The Indianapolis daily herald. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1865-1868, 1865-11-10

the negroes have exercised political rights Tor Il
tseBty-b Years, and vet there has been DO dis
tuTosbce tbeFe-Do conflict OF the races. Why |
Because Ihe pegroes have been 10 the minority |
Tkey eiutot uiecf a man of their own color 10
AM Office. 70 bring up that prejudice OF race.
s.s logo Of al Lila Is that Iesro yoies are
dangerous unless they ere ia hopeless mi
nority, and 'whi,e tey are naturally entitled to
VOTE thai natural night must be 40 doled out to
70 dem 20 AZ rot 70 permit them :, hold cfsc- for
1 fear Of war Of races. They are good enough
\ 70 meet the white men OF this country e. the
polls. .sna DO his Recognized equal there, pro-
vided always. tina, you have white men enough TO
vote them down. and DOT permit any oil the race
TO take seas IN Congress- or IN any other mapner
TO come in contact with the high officials Of The
land, for fear that it would Giving up that pre-
iudice of races" SO far as this solution OF the
dificulty- proves the less you have of negro suf-
frage the better. Welike it MUCH, but bow it is
TO confer any substantial right or privilege on
the negro himself, we cannot see. We prefer to
'sove the difficulty in another way, and that
is 10 make this what its trainers designed il TO
be. "a white mans government" and at DO time
and under no circumstances, hazard war OF
races" by extending the RICH. to vote or bold
Office to any race so distinct from Us "a the ne
gro. This we think is demanded both a
measure of safety to him and measure of JUS
tice to ourselves.
The next proposition the Governor discusses
il the one to which we have more than once al
luded. az the measure by which that wing OF the
Republican party for which the Governor speaks,
propose to force negro suffrage upon the States
In the South In particular and all the States OF
the Union in general, and that is to amend the
Constitution so that Federal representation
shall be according to voters" Ia bringing
forward this proposition, the Governor says with
an air of triumph be would like to see the poll
tician that can stand up and oppose that amend
ment" We do not think he sufficiently considered
the nature Of the proposition before ne so boast
fully embarked his fortunes upon it. He evidently
thought at the time he delivered his speech that
il was an original idea in the history of our Gov
eminent, new discovery in the science of
Republican Institutions, and put in a claim in
favor of his friend the editor of the Jour
nal, for the discovery and much surpris-
> ed no doubt when few days later
the Commercial paper, most friendly to him,
exposed the blunder, and that he could
not even claim patent, in behalf of his
friend for the new application of an old
and exploded idea, inasmuch as ths late re-
viva of il was due to the fertile brain OF New
England Senator, who also brought it forward as
Yankee trick. La the pamphlet copy of his
speech the Governor has omitted all reference to
his friend in tn at connection.
But what is this propositionI lt il not dspu-
ted that the States have the right to control the
elective franchise. and that. too. without limit;
and the proposed amendment is nothing more
than this: To put up the power of congress
sional representation to be gambed for by the
several States in which the capacity to extend
the elective franchises the capital on which they
draw The purpose is boldly announced by the
Governors for said he, 1.-The proposition will drive
these men" meaning the South. "to confer suf-
frage on the negroes for tue purpose OF extend
Ing aud enlargiug their political power But
will il stop with them? How will il effect us2
He has told US that negroes vote in Massachusetts
This we knew before. but 50 long il did not ei-
feet Us we did not care. IL was their business
not ours But under the operations of
} the proposed amendment We will have to con-
fer the right of suffrage on the twenty-five thou
sand negroes OF this State. u whom the Gov.
ernor refers in another psrt of his speech. or
lose that much political power But Il does
not stop here. The once begun. each State
will strive to outstrp her neighbor in "enlargiug
her political power" until toe entire material
ia exhausted and universal suffrage with a
, vengeance prevail in all the States. and the
point reached where no qualifications OF any kind
will be left 10 guard u: not even age and infants
in arms may be carried TO the polls to dec 70
some close political contest, and enlarge the
political power" Of the State The experiment
of Government resting on the popular will is
not new. la the worlds history we learn that it
has been many times tried and as often failed
The success that has thus far attended our enter
prise in that direction, is not sufficient TO re
verse the Judgment of history thus far pronounced
/ against the practicability of such Government
: There is no such thing the right 70 govern in
: dependent OF the capacity TO determine cor
rectly. at least to the common Intent, ques-
/ tons affecting the public veal. La addition to
9 this, popular governments can have no chance OF
success unless there is some degree of equality
of intelligence and unity OF purpose coupled
: with a common Interest among those with whom
. rests the ultimate governing power In no coun
!, try. therefore, has universal Suffrage ever been
/ attempted. In no country has Republic long
Z existed where the power to govern has been d.
vided among, aud exeyesed in common by dt-
ferent and distinct races Ii even the expert
= ment should be fually successful, il will not be
. by cheapening the right to vote. but impressing
D upon the elector the responsibilities of his posi-
tiOn aad reducing as far as possible the number
of conflicting interests and prejudices that may
4 tend to weaken the force of the public voice.
4 The trainers of Government were wise
in rejecting as vicious the proposition which
a Governor Mo TON sezes upon with such
avidity They wisely left the State TO
regusre the qualifications of electors within
r Their respective limits. uninhgeaeed by any such
dangerous element. as the chance of enlarg-
. ing the political power and influence in the Fed
: eral Legislature by the fatal enlargement OF the