Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-02-21

ween the white and eolored races. II is even stat.
ed that there Is an implied willingness TO promote
such a state Of things on the part Of those who
are in favor Of striking the word white from the
Constitution. | used to hear Of this objection
some years since, but l always supposed il was a
joke. II any one had told me, before l came to
the Legislature last Winter, that [ should hear a
grave and experienced statesman urging the OBJ.
lection in all seriousness upon the floor Of this
House, | should have laughed at him. l never
could discover any meaning in such an objection.
IL there Is a law Of our nature impelling us to
marry every body whom We wish to benefit, or
whose political rights we wish to protect, it makes
philanthropy n pretty dangerous business in the
present high prices or provisions. l hope that if
such q state OF things is to be instituted, the fash
ion will prevail with it, for the head of q family
TO give TO those dependent upon him only his bless
ing. How it should follow, that. be cause | wish
Patrick 0'Brien or Pompey Cesar to enjoy the
elective franchise, l should wish to marry the
daughter, the sister or the widow Of either OF
them, is more than | am able to comprehend
There seems to be no connection between the
premise and the conclusion. Our German friends
sometimes call a bad attempt ut reasoning. incon.
sequent, add if this is not an example Of the incon.
sequent / should despair of finding a we'll mark
ed case of that sort Of thing. But perhaps, sir,
l am not as much alarmed about this matter as l
ought TO be. Never having perceived. either in
myself or any Of the friends that l esteem the
slightest tendency to a fusion of that sort, it is ma.
tural that | should not he rs much frightened Us
those who have had a different experience. in.
tend to have n mind open to light from any quarter
on this subject. But, sir. to BIO serious, the ten.
dency Of giving the cOlored man the right of SUI.
frage, would be directly the opposite of that which
has been mentioned. (he am~algamation between
the races which has thus far taken place in this
country. has been the fruit of the colored mans
degraded position. Make a man Of him, give him
the rights and dignities of a citizen, and thereby
teach him to respect himself and to respect and
honor his own Preside, and he will be as averse to
the d~istateful commerce as you can possibly be.
4. l viii. notice but one objection more. 1t is
said that ie this amendment TO the Constitution
should be adopted, q countless immigration of col.
ored people would be emptied upon US from all
quarters. The impression seems to prevail! that
the National Road, the Railroads, the canals, the
Common Highways, and perhaps the Telegraph
wires would all DO covered with a multitude of
this class, all setting their faces towards some por-
ton of our plains and valleys. 1t seems to me,
sir, that gentleman are nervous on this subject
/ am convinced that no such result as they antici-
pate would follow. In Massachusetts, aud other
New England states cOlored EeOple have been al
lowed to vote for many years, but | never heard ii
complained Of, that there were more Of them there
than could be usefully employed in the various
branches Of business in which they engage. But
suppose it should turn out to be true, that a few
colored families, attracted to US by having heard
that in Ohio the people were willing to give men
their rights irrespective of color, should come
among us to reside Would that be any discred-
il to us? Would it be any dishonor to the State Of
Ohio that men should come here to find a refuge
from oppression in other states? Why sir, how
often have we heard it mentioned as the proudest
distinction Of our nation that it opens an asylum
for the poor, the prosecuted, and the oppressed Of
every land! How 0ften have we seen the wings
of that much abused bird, the American Eagle,
epread upon this subject! And why should not
that which is honorable to the whole nation, be
honorable to the State Of Ohio7 But if colored
people should be induced to immigrate into our
State for the reason before mentioned, what class
Of them would it be2 What sort Of men would
they be that would abandon their homes, gather
up their little property and journey with their
families perhaps hundreds of miles, and at consid-
cradle expense, to reach a land where their man.
hood would be recognized, and q portion of the
honor and power of the commonw ealth be confd-
ed to their keeping. 1t would be men of such
heads and hearts as would do US most credit when
they got here. Those who N ost prize the elective
franchise, or any other privilege, are those who
can most safely be trusted with iL. have had op-
p~ortunity to observe how this principle operates.
l happen to live in a neighborhood where per-
haps greater advantages, in some respects, are Of
fered to the colored man, than in any other place
in the country, and this has drawn around us q
more substantial class of coiored people than can
be found elsewhere. Colorod men have come to
Oberlin from North Carolina to educate their chill.
dren and secure tie advantages of religious in.
struction. Men who ~emiSrate with their antilles
n thousand miles to send their children to school
and hear the gospel preached, arc not men whose
presence you need to fear in your midst.
l have now said all that | intended.to say in
the form Of direct argument for this Bill and of
reply to objections. l have shown that this
amendment to the Constitution is demanded of US
by sound political philosophy-by political con.
sistency-by a proper regard to the prosperity of
our commonwealth, and by humanity to the color
ed people. | have also shown that the objections,
that the cOlOred DeOnle are not sufficiently infelli.
gent to enjoy the right of suffrage-that to confer
the right upon them would be to disregard our
delicate relations to our Southern brethren--that
it would result IN distastcful-socia intimacies, and
that it would injure the State by encouraging un-
desirable inmigration-thst these objections are
without any proper foundation. May | not then
confidently ask every member Of this House who
loves justice, loves freedom and loves bis country
TO give his vote for this Bill2
Do not suppose that the colored race have not
qualities which will make them a valuable acqui.
sitinn to the State. We have done but little
to9 encourage n Development Of the higher at
tributes of their nature, but with all the disadvan-
tages under which they have labored, they have
given the world some noble assurances that they
are naturally loyal and patriotic, and they are en-
dowed with a martial enthusiasm which makes
tbcm both ardent and steady in battle. No race
Of men that God ever created has furnished better
soldiers. They distinguished themselves by their
valor and their patient endurance of hardship dur
ing tue war OF our ReVOlutiOn. Unul recently
there were living. and probably there are living
still, colored men with certificates of honorable
discharge from the army signed by the Father of
his Country. According to the historian Botta,
she FIRST martyr to liberty on this Continent-the
first man who fell in the Boston Massacre Of March
5th. ITO. was Crispus Attacks. q colored man -
They fought at Bunker Hill, at the Brandy wine.
in all the great battles Of the Revolution. When
the Traitor Arnold attacked Fort Giswold, and
Major Montgomery, a British officer, was lifted
upon the walls by Ills soldiers to lead the assault,
the first man who met him was Jordan Freeman,
n colored man who pinned him dead to the earth
with his bayonct. Jordan Freeman il 10 an
amusing name. 1t smacks Of the negro character.
istics. Jordsn Freeman! it almost makes us
smile to hear it pronounced. But there was moth
ing'ludicrous in Jordan Freeman to Major. Mont
gomery, when Jordan Freeman's bayonet pierced
his heart. A few years since / stood by Groton
Monument upon the site of old Fort Griswold,