Rensselaer Union, Volume 2, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 March 1870 — Senator Reveis' Maiden Speech. [ARTICLE]

Senator Reveis' Maiden Speech.

Om JWiiiirifejiLiii wi/<-inR under Senator frlTßl WM|iilff'. def* o*'! 0 *'! his first qieech Ort tbu'floor of (le U'nittxl Blates Barista. /IMfcljpwia/fttte tele graphic Mk Pnmn»«¥; 'nwk tWI partten lar Juncture ,fri ,file ductMta of ifo Georgia bill whkfe perhap* never before enterMlnto the experience of any member of thia body. I rite,-too, with misgtxlngCka tp 'the. propriety ot lifting my voice at ttrhf rarly period after my admiasion in the Scnate/Ferhrips it were wiac for me, so intxpeikfooed in the termMv short and that the imuea with whiehrtHrbiU it fraught ere momeaioua in tMfr ptwHMit ami ftitareinfluence upon the well-being of my race, I would seem, s indifferent to the importance ©4 th* hour.; and recreant to the -fofh. trust imposed upon me, if I negteoteite lend my wee on behalf of the people of tbeMSouth. I, therefore, waive ajl thought s ar to the propriety of entetjng into thiadieoussion, breaking through a gmtaratty unflorstoon etiquette of thia body,. xWben- questions arise which bear upon the safety and pro tectihb tH thetioyal white and colored ix'.JltMtten&sw lately to rebellion, I cannot allow any thought as to mere proprNfljjto enter intoviy consideration of duty. k The responsibilitids.'br- being the exponent of such a constituency as I have' the honor ttr represent are-ftrt lyup and thatJseyT L fy<iiupto rae jfiwftoui® my chamWr frAheoncttoh f iffUrac. nmnl to da lion nMLfhflJfttog aim or lhpy3bpHr meet loyal children, ' of colaThtFiice, who are citizens 161 sip orw of” Ocorfto .< am well awarMto, thft the id JF is topJlHfcto antagonism whites and blacks; thhF the Yaee which the nation raised from the degradation of stavflry and endowed with the full andC unMNMed rights-and privileges of citi-i zejfiMjrfs Intent upon power, at whatever pnee ft can be gained. It has been the well considered purpose atid aim Of a class not Confined to the South to spread this choree Wer the land, and their effort! Me as ywttpus to day to edueate theprotfltft of thisjjktion Into that belief as tlfey were at the close of the war. • It Was’not ifncommun to find this same class, even dur.rebellion, prognosticating a servile Wat. It hi ay Iffive been that the wish Wasfibber to the fought; and, sir. “Jfe recognized representative of my” down-trodden people,! deny the charge, MOurUH back into the teeth of those who tuake,ft, and who, I believe, have not • Jkjj&flnd- conscientious desire to fturther tha,mlsrests of. the whqje South. Cer tamly, any ope possessing a'knowledgenf Ul . e peptflation of my own or any other State, peed reminded of the noble conduct of their people under the moat tntmfrqircnmfttenofis iq the.lfotory of the We cffril wat, when they ufere be t HLf > jy ect * on S* Jhe'Federal forces. While tire wnfrderate army pressed into its ranks every white male capable of bearing arme, mothers, wives, daughters, °f the Bouthem soldiers were, IpftftfenoeleaSi and 4fi the power of the blacks, upon, whom the chains of slavery •"J*! •Mjl pveted, and- to bind those cftHsfioser Wasthereal issue for which.* so much life and property was sacrificed. AnLpow,-»ir, I ask how did that race act’ IXBUfiey.dn those days At ( ten fed ehi to Weakness and impotence, evince the mahgaky «f which we hear so much ? Gifctmg; for the sake of atgumehf, tnrft they were ignorant and besotted, which 1 ~y cl with all tffcirsfipposea acquiescence and credulity, they in their way understood, us fully as tb * hwflul injport of the flonteste They Knew if the gallant corps of national were beaten back and their flag » Rftß' 1 *? nK ‘ t^at WM the presage of Mtn heavier bondage. They longed, too, as their fathers did before them, for the advent of that epoch pver which was shed the hallowed ligtjt of inspiration iteelf They -desired, too, with their fatfiegs, t</-welaoine the feet of strangers sho*. wrf k the peacefiii preparation, of good news. Weary years of bondage had told their tale of sorrow to the Court of Heaven, in Cie councils of tire great Father df alh J hey knew the adjudication of tfieir care, albeit delayed for years in suffering had nearly ex hauMM Itself, would in the end’ bring *ham boo j for which they w®’s rflost blessed gift to His creatures,— MabstwCUOf their nnwtmtheypjqtqpthervrrtue and chastity Of the defenscterfwonma. tTUink, sir’ fog a moment, <3ct the condition of tlusland would be if . 