The Indianapolis daily herald., 1865-12-20

The ancient republics lost their liberties a.
much from liccntlaus. turbulent suffrage as
from any other cause. Particularly was this
the case ". IA Rome. 81 hrst her voters were
Of limit number, and restricted 70 citizens
within the boundary az the city. Gradually
the right Of Suffrage wasextended TO the neigh
boring peoples AFTER they were subJugsted,
the right To be exercised, however, In the city.
Thus, say historians. the voters became 10 nu.
merous that rich patricians could bring them
TO the polls b., thousands IL became impossl-
BILE TO distinguish in the multitude between the
voters and the non-sn,ers; the voted
and the non-yoted; fores, fraud, trmult, RI
OF, bloodshed. aud finally anarchy, forced
n usurper 70 abolish the right Of sus-
frage altogether, and place the appointment OF
the senate In The hands Of the Execu' We.
Past experience In our own elc ms, adj
moEishcs US that here. also, lies one OF our
dangers. We allow white males To vote. and
beyond this. n % our white population. we
could not hazard going til our people become
subject 70 more Of the prccepts OF the gospel
than they now observe II would seem from
the character % our elections that suffrage was
already sufficiently extended In our State.
There Il but one direction in which 1t 10 Sc
riously sought 70 extend Il, and that Is by Civ
ing IL TO the negro oar white people are gen.
orally satisfied with the present extent OF suf-
frage 70 Themselves ~ race But 10 Is now
proposed ~ the Republican party to take into
partnership with ths whites the African race.
The Republicans propose different modes OF
accomplishing this result. Some even contend
that the amendment ef the Constitution Of the
United states, prohibiting slavery therein. op-
crates 90 make all the negroes citizens. with
privileges equal 70 the whites. Others con-
tend that, at all events. by virtue Of that
amendment, Congress may, by legislative act,
make the negroes voters; and whatever Con-
eress can. by any pretcxt, do in the premises.
wemay be assured the present radical Congress
will do. Others admit the States have control
Of the right 81 suffrage In their respect
i've Jurisdictions; and hence. will attempt To
accomplish negro suffrage by amendments Of
State Constitutions In one or other. or all of
these ways Is the question Of negro suffrage TO
be pressed upon the people. aud IL has 70 be
met and decided.
And the FIRST question asked may be, will not
our present Suffrage extension. in coming
years, with our growing population, give US
man, can we maintain pure elections, truly ut
,ering the popular voice, with a mass Of
voters beyond what our present system will
give u.s. II we take in the negro. make our
elections confused mobs, may not prctext be
furnished To initiate Rome. and TO take away
the right Of suffrage from both negroes and
poor white nens We ask tho labOring men to
reflect on this point. aud see IL they do not dcs-
cry danger here.
Briefly. then. objections 20 negro suffrage
are:
I. The white males over twenty -oue years Of
sge will furnish many voters can consist
with anything like fair, orderly elections. even
by Homogeneous race.
> To bring In the negro would not only in
crease the dangers Of turbulence from mum.
berS. but also by Introducing another element.
that q race antipathy and jealousy, which
would tend to bring popular elections into that
disorder and Disgrace that would head o. their
suppression BY forcc. thus making them the
occasion ofttSing tn privilege from the white
man A. well q, the black.
2. IL II j. no hardship and injustice for our
Young men aud our women 60 be debarrcd the
polls. It is no injustice TO the negro. We give
him his natural rights; we protect him In per-
sou and property; but here i = clear line Ut
~ Witch 70 bound the right Of sufTrage--a line
Of race, and that an Inferior race, physically.
morally and intellectually with physical
differences, making the races uncougcnial.
Here. then. l. our hnc ofiimiting suffrage. = just
and proper line. line of race. that mas save
cur elections from that anarchy which will
possibly, even probably, cause them tn be
closed 10 the laboring class of white men. win
our Democratic Gin opposition 60 sristocratic.l
white men think over this suhjccts