New-York daily tribune., 1857-09-26
The mails for Europe close this morning at lOi


A Convention of Colored Persons has been sit
ting in this City during good part of this week.
1t speaks well for the ssgacity and practical good
sense Of the Negroes, that very few of them paid
any sort of attention to this movement That the
present disfranchsement Of all but few of the
richest oftheir number is most unjust they doubt.
les eel that they desire to be enfranchised is OBJ
| vious and rational; but that they can hasten or
promote their enfranchIsemeDt by holding Conven.
tions, none but the most stupid of their number can
| believe, though some who are more crafty, and
fond Of pocketDg the hard earnings of Others may
affect TO believe it. The fact thst negro quietly
and resOlutely cultiyating bis own land-no matter
| though there be but few acres of it-tsaning up
his children as well as tie atmosphere of prejudice
aud brutality which surrounds him will permit, and
wOrsbipipg the GOd of the oppressed in patient
feIvor and humble taith-is doing more to hasten
aid secure the full emancipation of his race than
hundrsd who are shouting and blowing at Conyen.
tOns is manifest that only supereminent klavery
or transcendeDt stupidity can affect not to see it.
We have always been n favor of con ceding to
Black or Yellow men all the political rights which
are conceded to or exercised by White men, We
believe in Equal Rights for Ali Men, aad prove our
faith by our vote whenever we have an opportu-
nifty. We do not, as The Express mistakenly
asserts, affirm "the inteNectusl equality of the
"COlored with the White man." but We claim for
ourselves and of course cOncede to all other adult
human beings, political equality irrespective of any
claim 10 intellectual superiority which may be set
up for or against us. We believe in the rights of
Man as Man, and live out our faith, even when it
costs something to be true TO our convictions.
But the strength of these convictions does not
require us to shut our eyes to manifest facts.
While We desire to see all men enfranchised, We
know that very large majority Of our felow-clsi-
zens are avcrse to seeing the Right of Suffrage
extended to Negroes. When the question of Equal
Suffrage was presented to the Electors of this
State ten years ago, an immense majority voted
No; and we cannot doubt that very large, though
we hope not so large, majority would vote the same
way to-day. The Democratic party has just in.
dOrsed the Dred Scott decision, and of course
must vote that negroes are cattle, who should
not be accorded any political franchise whatever.
So far from voting to extend the right of suffrage to
poor negroes, ninety mine of every hundred adhe-
rents to the "Nationsl Democracy" would vote to
disranchise the few negroes who, by reason of their
owning real estate, are now authorized in this State
to vote. The National Americans may be a lit
tie more democratic than the Democracy, bat itlsa
very little. OF their one huIdIed and thirty thou
and voters, We doubt that so many as ten thousand
l.. Al. IL
The Republicans are Of course more democratic
more Just, more humane but we do not believe tha.
two. thirds Of them would vote for Negro suffrage
Nothing is more certain, therefore, than that re-
submission of the question OF Equal Suffrage this
Fall weuld result in its defeat by an overwhelming
msjority. Aud when, in fall view of this prospect,
score or two of Blacks get together and resolve
that the failure of the preliminary Suffrage amend
ment of our last Legislature has defIauied the col
oIed citizers of their just rights for several years
loUger," and speak of the Republican party as
having it clearly in its power to wipe from the
" Statute book Of our state the pr6scriptiye clause
alluded to-" &C, &C., they tend to justify
the worst that has ever been urged in dispsrase.
ment of the intel ect of their race and only fail to
justify their disfranchlsement because intellectual
infeEoiiiy, however striking, cannot justify polir
cal subjugatiOn. Ii these cOlored gentlemen don't
know that the disability they justly condemn in
here's in tae Constitution, not the statute-book Of
the State, and that it cannot be elimnated except
through the concurrent action Of successive Lssis-
latures, followed by direct approving vote of the
| People at a General Election, why should they net
refrain from exposing their ignorance to the pity
or derision Of the whole community
The oversight which has neutralized the leei.la.
tive action Of last Winter in favor of Equal Suffrage
has not postponed the ultimate success: Of that act
Of justice one hour The only sufferers BY that
oversight are tie Sham Democracy, who are
chagriIed at the loss Of so capital cry for the
rendirg Election as "Down with Negro Suffrage ~
would lave been. And although the issue is lost,
they are determined to raise the CRY with all the
force of their ta.hern lungs and whisky. perfumed
voices And that the Negroes should help them.
| n their blunderiDg way as much as possible, was
| 10 be anticipated
We expect to vote repeatedly for Equal Suffrage,
but We DO lot expect to carry it 50 long ss the
great bulk of the Negroes persist in oppo,iDg AID
| teiestlng it. They DO not mean this We must bs-