Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-04-01
.r,HAr. asuFFRAaEI,s, a1lu,rsr1oN.

On two occasions We have quoted from
and commented upon the speech Of Judge
Kelley. Of Pennsylvania, in which he con-
tends for the propriety and justice of ex-
tending the right of suffrage to those
negroes who have fought in this war, who
pay their taxes, and who can read the
Constitution and the laws of the land.
We have said that after careful reading
and study of that speech, we have become
convinced of the soundness of Judge
Kelley's reasoning, and are forced to admit
that the rule which recognizes color and
not intelligence as the standard of "supe-
riority" and the test of fitness for citizen
ship, is founded upon prejudice and not
upon justice or reason. This conviction
we avOw candidly and gratuitously, being
urged thereto neither by interest nor ne
cessity. The editor of the Carson Post
has read our articles upon the subject, and
processes an admiration for our courage"
in making the avowal. We were not
aware that we were exhibiting any re-
markable amount of courage in stating
our views upon this, more than upon any
other subject upon which We have from
time to time expressed ourselves. Upon
every question into the discussion Of which
we have at any time entered, we have
spoken unreservedly, and if we have ever
left our readers in doubt as to our true
sentiment, the fault has lain in our defec-
tive command of the English language.
1t has been seldom that any complaint of
our ambiguity has reached our ears. The
editor of the Post, with great stress upon
the boldness of our declarations on the
niger question, points US out as "the
sole advocate of negro-suffrage in Ne
vada." If he means to say that we are
the first in Nevada who has defended the
doctrine of the natural and just right Of
the American born negro, who fights and
and pays his taxes, to have voice iii
choosing his rulers and lawmakers, the
Post is probably correct. If, however, he
supposes that We are advocating change
of the Constitution of Nevada upon that
point, he is wrong. We are not aware, to
any degree of certainty, that there is a
negro in this State who comes within the
scope of those provisions which Judge
Kelley attaches as qualifications TO the
right of suffrage; and which we consider
as the true test of fitness for citizenship.
We are not personally acquainted with a
niger in this State whom we consider fit
for citizenship; and if an amendment to
our State Constitution were to-day pend
ing, which would admit negro to the
elective franchise, and were our voice
heard in the matter, that amendment
would be clogged with provisions, which
would not only make it difficult for a
negro to vote. but would most certainly
disfranchise very considerable number
of white men who have heretofore voted
by virtue of their color aloness No: the
Constitution Of Nevada is all well enough
as it is, at present; for if there is a
niger in the State fit to vote we don't
know him. We are not advocating a
local measure; but we are arguing
a proposition which Congress will be
compelled to consider in admitting again
to a share in the government of the nation,
those States now or lately in rebellion.
There is where the question will come up
for practical action, and it is looking to
that event, that we have preached the dis
cussion. There is one remark in the arti-
Gle of the Post which astonishes US quite
as much as our courage" does him.
That is, that the extension of the right OF
suffrage to the negro would result in "the
inevitable mixture of the races" The
editor of the Post does not occupy the
most exalted place in our estimation; but
the soundness and ability of his political
articles mark him as man of fully aver
age common sense. We must express our
surprise therefore at remark so utterly
stupid and silly as the one we have quoted.
That white man of so depraved taste as
to desire a niger wench for either his wife
or his eoncubine, ever hesitates one moment
to inquire whether the blackamoor's father
is a citizen of the United States, is too ab-
surd an idea to have ever entered the head
! of man who, like the editor of the Post,
was born and has lived to manhood in the
United States. 1t is balderdash of the
shallowest and silliest kind only fit for a
Copperhead stump speech, which we ac-
quit the editor from any imputation or
suspicion of having ever made. A half
minutes reflection would have deferred
him from expressing so absurd an idea.
That political equality and social equality
haye any relation to each other is an idea
THAI has been steadily refuted at every
election held in the United States since it
became nation. The editor of the Post
never voted in his life, but that there were
white men voted at the same ballot box,
whose "sOcial equality with himself he
would never have admitted, and whose
sister or daughter he would have no
sooner have married than he would have
married sow-pig. The social scale is not
marked and divided alone by color, or by
the fact of citizenship. We all associate
freely and upon terms Of equality, friend
ship and affection with men and women
who are not citizens, and we loathe and
abhor and despise as utterly beneath us in
| the social scale, innumerable of those