New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-03-27
EauaI Risht. -. 9te New..

fropo the dilemma In which 1t has involved 1tse by
attempting to propound Principles and then turning
II. hack on them in following the devious ways Of
| its Party The Editor Says, indeed that the ques
ton of Suffrage for Blacks was not involved in bis
| articles in favor Of Rhode Island Dorian. LOOK
here Sir Did you or did you not say LUIS
v are ssf in asserting IL 10 be the sae OF Tue amer
m. s,.,es bereyer zac1y docs lot exist that me sooe
r..des In he sAOe body Of adXl male permanent
! -,sid.nts Of eound MIND.
Was not this said JUS; after you had gone over the
| whole ground Of exclusion, and showed the reasons
for which Minors, Women, Non Residents, Slaves,
Indiots and Insane perscns-tbese classes and none
otbers-are and may be excluded? Did not the
case of distinct and in some respects unequal Races
of Men living in our community come directly In
YOUR way, and demand consideration if you held the
doctrines you now u,terl Nay: would not the ex-
ceptions you now make have completely denolish'
ed your premises and stnltihed your argument II
YOU had admitted them in your articles unfolding
Dorrism And were not we at that time constant
" putting the case of the Blacks before you and
your compatriots az one demanding solution? To
these questions there can be but one answer
But the News says its position affirmed only
1.-The right of majority OF the whole BODY OF adu' maze
permanent residents of sound mind to change the gov
eminent at pleasure whatever may be the wishes OF
electors, under the present Constitution including OF
course, the right to extend suffrage
Yes, sir we perfectly understand that to be your
position and have treated it accordingly That po-
sition is great deal holder and broader than it need
be TO convict you of the grossest inconsistent In
now opposing Black Suffrage. Your assumptions
in order, are as follows;
l. All adult male permanent residents OF sound mind
(lsves necessarily excepted where Slavery exiss are
BIZ the genius OF our Republican system, the rghtfu
source of Political Power and ought 10 be invested with
tine Right of Suffrage.
In case the Right of Suffrage Is actually restricted
by the existing Constitution lesser number, we are
to regard that delegation of power by the whole
People 10 the Electoral body matter OF convent
ence, utility or choice.
g. A majority of the whole body Of adult male per-
manent residents of sound mind may at any time re-
sumo the sovereign power, changing the Government at
pleasure whatever may be the wishes of the electors
This last proposition we cannot at all assent to-
having combated il through the Dorr controversy
We regard it's establishment as fatal to all Public
Order and to the very existence of stable and au-
,hori,alive Government. Accordingly, while we
maintain the abstract moral right of Coored Men to
we strenuously insist that they can exercise no other
than m oral power in fastening their own investl
ture with the Right of Suffrage But MIR. O'Solli-
van not only agreed with in asserting their moral
right to vote by his proposition first above quoted,
but he proceeded by the third proposition to affirm
their legal power invest themselves with the Right
of voting-an assumption which we utterly condemn
We maintain that, however clear their abstract
right it must remain in allegiance until legally recog
nized by the State Constitution, acc ordng to the
forms prescribed in or implied by that instrument.
Here was the essential difference between Law and
Order and Dorrism.
Can another word on this point be needed
Who can fail to see that the right asserted for all
sane male adults by Mr.. OSullivan necessarily in
volved all Political Rights7 Here for instance is
the question of Black Suffrage By whom is it to be
decidedf We say, by the Legal Voters under the
existing Constitution. But no. says Mr.. O'S. all
sane male adults are entitled to voice in that ques-
ton consequently every DISTINGUISHED Black has
q perfect right, upon his principle to go forward
and vote in the election of Constitutional Delegates
and on the question of ratifying the Amendments
to be made. Nay, more Suppose the prescribed
could induce Flee Thousand less than half the legal
voters TO unite with them in any manner whatever
in calling Conven zion with any forms they might
choose or with none, and thereby extend to them
the Right of Suffrage. This extension would be
leealized and perfected on Mr.. O'Sullivans theory,
by this minority of the legal voters added 10 the be-
for Unfranchised sane male adults The Unfran-
chsed are declared to have the right Of voting re-
gardless of Law or Constitution, on the question of
Enfranchising themselves. Is it not, then, plain
", literally true, that the Unfranchised have an
indefeasble right, on Mr. O'S. theory, to as
sume the Right of Voting at pleasure ?-'Ab
said majority could confer it'-Why, Sir,
the Right is conceded in allowing the Unfran-
chsed to Vote with others TO make that majority
You give the Unfranchsed class the Right Of SUI.
rage as indefeasby thers by the very nature Of our
Government, and then you require them 10 deter
mine by vote whether they will have that Right or
not Suppose they are voted down, whether by
their own votes those Of the Constitutional Elec
their natural right still remains unaffected
rather asserted by voting on the question just decided
and they may start new movement next day 10
invest them with the Constitutional Right, and on
this question they entitled TO vote just as though
they had not been excluded by the Constitution just
adopted Practically the limitations of Suffrage an
der Dorr Constitution would amount 10 nothing at
all but gross violations of it's fundamental principle.
Yet here we have an Apostle of Dorrism contending
for the eternal exclusion of a whole Race from
Political Rights on the assumption of their mental
and moral nferiority TO others Were ever two
wrong positions more destructive of each other than
these of the News on Dorrism and Black Suffrage?
That paper roay accuse us Of selfish motives in
our present position as often it likes Those who
know past history may. if they can, impute TO
US sordd motives in that we have labored and suf
fered rcproach to vindcate the Blacks from unjust
and base Prejudice and its cruel effects The judg-
ment Of the Editor of the News only betrays bis own
ruling motives. And we will here repeat since the
News dwells on it, that the pandering of the Loco
Foco party, in utter contempt Of their own avowed
principles, to this vulgar and hateful Prejudice
cherished mainly iby the weakest or worst of our
own Race rpiU be remembered because it ought