, 1864-12-03
Ublfooo Gribn11e.
SATURDAY DECEMBER. 3. 1864.
NEGRO SUFFRAGE In MIS-
SOURI,.
Advanced Views Of senator II. Gratz
Brown.


Advanced Views Of senator II. Gratz
Brown.
From the St Charles {Mo.} Cosmcs]
Sr. Louis, No., Nov. Is, 1854
NRGsRs. EpTToRs Sometime since an inyi-'
tatiOn MAS extended to INC bT the citizens Of
St. Charles to address them on political topics
Ny henlth much broken down since last win,
ter, did not then permit me TO comply, but
fore returning to Washington. In this, it
seems, am. also to be disappointed. Many.
reasons concur to prevent the carrying out Of
such purpose before leaving Still, would
do an Injustice to my own feelings and to the
warm support so zcalously extended to me IN
those who made this cali, If were to omit a
recognition Of their courtesy, md also a:
hearty congratulation PAW - j; , affirm
ance Radical principles ....- .----.~ ~ u their:
midst at the fate erection. - :,
Permit nc to do so through the columns Of!
the cosnos- paper that has ever 30 fsarlessly
advocated the advance positions of radical
freedom. -. :.
The returns, which are rs yet incomplete,
nevertheless make 1t sure that Missouri By
an Overwhelming majority has declared In "a
vor Of cur cause. Governor. STATE officers, |
unequEocal pledges, and all charged as their
first duty to extifpate slavery from the soil Of
our commonwealth --thc,e are the first
fruits Of your victory. Nor Is this all. Al
clear recognition Of the fatal influence which
any form Of human bondage exerts upon soci-
the people, inducing everywhere the choice as
representatives,, Of those as6wing the most
liberal views, recognizing In all the out
growths Of opinion or the .omptings ofsym-
patty an identity between slaycry and rebel
lion, and connecting the franchise with free
lr~v {u0 fnrT ~ 1a ~ roxHo
such in any reorganization.
A more absolute, unqualified decree was
never rendered by any community upon any
matter ofErrat public concern, than has been
the funaa1urntal baals that should character
ke the recasting Of our Constitution. ).
Let all friends Of radical freedom be vigt-
liant, then, in this hour Of triumph, to- sec
that full expression Is given, by those aP-
thus declared. It tho past, with its slavery,
its inhu,nanity, its retardation, its eterility,
its substitution of classes ind castes and mas
terics for that simple fifth Of the equality Of
all men before the law, which Is to be obllte-
rated. 4 future is to be inauguratcd that
shall be blurred BY none Of the disfgurements
Of had passionstaking the shape Of Oppressive
epactments against the weaker members Of
socict5-none OF the old prcjudices Of the
slave code founded on color, done up into new
idols to be worshipped by the ignorant and
| hlushed for By the good and brave. Let US
have character Of liberties, that will not rc-
| 1uire TO be apologized for whenever CITED,
t that will carry on It's face guarantees Of free
| dom to lll--freedom in its u1tinates as well
[ as its surface showinEs- freedom that is to be
reality and an even handed Justice, not a
mockcfy and sham.
| Without doubt, assuming the abolition Of
slavery Us settled, the concomitant question
of fronchies will claim all the fifth and tax
nll the flr1nness Of the friends Of radical free
| dom for its right settlement That Violent
! rrejudiccs will have to be encountered, md all
! the weary round Of tEo-faccdness and dema-
! gog1ery and subtertnge conGuuted, is rem
; dered certain BY the attitudes Of the conflict
. Of the past three years In Missouri. But that
, any people forming new constitution Of
their liberties, af1er such experience as ours,
I should willingly leave TO breed other conflicts,
unjust discrimination against largc portions
| Of their population, In the shape of Il refusal
| Of any participation in government, is scarce
II TO be credited. To those who are eInanci-
| pated, access to the franchise must be opened
up, otherwise the boasted freedom conceded
to them is chest and their status for the fu-
ture becomes one of ab5ectnoss or else active
hostility. Temporary md transitory stages
Of qualification may be prescribed If need
tnl--service in the armies is already quail
| tying thousands for the duties Of citizen
ship, but the primary condition Of
right Of Suffrage must be Incorporated into
| tlitir estate, II the honor and safety and pros
perity Of this commonwealth for ali time Is
II he consulted. The same logic that obtains
in the absorption Of any other large element
OF population into the body polite also con"
trolls with respect to those manunitted as a
class. The argument Of slavery il inferiority
Of race. Shall we abolish the name but re.
tain the argumente The most patent evils
Of slavcry dow from caste distinctions react
ing upon society. Shall we make merit Of
destroying the institution, yet insist on per
In fets hat
disease and death? There surely are consid.
crations Of state that should weigh decisfrelY
with q community just emerging from the
fierce fires oftan unparalleled strife cngendered
by like prejudices and errors, and should
cause II to cling to the path Of safety. But
Of profit or peace, is the knowledge tha: it is
right and conforms to Gods appointment.
whereby all men are created free and equal.
The dangers and short -comings which have
attended the exercise Of the franchise IN Tue
past, and prevented the attainment Of that
perfect reflection Of popular will which is the
ideal Of Democratic government, have arisen
from tHo or three sources, such as frauds I'm.
pairing the purity Of the ballot box, exercise
Of suffrage as identified with slavery rather
than freedom tins involving moral CONTRA
dictions fatal to any truth Of public utter
ancc, md the attempts to impose rcstrictioha
and Limitations upon the privilege Of voting
that we're not founded in any Justice, thus
|
whicl, Is the common right of the many. In
addition to this may also be cited, the .tnW1se
provisions which have sought to render diff
cult, if not impossible, the carrying out Of tht
popular Eill in matters Of constitutional re-
form. Such obstacles invite harsh and revo
lutionary modes Of redress. They exaspeIatt
passion, and intensity political crises. They
arc usually made to secure doubtful or wrong
ful assumptions against the corrections o1
awakened virtue. And in all their operation
thty both discrcdit and embarrass any ftct
or fair exercise of the elective franchise. II,
therefore, we are to preserve uniy rsal suf
ffage as the cornerstone Of our political struc
tufe, any reconstruction should carefully
guard against those defects which have 80
shaken the old cdiice as to make Its habita
Without undertaking to amplify the posi-
tions thus presented, i may be sufficient t
state in bricf the Tequisctncnts at the hand!
Of our new convention on this. head. The.
| are:
.. Elimination Of slavery from the statc
not only in the present constitutional guar
anty. but In all thfse recognltions which e
to its support, and enables it more or less d
rcctly to control the suffrage.
= 5, Opening up the franchise to the attain
meut Of all save the criminal amongst whom
: must primarily be classed those whose gym
pathies have led them to foster rebellion.
G 4. Facilitating the modes whereby popu1a
( expression may accomplish constitutional re
!: form as the only complete assurance Of futur
progress.
Il is upon ench points that the friends Q
: radical freedom should be fnsistant with thos
. representing them, and united In cooperation
with each oibcr. They involve the outline
: sooner or later, and those who are dispose
to shirk et,cb issues now would do well to re