Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-08-06

The Pioneer Smoked out on South Caro-.
Maa--.Its Weak and LabOred Defense
OF Democratic PrescriptiOnOf Foreign.
ers!
Atlong last, we have smoked the Pioneer
md Democrat out of its hole, on the South
Carolina Suffrage matter. Yesterday it de-
voted two columns to try an answer us. An
effort more labored and yet more lame, we
have seldom witnessed. 1t evades totally any
apology for its insolent charge of falsehood
upon Republican men, Presses and Conven-
lions for stating the truth about the proscrip-
tive laws of Democratic South Carolina 1t
has not the manliness to say that it was mis-
taken; and that itself it was that lied, and
not the objects of its abuse. This much is
gained, however. We have whipped it into
little decency-it will not be likely to de-
mand anymore, with billings-gate islang, a
necessary correction" ofwhat it now admits,
though in coy, cowardly manner, TO be the
fact though this fact is exactlycontrary to its
former assertions. 1t will, however, be in
future 'more cautious!'
But, let us look at the argument if we may
so dignity it, of its long drawn-out article.
1. The first point taken is, that itself, to wit,
the Pioneer and Democrat, KNOBS better the
of the sufrage-law of South
Carolina, than the Journals of that State are
capable of knowing This is assurance Of the
most icy kind. The Charleston Mercury, the
ablest paper of the South, a journal of the
purest pro,slavcry Democracy, says positive
ly the foroign-born, resident for five years in
South Carolina, must remain two more after
naturalization before he can vote! Mr.. HUNT,
the Deputy Secretary of State, retracts his
former statement and admits, in words,
that a law does "cxist in South Carolina dis
franchising a foreigner for two years after his
naturalization before he can VOTE" The South
rem Guardian, the Democratic organ at the
State Capital, recapitulates the legislation on
the subject, and concludes by remarking that
"Ercept as to votes and as being eligible to the
Legislature aad Erecut,ue Departments, and!
as to seruing as .jurors, there is not recalled
at present any discrimination between native
born and naturalized In South Carolina. -
The Charleston Mercury likewise testi6es, that
this law of disfranchisement, is annually in.
terpreted at the elections in that city, to near
precisely that which it plainly does near
and that no length Of residence in South
Carolina by foreigner will qualify MIN to vote
Immediately after his notwithstanding, not
until two years more of probation have beer
imposed upon him besides the five years re
quired by the laws of the United States =
Yet, the Pioneer, with amusing self-suficiency
valves all this testimony to the one side ar.d
claims to be the Great Expounder Of Soutt
Carolina Suffrage Laws. knowing better wha
they mean than those who are living and act
ing under them What position can be more
idiculous ?
ii. The next point taken by the Riones,
in its amusing selfcomplacency is, that thu
South Carolina law isn't so bad after all
that " it was not intended, nor did it in fact
create invldious distinctions between nativ'
and naturalized citizen. In its general effects
it placed both on precisely the same grounds
Its prescriptions and their hardships bor'
equally on both" Then, to make good thi
defence of Democratic South Cardinals un
just suffrage laws, it urges that naturalizee
foreigner, who has beeF ter years voter ii
Virginia, and native citizen during ten year
voter in Alabama, would both, on remov
ing into South Carolina, be compelled to re
side two years before they could vote. Thi
is the style in which it proves " the equalit.
of hardship" And this miserable evasion O
the point at issue, the Pioneer puts forth a
arguments! we admit that the hardship pre-
scented in the two instances thus supposed, i
about equal; but the instances are wide Q
the point under discussion. How does tina
kind of equality apologize for the gross ine
quality and practical notification of the law
of the United States. which obEges all for
eigners from Germany and Ireland, settling
originally in South Carolina, to wait seue,
gears before being allowed to vote, though tn
U. S. laws make them citizens at the end o
five years, Citizens from other States NOV
ing into South Carolina, n,ust, it is true, wal
two years before exercising the privilege o
suffrage. This plainly is done merely to es
- A. -, So 1o Skoto 30
vent temporary and floating population from
colonizing the pohs and ruling the Stat
against the wishes of the permanent inhabi
tants But the resident foreigner, of five, o.
ten or twenty years standing, though his resi-
dence is gained long before, and is undoubted
is treated by Democratic South Carolina tn!
same as an entire stranger, and is insultet
with the suspicious requisition that he, too
must remain two years after his citizenship
on "good behavior" we suppose, before HI
can be allowed to participate in the elections
Is this not exactly the same as it is in Mas
sachusetts! Most certainly! No press ex
cept the Pioneer would have the brazen eff
frontery to pretend otherwise.
III. The other point made by the Ponce,
s that Massachusetts, has been proscriptivt
land unjust. Granted! She is Know Moth
ing and AntiRepublican. Every Republican
press and statesman, including her own Sen
ator, HENRY WILSON, have denounced and re-
pudiated her action. The Pioneer editors
may pitch into her to their hearts content
and VIC will help them in the good work. The
Republican Party of the Union have washed
their hands of all responsibility for her con.
duct. But Democratic South Carolina did
the same injustice to foreigners even two
years before she did. At election after cleo
ton, she has acted upon her law of proscrip-
ton. The Democratic press Of South Caro-
lima glory in and defend it. The Pioneer and
Democrat apologies for it and CLOSES it oyer.
For over two years South Carolina was per-
mitted to quietly perpetrate this wrong. Did
a Democratic press anywhere did Dem