New-York daily tribune., 1845-05-31
THE TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY MORNING, MAY 81, 1915.
The Right of Suffrage.

The Right of Suffrage.
An anti Convention correspondent who wastes
some space in expressing his fears that Convention
may admit Aliens TO exercise the Right of Suffrage
an apprehension for which there is warrant. and
which We need not labor 10 odissipate-asks on wha;
ground we urge the recognition OF the Right OF
Colored Citizens TO vote yet deny that same Right
to Aliens. 1t seems 20 US that the mere statement
OF his difficulty nintegbe terms, is sufficient to re-
move it. We think all Citizens OF our State, oi
mature understanding. fixed residence and habltual
respect to lawful authority, should participate IN
the direction of our Government An Alien Is de
barred from voting on the same ground that the
wayfarer who stops for the night in house Is not
entitled TO voice iii regulating the affairs oil Inc
household But should he remain and be admitted
q member OF the family, he has just claim 10
share in its deliberations and be felt IN its decisions
The laws Of the land fix the term OF probation 10
he required of every Immigrant wishing to become
q Citizen; and since the Constitution expressly
grants TO Congress the power to pass such laws
there is clear and strong implication that the
States and Municipalities shall conform to The MAUI
ralization Laws by Congress established. inc h'e
wears probation by law required are htehoeu -
settle two points: First, that the individual Apply
ing has sincerely and steadily purposed TO become
n Citizen: Secondly, that he has qualified himself
by inquiry, information and study, to exercise III
1elligently and worthily the rights OF Citizen-
So much is contemplated in the live years prooa-
ton, but the essential conditions can only be rudely
approxmated by any test within the scope OF Le-
gislative action Many Immigrants are well ilttcd
TO act as Citizens before they have resided two
wears among us; others do not qualify themselves
fittingly in ten twenty years; all the Law can 40
is to prescribe such probation as shall be night III
the average This we believe it has done; and we
hold obedience to that rule, until modified by Con
gress the clear duty of every State and community
in the Union. The Loco-Foco party in two oil the
newest States-Michigan and llllnois-have extend
ed TO Aliens Il one year in the State, the Elective
Franchise but this is wrong, end cannot be lmlta-
ted here An attempt to do it would be defeated,
md would tend to injure those making II.
Now we can detect no possible analogy between
abolishing ON exclusion from Suffrage founded on
Color and the admission Of Aliens 10 vote The
American born though of African descent is cltl'
zen entitled to the common rights OF citizens IL
YOU exclude him from the Balot-Bo as ignorant or
incompetent, you must in justice tramr your rue
so as to exclude ALL chO are ignorant or tnc0nPe-
tent Thus if you say the black man is degraded,
or vicious unable 10 read, you should so lcgislae
us to exclude, not the black man as such but the
degraded, the vicious or the grossly benightcd In
ability 10 read may I've good reason for exclusion;
oil
Our correspondent after assuming that corec-
on of the vices and injustice of our present Con-
stitution migh. be obtained through the Legislature
(which is just ms true that the Temperance Re
form might be effected BY the sellers and tppers OF
Alcoholic drinks-procecds:
But why press the subject of removing the restrictions
the C0lored racc Is it not in candUr useless pro
jcct3 The two distinct, opposite, that
however much may desire to alleviate their situation
topacc them beyond the taskmaster and strike off tho
chains of Slavery, yet we never can coacscc. Call II
morbid scnsibty il you please still it does exist and
aver will. The Negro he equal, our
associate companion; can bring him into
our families enter into any conneXion with him Let
the Negro remain he is present in this State Elc-
him by kindness, educate him 10 become useful
person, but you raise him TO equality with
the white. But suppose you succeed in removing the
property qualification from The Colorcd race; will not
these people, who never be the recipients of popu
lar favor be indifferent the result of all political s,rus
ees and therefore the easily be Jrbed and cor
rupted suit the ends of dishonest politicians such
will and inevitably must be the case And again. would
ulso ask whether such alteration is tended TO quiet
and allay the excitement raging between the North
and South the vexed question of Slavcryt Do not
inE.r from these remarks that advocate of Slave
ry-on the contrary consider the curse of the coun
try but the time justice and regard for the
preservation of the Union would direct leave the
subject with those who cursed with this pasucspo,
There are several other subjects be brought before
the Convention, which are TO be dreaded in these de
struc,ive tmcs-such us AntiRenters, Abolition, sc
&c which almost dangerous andt does appear
me that the prcscn, is the agatc hesc
vital questions CONSERVATION.
Our correspondent opens rs though he tancieC
himself arguing against the Abolition of Slavery i'll
our State, which is not exactly the case. His argu
ment, in its natural and most cogcnt application
was overrulsd here some twenty years ago. Ii
amounts to abon. this We mast and tciN commit
"a certain amount of injustice toward the African
Race; then why not to be consistent, perpetrate a
choose 10 be ON terms of Social intercourse and
equality with them proves that we ought 10 deny
them Political Rights, it proves also that Day
borers Hod- Carriers, &c. ought TO be deprived o
the Right of Suffrage, for the mass OF our better
situated and better educated citizens do not inter
change visits and ihtermary with them Here i,
the answer 10 his next cavi also. respecting the
apprehended indifference of the blacks to Political
Rights. Ali experience proves that the humbcs
of our voters. and those who have hope of oh
tanning Office, are the most tenacious OF and mos
vigilant in exercising their Franchise. They have
feeling of elevation and OF hope in so doing and
the humble, pinchcd. struggling day laborcr rejoice.
in tho return of that day Of the year ON which he
stands on footing of practical equality with the
statelest of his neighbors, and when the rich and
the powerful have something to ask of HIM We
apprehcnd the votes of the Poor quite rarely
influenced by sordid and mercenary considerations
rs those of the Rich. That the former may be of
tener mised by ignorance or prejudice is quite like
ly, end furnishes an excellent reason for cnlish,cn
C,rj 4, 4. /. al