on, the highest and best gift of
American citizenship.

"If I know myself, I know that no unjust or unmanly prejudice warps my
judgment or controls my action on any matter of legislation affecting
the colored race on this continent. I believe in their equality of
rights before the law with the dominant race. I believe in their
rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And yet I
believe that, before we confer upon them the political right of
suffrage, as contemplated by the bill now under consideration, we
should seek to elevate their social condition, and lift them up from
the depths of degradation and ignorance in which many of them are left
by the receding waves of the sea of rebellion. There are many strong
objections to conferring upon the colored men of this District the
gift of unqualified suffrage without any qualification based on
intelligence. The large preponderance which they possess numerically
will inevitably lead to mischievous results. Neither would I entirely
disregard the views of the people of this District, many of whom I
know to be sound, loyal Union men.

"But I do not wish to see the Union party take any step in this
direction from which they may desire hereafter to recede. Let us first
rather seek to enlighten this people, and educate them to know the
value of the great gift of liberty which has been bestowed upon them;
teach them to know that to labor is for their best interests; teach
them to learn and lead virtuous and industrious lives, in order to
make themselves respected, and encourage them to act as becomes
freemen. Then they will vote intelligently, and not be subject to the
control of designing men, who would seek to use them for the
attainment of their own selfish ends.

"Now, Mr. Speaker, in conclusion I desire to say that, as no election
will take place in this District until next June, there can be no
reason for special haste in the passage of this bill, and that there
is a proposition before this House, which seems to be received with
very general favor, to create a commission for the government of this
city; and, in order to give an opportunity to mature a bill for that
purpose, and have it presented for the consideration of this House, I
move the postponement of the pending bill until the first Tuesday in
April next."

At a previous stage of the discussion of this measure, Mr. Hale had
proposed amendments to the bill. These amendments were now the subject
under