6 J* T , C population had risen TOWvftetnsfirfactioriagainet those who, month, were fighting to per-M«atefthat-'ibsmfctioi which brought them all the evils of which they cqmAMned. Where wioaldjiisve been security for property-female chastity, - and clila•ikfaflis ♦< The counter part of such a history of cruelty and WHUiiave beeß paralleled: onjy in those, chapters or Jewish history as JtgMed by Josephus, or in the siULMtar atrocities of that reign of terror whim WgHhe unfortunate LwisXV. and Marie Aflftflfiette to the scaffold. Nay, in of odid-blooded butchery woulu have out Heroded the most diaof Herod himself Mi* President, f maintain tbit the psfet •j«oni of my race is a, true,-index of the tertiugs which today animate them. They bear tpward their former masters po 'fhvoigeful thoughts, bo hatred,no antmc&i£hey aim pot to elevate themselves "fr “Ctlflcing Oae single interest Of their white fellow-citizens. They ask but the pghte-whu* we theirs by Gfld'auohrersal law, and which are the natural outgrowth .and mgicrt lequnnce of the oanditiopin which the legislative enactments of this nation have placed them. They appeal to you and to me to see that they receive protection which alone will enable them to pursue their daily avocations with ®J>d enjoy their liberties of citizenship on the same footing with their white ,teto?ilx>rs and friend?. I do not desire simply to defend my own race from unjust 4«p4 tmmerited charges, buti also desirt to pntee upon record hp expression df my »fMI *■< entire a>nfl4qq|oe jn the integrity ot purpose with which f believe the pres.eaiXkmgsesj and Bepublcan party xill meet these questions; bo prolific of weal or tpjxpead the history of the times, influ•mred by no spirit of petty tyranny. The Baflt is tynumens tone it like »giant." How havi they used that penirer, lofted jn them by the people ? In acts pf cruelJy* and -oppression towards those who sought to rend in twain this good!v fabric iof our Irtheps’ priceless *. heritage? of, so much hardship and endurance in revolutionary, fimee? Lhtthereconstniction enactment answer the interrogation!* No poor words <4 mine aito needed-1® delend the Wise find beneficent legSla, tion which has been dUende# alikp to White Mid colored citizens/ Thff Hep&bli .can party is noti inflamed, as fame wpukl Wn have believed, against the wfibld population of the South. Its borders arg wide enough for all truly loyal men hr and within them peace and repose from the

din anit discord of lhetio'n' arflf be that i<vfel<«Mnpwbite « black, that great part/ ’rtf our republie Wilk, if ooaMateul with'the record it has already made for i><erfty, throw around’ Mm *h< same inipartiaf’dßnfrtty In hit persuit of liberty and happipcss. If a cerlahr churn of the South THtrteteptvd tnNoofl Mtiithebenevolflft'okfiWures Which were offered to them with no niggard hand, to-day would not find our lautf mill harassed with feuds and contention*. ' ' • I remarkwi, Mr, President, that I rose to plead foj protection to the defenceless race who ntiw sehd theh - delegates to the seat of government, tp sue for that which this Congress almfe esu 'segute to them, find here Irt me sty further that the pewtSa North owe to the colored - race eep obligation, which It IS ho easy mattm to finfll. When theTederal smites wire threatened by jkatli and disaster, and setnbTei.clpuds overhung the length breadth qX republic, apdjthe very r air waafgegnant.with fircigu interference, in those <jprk jlays