Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-07-13
RUTLAND HERALD.
SATURDAY, JULY 8, 1866.
The Suffrage Question.

The suffrage Question.
The Democratic State Convention at
Burlington last week resolved that the
government of this country was organ
lied for and should be controlled by the
white citizens therein, that the good OF
all will be best promoted by combining
the right of suffrage to the white citi-
zens, and that they-the so-called Dem
ocrats-were therefore unalterably OPP
posed to comforting the right upon the
blacks. If the people of the Southern
States should themselves propose TO ex-
tend the suffrage TO their freedmen, we
presume the Vermont Democrats would
still be bound by their resolution to OPP
pose it. In other words, the doctrine of
non-interference, so much .yaunted
while the South was engaged in the
work of extending slavery and riveting
more firmly the bondman's chains,
would not be Democratic doctrine in
case the South should propose to i'm
prove the negros condition by confer
ring upon him new rights. Whatever
betides, these men who assembled in
Burlington will unalterably" oppose
negro suffrage anywhere and every
where. The Vermont Democrats "
have, for some time, been somewhat in
advance of their brethren of other states,
on the ground probably that they must
make up for their weakness in numbers
by their strength of utterance. The
Boston Post (Democratic) takes a much
more sound and sensible view of the
question. 1t says
owe repeat what we have often said
before, namely that, had we the power
to coAfer, every citizen who had suffi-
Cient knowledge'to exercise the right of
suffrage with full understanding of
his action-for instance, who possessed
the qualifications required by the laws
of assachusetts-should be voter |
VhateVer his color might be-"
There is growing unanimity among
sound and honest men that a certain de- |
gree of intelligence-an ability, for ex-
ample, to read and write-is necessary |
to a proper exercise of the right of suf- |
frage, and, with this qualification there |
should of course be no distinction of |
race or color; all, of whatever complex
ion, should be admitted alike to the bal
lot-box; there is no other genuine dem
ocracy.
The resolutions of th6>Union State
Convention held last week in Montpe-
lier, counsel the late slave states to con
cede to all their native and naturalized
citizens, by constitutional guaranty,
equality Of civil and political rights,
leaving each to reach his proper social
position by the character he bears and /
the merits he fairly wins; and on the
failure OF state to give this guaranty,
the resolutions insist that Congress shall
use all It's constitutional power so as to
secure Republican form OF govern
ment, both in form and essence to the
people Of such state. A provision that
all citizens, irrespective of color. who
may be able to read, or read and write,
shall be entitled to vote, wodld secure,
30 far, this equality Of civil and 20
itical rights to all races 1t would
lrive ignorance and crime from the bal
ot-box 1t would operate as the most
powerful inducement that could be Of
erred, to the acquisition by all of at
east certain amount of education.
It would, by the general diffusion of
his education at the South, promote Or
Ter, thrift and domestic tranquility"
It would render all future rebellions i'm
possible. Such a provision, incorpora-
ed into the constitution of the United
'tates, so as to apply to all states alike,
would forever settle the question, and
Nc believe, prove an incalculable bless
ne.