Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1847-03-24
ri IIRERTY MEN.


| mon. and we shall address them not as men OF one
| s;mnle idea. but as men of compound idea, when
| tokes within its range all classes OF the human
lind and all classes of human interests-whlch
reaards not merely the rights of the colored man.
h,t Of all men: and would lose no opportunity
which presented itself OF taking even one step tow
| ards a practical and universal recognition OF lne
grand princinle of universal brotherhood.
Great reforms are not accomplished in day
They are the work OF years, and sometimes of ages
!! Nor are thew accomplished in asingle stride The
progress is from point to point; and to refuse to
/ take one STEP because the summit may not be
| reached at once is to refuse to ascend at all.
| The true reformer is practical man. He adapts
his teachings and movements in reasonable degree,
to the state of things around him. and if he cannot
get all the good he wants, he is disposed, at least
to take all he get; and as mind and morals ad-
vance, he may raise his standard hgherand higher,
and thus gradually lead men, to knowledge ana
practical reception of the highest social and poll-
cal truth. Any other course, instead of promoting
| would retard the progress of REFORM and hinder,
rather than assist the great tendency of the age,
which is directly opposed to that spirit of exclu-
| siveness restriction, narrowness, and monopoly
which has prevailed in past ages, and which,
though sho of much of its strength, is still strug
ling for prolonged existence, in the various sys
TENS of oppression yet extant
to which we have alluded says =" Once we heard
of the few, now we hear of the many; once of the
prerogatives of part now of the rights OF all
We are looking as never before, through the dis
guses and envelopements OF ranks and classes, to
the common nature which lies below them, and
are beginning to learn that every being who par
takes Of it, has noble powers to cultivate, solemn
duties to perform, nalienable ri hts to assert,
vast destiny to accomplish. The grand idea of
humanity, of the importance of man as man, is
spreading silently but surely. Not that the worth
of the human being is understood at all as it should
be- but the truth is glimmering through the dark
ness A faint consciousness OF it has seized on the
public mind Even the most AFFECT portions OF
society are visited by some dream OF better con-
) dition for which they were designed. The grand
doctrine, that every human being should have the
means of self culture, ofprogress In knowledge and
virtue, of health, comfort and happiness OF exercl-
sing the powers and affections OF man, this is
slowly taking its place as the highest social truth
That the world was made for all and not few;
that society is to care for ALL that no human being
shall perish except through his fault; that the
great end of government is to spread shield over
the rights of all-these propositions are growing
into axioms and the spirit of them is coming forth
in all the departments of life"
| This is the evident tendency of the age, and the
spirit of the propositions eoquenty presented,
5 was never so fully embodied we venture to assert,
in any fundamental law, in the proposed Constr
tuition of Wisconsin We do not mean to say that
the instrument is perfect in this regard; but we
think that no man can give its various provisions
a candid examination, without having the convic-
ton forced upon his mind, that it is an important
approach to very high standard and if adopted,
will greatly facilitate the growth into "axioms"
of the propositions advanced Thus Liberty men,
will you be enabled the sooner to accomplish what
| Iatar Of tba
| rights of the colored man may be concerned.
Your main, if not only objection, to the Con-
stitution is understood to be, provision of the
| suffrage article. The right of the colored man to
vote is not directly recognized; and this you deem
a sufficient ground for the rejection of the entire
instrument.
There are those who entertain the opinion that
woman has natural title to the right of suffrage,
and the argument by which this opinion is sus-
tained are as conclusive in their character, those
| advanced sustain the claims OF the coored rtsa
| There are probably hundreds in Wisconsin, who
| firmly and conscientously believe that aWoman is
Justly entitled to all the political rights and priv-
leges which man enjoys, and that any constitution
al provision which binders the enjoyment of these
rights, is fundamentally and radically wrong But
| we do not hear that this class of men intend to
| vote against the adoption of the Constitution, be-
cause the rights of women not fully recognized
On the contrary, the advocates of womans rights
are jealous supporters of the Constitution, and
hang their hopes of the future to a great extent
upon is adoption.
We should, with you, have preferred to see the
free suffrage principle directly and fully recog
nized; but it is useless to attempt to get ahead of
public sentiment on this subject 1t will be worse
than lost time The matter is not to be remedied
by voting against the Constitution. The question
being separately submitted if popular opinion is in
favor OF the free suffrage principle it will of course
be made a. part of the Constitutional opposed,
there is no possible way of accomplishing the OBJ
ject. 1t cannot be forced into the Constitution in
opposition to public sentiment And as you value
other great interests which may Immediately be
secured and which, when secured, will facilitate
the accomplishment of your ultimate object, would
it not be the part of wisdom to vote for the Con-
Shtulon, IN Connection with the free suffrage propo
sion, and to bend all your energies for the adop-
ito OF both? If one is adopted, great good
will be the result, so far as the common interests
OF the people are concerned-if both still greater
good 1t is not choice between evils, but
question, whether you will take what good is Offer
ed, with certainty in the accelerated tendency of
things IN the right direction of more speedily ac-
comprising all that you desireo whether you will
stand IN the way of reform, and refuse any good at
all You cannot, if reasonable men, hesitate as to
the the proper course to adopt.
But is argued that you cannot consistently vote
for the constitution, and the free suffrage resolution
in connection because in the one case you vote to
disfranchise the colored man, and in the other to
entranchise him, that one vote. would be directly
opposed to the other. We cannot discover that
the provisions of the suffrage article in the Consti
tuition and of the negro-suffrage resolution at all
conflict The propositions are separate, but not
antagonistic. One declares that white male adults,
with certain qualifications shall be entitled to vote
and the other that black male adults with similar
qualifications shall be entitled to the same right
Our moral vision is not sufficiently acute to enable
us to see wherein man who votes for both of
these propositions, in connection would be guilty