Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-03-24
shonld Iowa Amend her Constitution I?

men are going to smash. Everything
is following in the wake of gold.
---o--e- ... .....
shonld Iowa Amend her Constitution?
In 1857, when the new Constitutio,
OF Iowa was adopted, the people alsc
yoted on proposition to strike out tho
word white" in the section defining
the qualifications of voter. The prop
osit'on was defeated, by what maiorit,
We cannot just say, as we have not til,
records before us. In the light of thi.
improved Political atmosphere it woul.
nave been otherwise. Then majorit,
OF even the people of his noS!!a, free
Iowa were blinded by the prejudice.
created against the black man, ant
cringed ANONYMOUSLY before the viii,
OF the slave-driver. Now this fierce
snd bloody civil war has torn the scales
from their eyes, and the SPELL which
bound them has been broken by tie
clear revelations of these historic times.
NOW give to the people another oppor
Nih,iy to do away with the distinction
OF celor, and Iowa will be made free in.
decd. ...as .see .. 80.
II any test is to be made in deciding
who is entitled and who not entitled to
the exercise of the elective franchise let
the test he made on the qualifications
for the intelligent use of the exalted
privilege. The test of color is altogeth
ef unworthy of free people, claiminr
70 be or land that is harbinger to the
oppressed of all nations, where the ina
lienable rights of life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness are vouchsa.ed to
every man.
i1cre is 4 certain ineSp!icable horror
in the minds of many men about such
athing as negro suffrage. There was i.
gseat horror about putting negroes into
the army but the rutlle is passing away
from the countenances of the negro
haters, in the light of the valorous
deeds of our negro troops, and the CRY
Of "niggers won't fight" is heard no
more in all the land. To even the hot
headed Southerners the proof of a ne
gro's fighting capacity has been rem
dered conclusive, and having learned OF
the Yankees they have acted upon the
lesson, and voted to raise an army o
dcspised black men to assist them in
their nefarious efforts to overthrow the
Union, and build on its ruins slave
oligarchy. The existing cutlery against
putting ballots into colored hands will
be as readily put down, we opinc, with
little practical experience, as was the
cutlery about the bayonets.
Then again, if the Union shall be
swaziland thank God for the present
1lattcring prospcct-much of the glory
and credit will be due to the negro
Shall we, then, with country preserved
and redeemed, and flag still free from
dishOnOr, ignore tic claims of those gal
liant black men to the highest honor o.
American freemen, the right of suffrage?
1t would indeed be a poor return for
their earnest devotion and valuable SER
wise. N
All this has nothing to do with social
equality. A mans social standing is
determined by individual preferences,
his own education and respcctability.-
1t is for law to give him the rights of
manhood, and then for the man him
self to build on the foundation which
the law provides such degree of social
equality with other men as he may.
Minnesota and Michigan have taken
the initiatory steps toward extending
The rights of suffrage to the negro, and
we ask Iowa, at the next meeting of her
Legislature, to do likewise