The Solid South: Speech of Emory Speer of Georgia, December 19, 1902 |
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1870 the assessed 39th congress Abraham Lincoln African race Alabama Alexander H American spirit Anglo-Saxon assessed value ballot Benjamin H change the constitution colored Confederacy Confederate armies congressional reconstruction conquered provinces constitutional methods control the policies convention countrymen danger declared election of delegates elective franchise electors eloquence emancipation ennobling faces of sires faith farms fourteen governor Henry Clay hundred immovable INDEPENDENT CLUB indestructible Johnson Justice labor land lately in secession leaders legislation legislature masses measures millions negro domination North Northern numbers patriotic plainly political action political passion political thought popular orator population president qualifications question regard representatives Republican party restoration senators sion slavery slaves SOLID SOUTH Southern statesmen speech star placed statesmanship Stephens struggle Thaddeus Stevens thousands tion tional Tis loosed true unhappily University of Georgia UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN unlimited negro suffrage value of property vice-president voting age wire puller
Popular passages
Page 13 - Constitution, but it may be not unreasonably said that the preservation of the States and the maintenance of their governments are as much within the design and care of the Constitution as the preservation of the Union and the maintenance of the national Government. The Constitution, in all its provisions, looks to an indestructible Union, composed of indestructible States.
Page 5 - Now you are about to have a convention, which, among other things, will probably define the elective franchise. I barely suggest for your private consideration, whether some of the colored people may not be let in — as, for instance, the very intelligent, and especially those who have fought gallantly in our ranks. They would probably help, in some trying time to come, to keep the jewel of liberty within the family of freedom.
Page 13 - The obligations of the State, as a member of the Union, and of every citizen of the State, as a citizen of the United States, remained perfect and unimpaired. It certainly follows that the State did not cease to be a State, nor her citizens to be citizens of the Union. If this were otherwise, the State must have become foreign, and her citizens foreigners. The war must have ceased to be a war for the suppression of rebellion, and must have become a war for conquest and subjugation.
Page 13 - ... such constitution shall provide that the elective franchise shall be enjoyed by all such persons as have the qualifications herein stated for electors of delegates...
Page 20 - If the Government of the United States has within its constitutional domain no authority to provide against these evils, if the very sources of power may be poisoned by corruption or controlled by violence and outrage, without legal restraint, then, indeed, is the country in danger and its best powers, its highest purposes, the hopes which it inspires and the love which enshrines it, are at the mercy of the combinations of those who respect no right but brute force, on the one hand, and unprincipled...
Page 12 - Unless the law of nations is a dead letter, the late war between two acknowledged belligerents severed their original compacts, and broke all the ties that bound them together. The future condition of the conquered power depends on the will of the conqueror. They must come in as new States or remain as conquered provinces.
Page 12 - States; that the electors in each State shall have the qualifications required for electors of the most numerous, branch of the State Legislature...
Page 18 - I shall correct the procedure ; but that done, return with joy to that state of things, when the only questions concerning a candidate shall be, is he honest ? Is he capable ? Is he faithful to the Constitution ? I tender you the homage of my high respect.
Page 14 - Too often ruinously lavish in their personal expenditures, they believed in an economical government, and, throughout the long period of their domination, they guarded the Treasury with rigid and unceasing vigilance against every attempt at extravagance, and against every form of corruption.
Page 21 - No foot of land do I possess, No cottage in this wilderness, A poor wayfaring man, I lodge awhile in tents below ; Or gladly wander to and fro, Till I my Canaan gain.