Mr. SPRAGUE. Mr. President, the advocates of the interests of the South are aristo cratic; those of the North are democratic; and these ideas represent respectively the education of the 2 people. Ones education has been to sustain class interests, the other the interests of the whole people in opposition to those of a class. The Constitution is brought in to sustain respectively these ideas. Constitutions have heretofore been forced from power, from a class, for the protection and in the interest of the mass of i. people, never given by a people willingly to a class for their own subjugation. I do not believe the history of the world exhibits a spectacle such as is presented today, where a power emanating from liberty and from a people imbued with liberal ideas is made an instrument for the protection of that liberty. The immortal DeclarIndep maintained that all men were created equal and the present Constitution was established in the interest of that idea, not as some would have us believe in support of the doctrine that a few men are created equal and have rights and privileges by virtue of which they may rule and domineer over the many. While the populations of the Old World are struggling to emancipate themselves from the power, the rule, and the privileges of a class, in this country, under the lead of a Democratic President, a man who like all around me has come from the people, we find man advocating the interests of a class, and his fol lowers in their desperation are resorting to ridicule, to calumny, and to murder in imitation of his example. How often has the melancholy spectacle been exhibited of men who having been elevated to prominence, to favor, and to power, while advocating liberty and justice in the interests of the great mass of people fighting nobly in their behalf, in opposition to a class, have stultified them sefves by advocating doctrines the very oppoi site of those that had absorbed their lives; and the price thereof is favor, admittance into the charmed circle, bearing upon their breasts marks of distinction, the real badges of their own degradation. How often in the world's history have we witnessed the people wildly sustaining the power of the king, strengthening and cementing that power by their blood and treasure in conquests which have been made the means of their more perfect subjugation. This, it is true, may be temporary; for as the world progresses and men are imbued with free principles they will not submit; for independent men will not permit a class to be the fount aim of honor, emoluments, culture, and education. These, with morality and virtue, belong to all the people; for when otherwise, the in heritance of the people has always been poverty, ignorance, and degradation. None are now so blind as not to know that in protecting and saving southern institutions," maintaining southern ideas, the people at the South are kept in poverty, vice, and degradation in order that a class may be elevated to power and prosperity. The northern idea in contradistinction acknowledges and maintains that the fountains of honor, of power, of prosperity emanates from the people. however imperfect may be their administration, the people are in a greater degree prosperous. However ignorant or vicious or poor; however led astray for the moment from their true welfare by the mental and material power of the world in the interest of class, and which is constant and ever on the alert to cheat them into measures for their restrictions and subjugation; I say however all this may be, the end is that the great mass of the people are more intelligent, more independent, more prosperous, and more virtuous under their own rule than under the wisest and best rule of the wisest and best rulers. I say that the American President is today leading a class, and in the interest of a class, in opposition to the privileges and highest welfare of the great mass of the people. He gives us nearly 1/2 of his message in advocacy of the doctrine of his class. Why will he not give us a word in sustaining the true elements of our Government justice, liberty, equal rights, and protection to life and property among the people? Is our only foundation that of amity, good fellowship, and friendly feeling between the people of the 2 sections? Does he not know th. these have no permanent existence among the most friendly? Tem er, interest, and other causes are constantly reaking in upon this condition; and will he advocate that therefore society is chaos and has no settled permanent formation and existence? Is our Government so weak, is it reduced to this, a Government established upon and which can only be sustained by feeling? Equal rights, equal political privileges, the elevation of the lowest through the elements of religious training and educational culture in contributing to the greatest mutual prosperity of all the people, are these nothing? Do they not give strength to a Government, and will not these give strength to conquer hate, ignorance, and a blind “rule or ruin” policy? Something else besides good fellowship sustains the principles of a free Government. This is the doctrine of kings and their followers. Oil will mingle freely with water before the ideas advocated in southern interests will mingle with the principles advocated in the interests of free Governments and free peoples. Fire and water will, when united, promote and strengthen the qualities of each before the society of the North, maintained upon its principles, will mingle with the society of the South maintained upon its principles; and just in that proportion will the 2 systems strengthen equally if the contest is maintained. We may as well come to this conclusion 1st as last; we shall come to it in the end; the 2 ideas will not prosper together, never. Which, then, shall prevail?, Shall the people rule this country, or shall the king and his followers? In answer, what say the 300,000 dead soldiers and the 300,000 wounded