hal likewise to
produce in court Il certificate Of
good moral character. How differ
ent was their conduct all at once
towards the cololcd people when
they adopted the idea of controlling
the Southern States by means OF
the freedmen. Without any
preparation or education or certiti-
cate Of moral character, the whole of
the frceilmcn were declared citizons,
with the right Of suffrage!


This is tho pretended sympathy
Of the Republican party for the
negro. It is false in every particu,
lar. Iney meyer had any sympathy
for him except where their interest
prompted them to hive, They
welc, in the first place, actrAtol by
u base md sortil interest in send,
ing thor vessels TO Africa and kid
mapping the poor negro and selling
him as slave. They were act,latcd
by their own interest when, finding
that his labor was no longer profta-
bic, they sct him free, They con
suited their own interest and not
tho interest Of the negro when they
took him into their armies, and
declared that the Southern States
should not be restored to the Union
til he was set free. They wero
actuated by the samo motive when
they gave him the right Of suffrage.
And they are now actuated by the
same principles and tho Same feel
ings whom they tell tho colorcd peo-
pie to vote for the carpct-baggers
and scalawags who represent the
Republican party i'll the Southern
States,


Your Excellency knows full well