The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-07-26
" Physician Heal Thyself.'

Ii i frequently flung in the teeth o the
Northern advocates OF negro suffrage atths
south. that most OF the Northern states eX-
clude negroes from voting, and that before
imposing negro suffrage at the South, We
should first adopt it ourselves.
To this We answer
l. This i Z mere question Of personal
consistency, and not OF statesmanship, and
therefore Is 4 false issue as the tue Ques-
ton i not whether the advocates Of negro
suffrage are consistent but whether the
negroes ought 10 vote.
2. The question Of consistency depends
not on the past action OF the states in
which We live, for that may have been un-
der the control OF tho opponents OF negro
suffrage. cur consistency DEFENDS solely
on our own action, and We afiiun that those
who desire that negroes who nave fought
Tor the Union. who can read and write, and
who are seli-support!ng shall vote IN south
Carolina DO also desire that they shall vote
In our own Northern states. Therefore, II
there bee anything yaiuble in consistency,
We are consistent.
g. The grounds on which suffrage Is
urged on behalf OF the negroes IN ule rebel
states have never applied 10 the negroes
IN the loyal states.
4. Ia the rebel states the whites are dis
loyal the blacks loyal. In the loyal States
both whites ana blacks are equally legal.
Hence there Is not II the North that neCes-
sitY for extending the suffrage 10 the blacks
in order 10 secure loyal voters, that eX-
ISIS Il the south
=. la the rebel States the whites are but
half. or tVO-thlrls in some states but one
tAird OF The entire population In all the
Northern States and Territories there were,
bv the census of l~6U but 226, 07o negroes
or about ohe-nineiieth of our population. 4
government may bee republican and exclude
One-miueticlh of lis population from the
suffrage Indeed a greater proportion are
constantly excluded as aliens. But il bl
no means follows that the government !.
republican wherein twO-thIrds. or halt, or
even Onethird the people are excluded
g. While the in-igniicance vi the Negro
vote al the North renders 10 a matter of but
F little Importance whether they vote or not
still they have been prevented from voting
/ in some of the states only by the political
alliance existing between Northern Dem.
Ocracy" and southern slavery, and then
exclusion from the suffrage in any state
/ hv reason OF color. Is relic oil slavery
which cannot long survive its cOnsOr..
:. There is little or no interest. DISPOSE
/ ton, or power in the northern whites tC
opprc-- the blacks. and therefore the latter
+ 10 not 80 palpubly need 10 be armed Will
1 the ballots iu Seii-deieuse. But there j. .
strong desire ia the southern whites, fOun
I To Cypress the blacks: desire which, they
already threaten may wreak its cruelty in
war of determination against the blacks
I lft ftafl "a q
from the suffrage.
II IS because the Shareholders are dis
posed to look down upon the blacks, that
the latter need the right of suffrage to pro-
tect them from oppression, and to secure
that entire equality before the law which
they now enjoy in the Northern States, and
without which at the South, a relapse into
slavery or a war of races would be ineyita
bic
:. Finally, unless the blacks Of the
south vote. the whites must vote for them.
which gives every Southern voter twice OF
thrice the voting power Of a Northern vO-
ter which is an imposition and wrong in
which every Northern man has Il vital in
terest. No such wrong ensues from exclu-
ding the negro from voting in the Northern
States.
We regard the plea that We must secure
negro suffrage AT the North, where the
question j. one OF no Importance, either TO
the negroes the whites or the Union. be
fore We eau act justly upon the question rs
IL is brought up by the reconstruction OF
the Southern States, ia which il is of imme-
diate and overwhelming Importance. as a
mere cOwardly subteriuge. indicative only
of a determination IN those who utter it to
exclude the negroes or 10 dodge the ques-
ton Physician heal thyselt' is our mot
10. and therefore We wish to heal the South
which Is part of ourselves. thUdyO Tri-
TIME