and maimed men who sacrificed themselves in the cause of liberty, progress, and free government? What say their friends? Beaten in the contest of arms, another contest, that of the forum, that which desperation only brings forward, is now presented. Ridicule, calumny, and murder are the arguments used here and elsewhere in support of a contest thus transferred. Which then will succeed? God in heaven determines, for if there is a God right will triumph over wrong. If in this Senate some of these elements are used, why may they not in double power be used elsewhere? because in defense of human rights we have determined to use the colored man for his progress and for the progress of the race, for the education, culture, and Foof the white people as well as black, are we deter mined to use him, and for this we are condemned for making him an instrument therefor. Slavery and the colored man could be made the most powerful element of hostility in the advocacy of class interests; not to promote equal justice, equal political privileges for the people. Who then are the people? Are there not 8 million of whites in the South? Have they not rights? Should not justice be meted out to them? Why advocate liberty for one and withhold it from the other? Let the revolution answer. Schooled by the charm of slavery into a hate for liberal institutions, corrupted and bribed into abject submission to the haughty class that had monopolized all power and all emoluments, following blindly these teachings imbibed from their mothers milk, advocates of their own slavery and degradation they engaged in rebellion. be introduced into the political and social system of a free people? God forbid. I speak my own convictions. I am not the exponent of a party nor of one man. These are the honest convictions of my heart, and life, reputation, and property are pledged to sustain them. These are hurried thoughts, thrown together after listening to the debate of the past 2 days. I know the Senate is impatient for a vote. I know they are deter mined to vote favorably. When it is necessary that women shall vote for the support of liberty and equality I shall be ready to cast my vote in their favor. The black man's vote is necessary to this at this time. Mistaken in their plans, the southern leader has amid slavery created a power for his own overthrow. Fearing no evil from his slave, using him to crush all that is manly in labor, all that is virtuous, all that education and cult ure can bring to any people; using him to crush this out among the great mass of white people at the . corrupting them, and obtaining their advocacy of their damnable doctrines, they took another step, and would have made the same use of him to make the great mass of white people at the North simi lar in condition to the great mass of white people at the South. Here they failed. In stead, in the contest of arms, it being an element of strength, it has been weakness. Who will believe it, and yet no one can controvert it successfully, that the colored masses are far in advance in intelligence, in an apti tude for imbibing all the liberal sentiments of the white masses at the North, than are the white masses of the South? One is dangerous to the great interests of the human race; one is an element of strength to those interests. What then is the duty of legislators? What is the highest interest of the people they represent? To fashion a government for the South Are such safe elements to. which will leave out the destructive tendencies and teachings of the mass of the white population or neutralize them by an introduction of an element of liberty, justice, equality, and in half a generation, though beginning in hate and menace, you will witness peace and concord. That liberty and progress are now jeopardized quite as much, if not more, than when Lee with his murderous engines was in Pennsylvania, I verily believe. I feel a security, however, for the future, because I have confidence in the success of liberal principles over class interests. I do not want to call upon a free people for unnecessary sacrifices for these great principles. By a policy of conciliation in the war, 100s, 1000s of men and billions of money were unnecessarily sacrificed. Let us have confidence in the people. Let us stand firmly upon the platform of Government founded upon the will and wishes of the governed. Let us never consent for one moment that the class who are safe and true to us shall be counted out in the formation of government for the South. Do not in addition to this prostrate all the industrial interests of the North by a policy of conciliation and of inaction. Delays are danger ous, criminal. When you shall have established firmly and fearlessly governments at the South friendly to the Republic; when you shall have ceased from receiving terms and propositions from the leaders of the rebellion as to their reconstruction; when you shall have prompt acted in the interest of liberty, prosperity. light upon the industries of your people, and panics, commercial and mercantile revolutions, will be placed afar off; and never, sir, until that time shall have arrived. And as an humble advocate of all industrial interests of the free people of the North, white and black, and as an humble representative of these interests, I urge prompt action today, tomorrow, and every day until the work has been completed. Let no obstacle stand in the way now, no matter what it may be. You will save your people from poverty and free principles from a more desperate combat than they have yet witnessed. IRidicule may be used in this Chamber, calumny may prevail through the country, and murder may be a common occurrence South to those who stand firmly thus and who advocate such measures. Let it be so, for greater will be the crowning glory of those who are not found wanting in the day of victory. Let us, then, press to the vote; one glorious stop taken, then we may take others in the same direction.