Show REVIEW W i of 0 the ae past edthe future of the american negro f by JD W gulp U M D THE AND HIS BIS in perusing the congressional globe we observe that on the day of Dee december ember 1861 a bill was introduced in the lower house 0 of congress for the purpose of repealing the fugitive slave act of 1850 and to forbid the return of fugitives without proof first made of the loyalty of the claimant yet on the of may 1862 the house then being strong strongly jand lyland overwhelmingly republican voted against the bill bih declaring free the slaves of armed rebels and the fugitive slave law which was enacted by them the whig 0 party and was endorsed an ana upheld by the republican Republic au party remained on the statute books until the members of the democratic party consented to assist in helping to repeal it but notwithstanding this fact dr culp has endeavored deavo red to convey the idea that all the members of the democratic party have always been the natural foes and enemies of the negro race the conservative war policy of 0 the administration continued to assert itself the action of president lincoln in promptly revoking tho the order of f general hunter of the ath of may declaring deel aral i ng free the slaves of the states of georgia florida and south carolina aggravated vate the growing impatience of the people even such strong democratic newspapers as the boston post the detroit free press the chicago times and the new york herald censured the president for revoking general hunters order during the first session of the congress another effort was made to repeal the fugitive slave olave law lav but a great many republicans who were till still under the influence of the conservative war policy refused to vote for its repeal but with the assistance of several democratic members of congress it was finall finally y repealed during that session of congress the president said in his letter to AG hodges of april 4 1863 1 do not claim to have but confess plainly that hat events have hare controlled me we haye have now adduced a sufficient aunt amount of evidence to convince an ab reasonable and fair mili minded cecii persons that abit aoraham lincoln and the leaders ofala party did dia not e care are whether vote aup orvo ieA awu and that ih W or 02 us usan jn A deither ue ither did they prin nu 41 e ic v 10 n 14 m song i 3 g sa s a 3 AW je A ti it was waa bithia A ser v aho W ON ta katof to s abated ia toj mu ol 01 Z e ea zw bb ca 0 MM am z IV U g A 5 n aart 3 an a ua formed the president that if the revolted districts should be dealt with as mere territories or conquered provinces the nation would be obliged to pay the debt contracted prior to the war governor morton delivered his great speech at richmond ind september 28 1865 and denounced the whole theory of republican reconstruction as subsequently carried out he opposed the policy of negro suffrage by arguments which he seemed to regard as overwhelming wh he painted dismal pictures of the i ignorant z and degraded plantation negroes of the south he scouted at the idea of arming them with political power he be referred to the constitution of indiana with a ma majestic j estic wave of his right za hand and said behold the laws of our beloved state they will not permit her intelligent negroes to vote and all colored men are subject to a fine for coming into our state he asked aked with what face the people of indiana could insist upon conferring suffrage r upon the negroes of the south southern e rn states the 1 governor nj ni ged that the policy of negro suffrage would give the lie to all the arguments heretofore employed against slavery as degrading and brutalizing to its victims he was of the opinion that it would be paying the very highest compliment to the institution of slavery and stultify ourselves the governor was very earnest and eloquent in his condemnation of charles sumner for proposing to give the hallot ballot to the negroes he argued that the right to vote car ried with it the right to hold office and that negro suffrage would lead to the election of negro governors negro judges negro members of congress a negro balance of power in our politics and a war of races the indianapolis journal which has always been the organ of the republicans of indiana denounced all who disagreed with governor morton as a being enemies and traitors to the republican party gov morton whom the negro has been taught to look upon as being one of his best and greatest friends was a delegate to the loyal convention which met in philadelphia the middle of september 1865 to consider the critical state of the country and he used his influence laeace with the delegates from the south to prevent their espousal of negro suffrage and he begged frederick douglas to take the first train of cars for his home in order to save the republican party from detriment julians political R recollections ecal pp ap 33 2 and 2403 to be continued |