Speech #510009800

Morton discussed it in his famous speech in September. 1865. in which he avowed his belief that the negroes then were unfit for the exercise of political power. After pointing out the dangers of colored State governments. which he said "would be bound together by the strongest tie that ever bound men together. the tie of race and color." and which he said he believed "would result in a war of races." he suggested that the negroes ought not to vote until they had passed through a period of probation. and said: At the end often. fifteen. or twenty years let them come into the enjoyment of their political rights. By that time these Southern States will have been so completely filled up by immigration from the North and from Europe that the negroes will be in a permanent minority. Why? Because the negroes have no immigrationnothing but the natural increasewhile we have immigration from all the world and natural increase besides. Thus. by postponing the thing only until such time as the negroes are qualitied to enjoy political rights. the dangers I have been considering would have fully passed away. Their influence would no longer be dangerous in the manner I have indicated. and a conflictot races would not be more likely to happen there than it now is in MIassachusetts.