Speech #460045328

I stated in the first remarks I made that. in spite of all the benefits we had extended to those people. in spite of the fact that they have equal protection under the law. absolutely equal protection. and many of them have availed themselves of the protection extended and have improved both in education and material prosperity to an extent I was not prepared to believe they would. which I confess. nevertheless I said to the Senate what is true. that a large proportion of the colored race is thriftless and worthless. they do not avail themselves of these privileges. they gather about cities and towns. and every man who lives in that country knows that they live by every means that is improper. and live poorly at that. They are restless. they are dissatisfied. they are ready to go anywhere where something is promised them without labor. They can be induced to get up an excitement at any time in the way of emigration. I make charges on nobody. I simply say it is the work of individuals. I will not say it is the work of the great republican party of the North. but I will say that we do have evidence that republican political agents have been among them for the purpose of creating dissatisfaction and getting them to emigrate by making wild promises of what they could get in Kansas and now what they can got in Indiaia. I have seen colored people myself who have said that these agents have told them that by going to Kansas or some Northern State the Government would give them land. and the Government would give them the first years support. and the Government would equip theirfarms for them. and some of them said they werein addition to that to get fabulous wages. It would astonish the Senate if I were to tell them what some of these poor people have said was whispered into their ears by these agents.