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sity. Let all the guaranties those fathers gave it be not grudgingly, but fully and fairly, main- tained. For this Republicans contend, and with this, so far as I know or believe, they will be content.
And now, if they would listen, — as I suppose they will not, — I would address a few words to the Southern people.
I would say to them : You consider yourselves a reasonable and a just people; and I consider that in the general qualities of reason and justice you are not inferior to any other people. Still, when you speak of us Republicans, you do so only to denounce us as reptiles, or, at the best, as no better than outlaws. You will grant a hearing to pirates and murderers, but nothing like it to "Black Republicans." In all your con- tentions with one another, each of you deems an unconditional condemnation of "Black Re- publicanism" as the first thing to be attended to. Indeed, such condemnation of us seems to be an indispensable prerequisite — license, so to speak — among you to be admitted or permitted to speak at all. Now can you or not be prevailed upon to pause and to consider whether this is quite just to us, or even to yourselves? Bring forward your charges and specifications, and then be pa- tient long enough to hear us deny or justify.
You say we are sectional. We deny it. That makes an issue ; and the burden of proof is upon you. You produce your proof; and what is it? Why, that our party has no existence in your section — gets no votes in your section. The fact is substantially true ; but does it prove the issue ? If it does, then in case we should, without change of principle, begin to get votes in your section, we
