The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-10-28
Tor the ,IornsaI
Facts and Queries.

rlyland, Virginia, North Carolina, aud ma
ny other States, the great democratic party
have at times supported the doctrine Of
negro suffrage.
What will the democrats of Wisconsin
do about the matter!
Is it less democratic now than it was
years ago to allow negroes to yotea Is it
less democratic in Wisconsin than in New
Hampshire or Maine? The democratic
party framed the constitutions of those
States and they sanction negro suffrage
to this day.
In Maryland, down to 1908 blacks
were allowed to vote.
In North Carolina, another slave State,
negroes voted down to the year 1885.
The Legislature of Virginia passed an
act 1888, think, allowing negroes to
vote.
Now, in the name of Heaven, shall the
free State of Wisconsin manifest less of the
spirit of freedom than those proud slave
States? Democrats of Wisconsin! nay,
all voters of Wisconsin! will you at the
coming election say to the world, that
those slave States have at times been
stronger advocates of freedom than your
selves! Will you not rather stand up for
the poor and down-trodden, and say by
your votes, "We will do justly and love
mercy?" Or will you dare to bow down
and worship the the image at the bidding
Of Judge fancy? Will you dare by your
votes to say: Negroes have no rights
that white men are bound to respect ?"-
and then, if God shall spare your lives to
another Fourth of July, stand up and say
that call men are created free and equal?"
Seriously, my friends, let ever voter
remember that ".God is no respecter of
persons" Let them remember that God
has said: Whatsoever We do, do all to
the glory of God" Now, you voters who
profess to be the followers of Christ, what
is meant by this command? Is voting
included Or not! Did God mean that we
should 60 the polls and vote that drop Of
African blood should float man away
from the ballot-box and out of the reach
of it forever? and then would he have us
60 home and bow around the family al
tar, and say: "Lord, enable us to do
justly, love mercy, and walk humbly be-
fore thee?"
My friends, these are questions that we
shall have to meet and answer one day.
But | have more facts for those that
make no claim to Christianity, and pre-
tend not to be governed by the principles
of the Gospel.
Mr.. Van Buren, in the year 1921 voted
repeatedly for negro suffrage in the con-
stitutional convention of New York, and
the democratic party Of this nation made
him President in 1887. So far as I have
been able to learn, he has never repented
of that sin. Democrats of Wisce nsin, did
any of you vote for him?
In 1907 two colored seamen enlisted
in our navy on board the Chesapeake, land
were impressed by the British war-ship
Leopard. Mr.. Jefferson, then President,
demanded through Mr.. Madison, his sec
rotary, the return Of those men, saying
they were of African descent and native
born citizens of the United States.
Now what is citizenship? Has native
born citizen right to vote, or has he no
right! Democrats of Wisconsin, are you
democrats of tho Jeffersonian school9 -
Have you found out ut this late day that
it is not safe for all men to be free? What
then will you do with the Declaration of
Independence!
But said one man not ten miles from
River Falls: ''Niggers arc not men, they
are stepping stone from the ape
Now, we have been pondering in our
own mind which way this flight of steps
must lead, and have come to the sober
conclusion that it must be from the ape
down to him who made the speech.
You will all own Richard M. Johnson
as simon-pure democrat, (unless you are
bogus.) He fought side by side with
Harrison in the battle Of Tippacanoe, and
with his own strong arm slew the mighty
war-chief Tecumsey. Now if by chance
there should be some of his sons in this
free State, viii you, voters Of Wisconsin,
after the coming election, allow them to
vote? Iou know, or ought to know, that
the mother of Johnson's children is a
colored woman: and she is his wife, too,
if they are both living, as think they
are. | am not posted in regard to Mr..
Johnson's sons, but [ think he has one in
the employ Of the government. Mr.. }.
has several very accomplished daughters.
Il I. I Il,