The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1865-08-24

contrasts In which the superiority must be
divided, we think that both the Irishman
and the negro would conccde to each otEcr
the superiority in certain respects. The
negro will not deny the IriShman's supe-
rlor whitcness, and the Irishman will not
deny the ncgro's superior blackncss.-
There are negroes who would butt a hole
through barn door, which would leave
no brans in an Irishman's head, and there
are possibly Irishmen who wonld drink :.
horn of whisky that would leave just as
little brains in the nc@ro's Uranium. The
Irish have produced very great men, like
Daniel O'Connell, who had an ardent
thirst for liberty and hostility to slavery.
But the negroes are superior to the Irish.
in not having, by their apostacy, disgraced
such teachers, stonng their prophets and
crcuifying them that were sent unto them.
The Irish are the most fucnt-talk the
best-their speech is silver. But the ne
grocs are best at holding their tongues
silerce is golden. Finally, whatever arc
those mental, moral and religious qualitcs
which induce man to vote the Republi-
can ticket, and from the general character
OF the Republican party they must be of a
very respectable order, very many negroes
seem to possess, and very many Irishmen
to lack them.
Y. But if by denying that ''naturc ever
made the negro the equal Of an Irishman'
it is meant that every Irishman is superior
to the negro in those higher qualities OF
cloquencc, authorship, craftsmanship
courage which are accepted among man~
kind as the evidences of general ability
permit us to ask Mr. Shamel lIcG uirc the
author of the paragraph We have cited, il
he supposcs himself for one moment to be
superior to Frederick Douglass as an ora
tor, to Alexander Dumas as an author
to TOusSaint l. Overture as statesman
age.
VI. Upon what basis, except Of color
does the Irishman claim superiority over
the negro, on which the Engllshman can
not with equal grace claim to be superior
to the lrishman. He is of the ruling race
as compared with the negro. SO is the
Engllshman as compared with the Irish
maa. lie votes to the exclusion substan-
tally of the negro. So does the English
man vote substantially to the exclusion OF
the Irishman lie has been free longer
So has the Englishman been free longer
than the Irsnman who at hcmc, IS not
yet politically free. We need not con.
tinuc the parallel. The Irishman, above
all others, by the sacred memory of his
own stripes, should scorn to delight in op
posing the negro. Having just been satrv-
ed out of his native land where he was
deprived of a vote for his religion and his
poverty, he should blush to borrow and
apply to another the cant slang which the
English aristocracy apply to himself. viz
superiority Of race gives superiority Of
rights"
VII. But even admitting the Irishman
to be in all desirable respects superior to
the negro, does it follow that he should have
any more rights ? Should the negro have
any less right than his ablcr Irish fellow
citizens, to worship God according to his
own conscience or to have his property
wife and children protected Yet wha,
but the ballot assures these rights 20 any
man? Must not the negro defend the
country with his blood during war as well
as the Irishmaa? Must ne not obey the
law and be punished if he violates it ?
Ought he not then to have the same voice
in making the war in which he is To die OF
framing the law by which he is to live
Or will the lrishman, still in the swad
ding ban Is of liberty, play the English
petty tyrant over the negro by deciding
for him in what wars he shall fight, and by
what laws he shall be bound?