Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-09-02
Douelas on citissnSau1p.


Douslas on cittsen111p. y =
Froa speech lately msde in Illinois BY Sena
tor Doussas, We sxtz.ct the following paragraph
.Tsr g / an opposed 70 negro citizenship. in
any and every form. believe this government
wss msde on the white basis. believe it was
u,ade by white men, for the benefit Of white men
and der ppsacrty for ever and am in favor Of
oonaning citizenship 10 white men, mon of Euro,
psan hifSh end descent instead Of comforting II
apoa nsgroes, Indian dnhsr inferior races"
TAs ahsvs seusinents are very good. With tho
sssspsos Of granting the privilege Of citizenship
% s.msn Of European birth" We cordially sub
scribe svsry sentiment which the Illinois Senator.
in ~ above extract. has advanced.
Yet while saying this we give Mr.. Douglas no
credit for this speech. In the 6rst place. it is
piece Of his usual special pleading and his char
asssriss;e asuagogseism,. Nobody, in the present
canvas In Illiaois he's advocated the giving Of the
right Of suffrage to ''ncgroes, Indians and other
inferior races" Nobody ha, said anything about
il for il il not An issue Of the canvass In truth,
thsre ars very few free negroes in illinois, ~ We
believe the laws Of the State specially forbid their
introduction. There are no Indians there-and
what he means by other inferior races. " We nre
totally unable to determine. We do not suppose
be means Dutch and Irish for Of all men Douglas
has been the most conspicuous not only in his
willingness TO grant citizenship" to these classes,
but TO grant them the right Of suffrage be-
fore they become citizens. We suspect the phase
'othsr inferior races was added to the sentence,
net for any special meaning it had. but only for
the purpose Of rounding Of the period, and giving
itsddi ieaal rhetorical: edect
The truth Of history, however, compels us to
dsay the Senator'S assertion that he il in favor Of
combining citisenship to men Of European birth
And descent. The highest attribute Of citizenship
is the right Of suGrage-and Senator Douglas can
be convicted. by Official documents. Of a willing
mess 10 grant this right to mon who never saw
" Europe" and possibly never heard Of it. In
the Minnesota Bill which, as Chairman Of the
Committee Of Territories, he prepared with his
own hands, he made special provision for the
suffrage Of Iudians--the very class which he now
would exclude from the privilege. True, he limi-
ted the right to such Indians as had adopted the
manners and habits Of tho white man''-but
that was mere piece of buncombc, as he well
knew, aud o. subsequent events clearly proved
1t Is in proofthat ~ the Minnesota election the wild
savages Of the forest we're temporarily dressed In
the habikments Of white men. and for bride Of
drink Of whiskey each, were voted by hundreds
at . time. The ascendancy of the Democratic
party in Minnesota, At this very time, il due to
these Indian votes which Senator Douglas provi-
ded for in his own bill. Yet he now declares that
he would withhold the right Of citizenship from
this very class. why does he not square his per-
formanees with his professional Why provide
for Indian suffrage one year and declare against
it the next! Has the Senator forgotten the Min
nesota Bill! II so, his memory should either DO
q little longer or his statements q great deal
shorter.
We mako bold to say. though-though no ad-
vocats for negro sudrage-that they are as n class.
much able to vote intelligcntly than tho wild
Indians to whom Senator Douglas gave the right
to vote, in the bill for the organization Of Mime
sofa o. State. Wego further, and say that many
of them. even in Virginia, would make just as in
telgent voters Is great many of the raw for
signers whom Mr.. Douglas would make voters
before they become citizens. We would, under
NO circumstances. give the right Of su irage to
negroes-nor would we. had we the power. ever
give it TO linen Of European birth" before they
are citizens. With what conscience can Senator
Douglas deny TO Black Republican States tho
privilege Of making voters Of negroes. the plea
that BY the Dred Scott decision they are not cit-
sens-and yet claim the right to make voters of
foreigners who are no more citizens than negroes
arei
It seems to US Mr.. Douglas has his ideas of cit
issnship rather curiously mixed up. lie says this
Government was instituted for the benefit Of the
white man. According to the Senator'S own prac-
ticss-though we confess his words are the other
way-it was instituted for the benefit Of the red
man also. We don't know, and don't believe that
1t 10 too great an exhibition Of lack of charity to
say that Douglas real meaning is that it was ma c
for the benefit of the Democratic party-that all
would be 6sh. in bis opinion, that came to the
Democratic net, whether white, black. brown, or
- Gov. Wise expresseth it, "mazarine blue
One would suppose that politician who was so
ihssal Of suffrage to unnaturalized foreigners and
savage Indians would scarcely be chary Of extend.
ing Il 10 negroes The real point of difference"
We suspect, y that the former always vote the
Democratic ticket which, very likely. the latter
-SS
An Influx Of Bad People"