The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1865-07-07
How Il Stands as a Question Of Policy.

How it Stands as Question OF foiicy'
Aside from all considerations Of humani-
~, OF national safety, Of moral obligation,
or Of right and wrong in any sense, it is OBJ
v;ously for the best Cooking at il now solely
rs a matter of political expediency) for the
Union Administration and party to give the
negro In the lately rebcllious States the elect
i've franchise. Il is as certain as anything
In the future can bc that he ,cia have it,
~,oner or later; the only inquiry is as to tho
time and manner of bcstowing it. Upon
this point we cay that IL it is to be we'll done.
j, were we'll IL were done quickly; being
right in itself. il were we'll il were done by
us In almost every Southern State, at some
period Of its history, the free blacks have
had and exercised the right Of voting. and it
was only the defunct institution Of slavery
that deprived thou Of is. 1t is notprobable'
now that this great obstacle is removed, that
one.balf the free population will consent to
hear the burdens Of citizenship without en-.
j,ying its privileges. They will not cease to
clamor and agitate for the ballot until they
obtain Il. That .'to this complexion 1t must
come at last" every one will see who remcm-
hers the origin and result OF the "Dorr Re
bell,on" in Rhode Island. In that State
large proportion Of the people were disfran-
chis.d by the requirement that in order to
h, qualified as an elector u person must own
n freehold estate Of certain value. Those
excluded from the polls by this law insisted
upon voting. and by their ballots elected
Dorr as Governor. He attempted to exercise
the gubernatorial functions, but was arrested
and imprisoned for short time; but the
o,iious law was repealed aud suffrage became
as unrestricted in Rhode Island as in the
other New England States.
The Same result will follow similar causes
in the South. The voting class in those
States will DO nearly equally divided upon
some question Of absorbing interest; the
dominant party, fearing to lose the small ma
jori.y by which IL obtained or retains power
will enfranchise the negroes and strengthen
itself by their vote. They will very natur.
ally vote with those who grant them the
privilege of voting at all. The Democrats
are evidently already preparing to secure the
negro vote in this way, Us they have already
SECURED the Irish.
II the Administration and its supporters
commit themselves (Which Heaven forbid y
to the policy Of exclusion, the opposition
will advocate the admission Of the black man
to the polls. and in this sign they will con-
ouer. An indication of the adoption OF this
policy will be found in the strong editorial
in its favor in q recent issue Of Ben. Woods
PAPER, the New York News. This paper
has. ever since its establishment, been the
aront courier Of the Democracy, indicating
in advance tho position which that party
would ultimately assume. The Boston Post,
representing the other, loyal, wing OF the
Democratic party, also advocates the same
course: so that In this matter they will find
"a point Of agreement.
Both Of these papers base their advocacy
of negro suffrage upon the impregnable
ground that every man who is entitled to his
frscdom is entitled to protect himself by his
vote: that every citizen is fully citizen,
and that the rights and obligations existing
between the State and its citizens are recip-
rocal. This is the true doctrine, though the
Owl Ito suit his own purposes) breaches it.
Bring the truth it will prevail, and it is as
weak as il is wicked for us to contend against
it. To leave one.half Of the free population
Of aStatc withouta vote to protect themselves.
s,bject to the arbitrary enactmcnts Of the
other half, is too directly opposed to the
progressive spirit Of the age, Of Liberty and
81 Republican institutions, to be long per-
mittcd. II will not be permitted. As Fred
eric William Of Prussia wrote to one OF his
crowned compeers. progress is stronger
than we are": We may, rs q party, share
and lead its triumphal march, or, IL We pre-
fer, hang back and allow ourselves to be
crushed beneath its ponderous wheels. but it
is worse than useless to oppose its onward
sweep. Ile who resists the extension Of
Liberty,
Fights, nj fearful odds,
6sinst Nature and the Jealous gods
And dares the dread recoil which. late
Or soon, the Right shall vindicate."