The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-11

vigilance of an Austrian police, till shame
and disgust con no longer endure it, the
court at last finds itself fast in the bottom.
less slough of the old unanswerable question
What constitutes a colored man? If this il
not most shameful, burning, blasting public
meanness. it must be because all perception
of true honor is lost.
A mother seeks to inspire her son. with
the purposes of noble manhood; and the
free State of Minnesota declares, in the most
emphatic and unalterable form, that he shall
not be man! She impresses upon him the
truth that "Honesty is the best policy;' and
in the hearing of mankind the State tells
him it is a lie! She teaches him the lessons
Of Justice, and the State plumbers him Of the
first right of citizen. She would awaken
in his bosom true patriotism, and points to
the field of conflict where the blood of his
own father was shed for his country; and the
State answers-"Died as the fool dieth p
And why is all this? We plead not for
the rights of colored nor uncolored men, but
for the Rights Of Man and the true glory Of
our infant State. Why is this wrong deman-
ded2 Is it because the elective franchise raj
ses the colored man to equality with the
white2 Then we have the transparent con-
fession of hostility to the equal rights of man.
If that is the difficulty, far better own it
frankly renouncs all pretensions to republi.
canism and democracy, and take open ground
with our southern shareholders and all other
aristocrats and tyrants of the world. If we
do not believe in democracy and dare not sup.
port its fair and legitimate applications, let
US honestly say so.
But voting alone does not constitute such
dreaded equality. Is it intended also to de-
ny our few colored inhabitants common
right to protection Of persons and property
Are they not to have the rights of parties
and witnesses in Courts of Justice, but be
left for common plunder? Is legal pretec.
ton to be denied to their social relations q
Are colored people to be denied the right to
get married in order to distinguish them
from white folks ? Besides, negroes will
want to breathe the common air of Hea ven,
what shall be done about that? They must
eat, drink, walk, sleep, labor and rest, like
other folks--would not that be intolerablel
AS most people, unlike these objectors,
choose to walk on their feet, and as all equal
ity with negroes must be avoided, we see
not but clause must be inserted in our Con-
stitution requiring all colored inhabitants to
60 on their heads. So ridiculous and un-
principled is this objection.
Other potent reasons might be assigned
why our Constitution should not be corrupt
ed and our State, SO near the North Star,
dshonored, but we will only add, that if the
Republican party, now SO auspiciously in
the majority, is to hold permanent and
benefcient ascendency here, it must beware
how it trihes with just principles. By its
elevated aims it has won the intelligent and
moral portion of the country to far greater
extent than any other party in our history.
But this only makes its decay and overthrow
the more certain, if honesty and sound prin-
ciples do not guide its action. The materi-
ais composing it render it incapable of the
wrongs Of the opposing party, and it would
be its speedy ruin to attempt them.
On this question of colored suffrage the
slave party will first zealously seek to Sc
duce republicans from the path of rectitude !;
then, if successful, turn upon them in fatal
attack for their inconsistency. How, for in
stance, can they stand the charge of adopt
ing the identical principles of the Supreme
Court in the Drcd Scott case-that the rights
Of colored men are not to be respected. And
how would its lips be sealed against any fur
thcr appeals for the fundamental rights of
men? But let it dare to do right, and it
may safely rely on the people for support.
Let the Constitutional Convention, about
to assemble, plant itself wisely and firmly on
the high ground of the God-given rights of
man, boldly maintain it in all the provisions
of our organic law, and it will be honored
much as the National Convention of 1776 is
honored; the people will sustain it with their
noblest enthusiasm the true honor of the
State be secured, its satemanship be started
in harmony with the laws Of that providence
on which our welfare rests, and our influence
be as enobling to ourselves as benefcient to
our common country. w.