of defeat, whose memories even yet hafint us as an ugly dream, fronvwbat sou tea did .our nation in Its seeming death-th roes gain additk mal and' new-found power? It was the sable sons *of the Soutii)that valiantly rushed to the resciie*Cnd>bukfor tfisir intrepidity and ard< nt daring many a Northern fireaidu. would miaa to-day paternalxomtspls, pr a broth er's'Jov* ‘•' i IJJ r I J I 1 / r Bis, I repeat Qie fact, that the colored race saved to bf New fipgland and the Middle States men on kafc itoiiay foff becilrity and safetf I' Mrthy or my rtuki.represnitdtivcs of these men on the field of battle, sleep in those quiet resting places of our honored dead could speak to-day, what a mighty voice, like to the rushing bf'fi'imighty wind, would come up from those sepulchral homeflLN’ttind hfbCreßMUhq: ckkiupnt; pleadings of their appeal, oh ! sir, I think that this question of immediate and ample protectibbTif the loyal people' of Georgia would lose jts legal technicalities, and -we woutl fiHMe to hesitate iff qtir prqvirioße for their instant relief Again, I regref this delay omotii*r,gr«jinqk The_taunt is frequently Hung at tmlikt a more terrible than the Greek personation of the ang«?at tfe gods awaits let hour of..direful retribution. We are told that at no distant day a great uprising ,of the American peopl?Wnl ’fl«ntanfl that'these acts of Congress be undone and be blotted forever from the annals pf legislative enactment. I inquire, sir, iff this delay ytaffording prpteoiioa to loyalists of the State Vs Gem-ghidOes not lend an uncomfortable significance to this boasting sneer trim which wirso qjften meet? Delay isdangerous at best, for it is as true in legislation jis longer we pr< x-Autitiate to the proper remedies the ipore critical becomes the malady wwseekWfajd. fUfre lafcd wants sueh as dare, with vigor, execute the laws? spares the part corrupted till the gangrene spreail aufl,ail therboa/ pevisjhl -U« that is merciful unto bad is cruel to good. Mr. Kevelyhen ipyiwed the history of afiairs in wert#w;-StiitHig thal*ei’ : the election in November, 1867, for members of the State Convcn|j<»pjflM,QpO white and. 80,000 colored votes were polled, and” a number of colored delegates elected. A constitution wa! fratned and ratified, and. a Legislature elected under it was convenened. Aftcufilthjis, supposing they had passed beyond Congressional control, tlgk retejiretemard m tfie Legislature as - settM ftshlf, imfl many of those whosedis- ‘ abilities had been removed by the State Convention, Wtefoh *»rrfpris?d a number of colored members, joined in the declaration made b» that Legislature, that a man. having mdre tnan an cighifi AfriCanblood In hjs veins was ineligible to office. These party extended all the rights ana prtvTleges' or citizenship, of whicli they .hftd, deprived thomselreV; denied pmitiEal equkfity to a large majority of their fellow-citizens. Twenty-glgh't, members wer^- expelled. On December 22,1869, an act of Congress was {passed requiring, the -re-assembling of pfcriofis dedarcd Wlefited <b/ the military commander, the restoration oft the expelled ftfaibers, saiU £ reject km pf the others wno were ’disqualified. All the conditions had, now. be?n complied with, and, hntMg rstifivfl thk Fourteenth’and Fifteenth Constitutional Amendments, Georgia presents herself for recognition. The Bingham amendment proposed to legalize, »$e oivanizationql'lß6B, and would offlhfi tegislaturoin appoint rag nie Judge Wire dedded in flavor of. classdistinction in the State as a means of future for loyal Georgians. He desire! J Bat these, lawk should commence from the date of the present legislation. Hei-asks tliis in the name of 10J,000 qfHtetamfJoiprdd Georgiana, and reminded tnat he who permitted opposition shared in the crime. Upon the Conclusion of his remarks, Mr. Reye&jreit«ivcd*»!i/eopjfratulatfoiferof many Republican Senators and . others', amj then the immense audience in the galleries, which Included many persons of color, dispersed.