The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-09-25
THE TRIBUNE ON BLACK SUFFRAGE.


The coored population of New York is agitaed at pres
ent upon the question Of universal black suffrage Those
blacks only can now who possess freehold of the
clear value Of $3.50 This property qualification was i'm
posed upon them, says the Tribune by the democratic
party and they appealing to those white men in
New York who profess much about the ensaye
ment Of their southern brethren their work
of charity and philanthropy at home by removing the OBJ
sacle free suffrage imposed by the democrats upon the
free BLACKS of New York The Tribune responds to this
appeal in which fully confirms the charge Of
disingenuousness SO universally made by southern men
againgt political aboonsts. The blacks are told that
they sought enjoy the right Of suffrage exactly the
whites do but that there is Eo hope that the wrong
prevailing this point will be redressed for many weary
years. Indeed the Tribune says that present agitation
for its overthrow viii only result in exposing popular
odum the whites engaged it" This truly cold comfort
to the blacks. They may well turn upon their pretended
friends and ask how is that they eager to agiate
for the pretended benefit of the southern blacks and
Indifferent the odum attached to agitation for Them
whilst they decline to interfere for the relief Of crying
wrong Of the black at their doors The
is obvious, Whilst it popular to agate for the south
slave is odous agate for tho northern black man.
whose condition than that of the southern
slavel Such is abolition charity and philanthropy But
the Tribune frankly admits that athe of
governed by principle and ttlefor consistency The
remark is certainly true to the abotonists for whom
alone the Tribune has right to speak.
But the Tribune proceeds to assign the why
northern men are unwilling enranchse and elevate the
northern blacks and it is to which wish to
direct special attention. That journal says:
"I is not logical conviction of Justice of their claims
that is needed prevatn belief that they would form
wholesome and desirable element of the body polite Their
color exposes them to much unjust and damaging preudce
but their but Deep they might easily
it, In fact every of them who has the force
of character say truly, will depend tho good
opinion of Others If my color subjects prejudice
will prove myself superior to prejudice by loving and treating
kindly ALL without distinction of color, while seeking the ia
of II whites deem unqualified for employment
in any but mental vocations will ask employ of
white men, but take shoulder and seek spot
wherein may make living by the favor of but God
If white deem unworthy to sit at their tables will
prove them in by not caring whether sit there not
Such the spirit which must give value political enfran
cisemen and in whose absence that enanchisement
prove of little worth"
To these admissions Of the chief organ of the political
abolonists call the earnest attention of all northern
men whose minds uninfuenced by fanaticsm. They
contain complete to all the abolition appeals
which constantly relied to stir up the antislavery
feelings of northern The Tribune comedies that there
as prevalent belief that The blacks erancAised and aored
persaz suffrage oould not form wholesome and desirable
element Of The body polite. Such is the language Of the
great champion of those whose daily trade it is insist
that the blacks of the South ought be made free be
elevated TO equality with the whites II the experience
and observation of all northern have established the
prevalent conviction that the black man. when Free ought
not to enjoy the right of suffrage but ought to be kept
separate, degraded servile class why should much
concern be manifested amongst northern the
enslavement of the southern black mani What if he
were made free at the SOUTH mould he then be fit to
become wholesome and desirable element Of the body
polite? 1t is admitted that he does not become
such at the North The whole amount of the philan-
thropy and agitation of the abolitionss then, is this
They would have the southern to set their blacks
free allow them to vote and to hold Offices terms
of equality with themselves but to constitute degraded
class, whose only occupation ard ambition must be to
white in the various branches of mental labor
and whose only consolation would be that they had be-
come free men only in name.
We earnestly suggest northern brethren who are
not impevious to this subject that the differ
between degraded black man, who only live by
being the mental hreng of the white man. and the black
who is the property Of the white man. and therefore
him because he is his property is not great
justify the eternal agitation Of the slavery question and
the continual impering of confederacy by the
tona estrangement produced by the agitation The free
black at the North ought to be living gument to
northern against abolitionism Southern know
thabeween the condition Of the free black and the slave the
difference the side ofthe comfort and
the happiness slave The free black the North proves
by his habits and his condition that if he were allowed
full suffrage he would become wholesome and desir-
able member Of the body polite Why them earnestly
repeat should northern allow few crackbrained ia
natcs larger number of wicked political Spectators
TO keep the country in continual state Of excitement
when there is little of real practical importance in
volvcd far the northern or the black men are
concerned
The Tribune does not stop with the admission SO fatal to
abotonsm which we have quoted, bu if bent on eav-
ing its followers plank to stand upon proceeds to
draw picture of the condition of the free blacks at the
North with which southern would readily compare
the condition OF their slaves We to assert that
after reading the paragraph below from the Tribune thou
sands of ghtmnded will feel surprise that its author
should be the great champion Of mpraccable and so
unphianthropic scheme that Of aboliionsm 1t is
conceded that the black lacks the spir to win or to
enjoy he rights of freedom and that the necessary spirit
only be the result Of on intellectual and essential en-
tranchsmen' Is the black capable of ever reaching
nj nfe nd