Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-06-02
Enfranchising The Negro.

The Dubuque Herdld cannot listen
with any degree Of conplacency what
ever to the advocacy of that abolition
scheme 1.-THE erfranchising of the ne
gro. There is nothing the least re-
markable in this. 1t Is not to be sup
posed that tie Herald, with all its trea.
sonable instincts, will look with any
more satisfaction upon q proposition tc
put ballots into the hands of loyal black
men than it did upon the proposition tc
put muskets into their hands. For oul
own part we are frank to confess that
we would trust the ballots in thcii
hands much more readily than We
would in the hands Of cOppcrheads and
rebels. And we feel assured that the
Herald Sopposition to this '.scheme," a.
it eharacterizes it, arises from the fact
that it is fully aware that the colored
men would cast their vote q unit against
the party of which il is an earnest sup
porter. Therefore, it doubtless consid-
eTs, should this "abolition scheme -
prevail, they who during the past four
years have sought TO destroy the Union
would be utterly cast down. in that.
having been overwhelmingly beaten by
force OF arms, they would have no re-
manning hope in the ballot-box. The
-Hcr0iG thinks the movement is stimu-
lated by desire to retain power. SO il
IS; though not the power of any mere
political party, but the power of the
General Government. \ class of men
such us instigatod and led the rebellion
have controlled the South long enough;
and, these men, we have every reason
to believe, will stand by the country in
the future rs in the past. They success
fully iorded over the South, but signal
Jy failed in attempting to bear the iron
hand rs heavily on the North The
bonds of the bondmcn are broken no
less at the North than al the South, and
the palmy days of the "chivalry" shall
return no more forever.
1t would be satisfaction to these de-
feated rebels 10 enjoy again their former
political power in the Southern States,
and they probably will strive to regain
it. Should the " Democratic rule
which existed just prior to the war be
reinstated, we could reasonably look for
a return also of that spirit OF intoler-
auce and sectional hatred which rem
dered the South so notorious for mob
law and violence. To prevent this we
advocate the enfranchising OF the ne
gro.
This is a Government of the people
for the people, and our position is that
1t should be made secure against any
future attempts at its subversion which
these rebels of to-day may make, or the
attempts of any class or party of like
aristocratic notions who in time TO come
may be INCLINED that way, The SIM
plest and safest manner to effect securi-
ty is to place the Government more
completely in the hands of the people.
IheGoyernnent owes protection none
the less to black man, and a black
man hone the less owes protection to
the Government. The ballot is the
most necessary adjunct, in time oil
peace, to the performance of his duty.
We propose, therefore, that he shall
have the ballot, which we believe he
will use to the same good purpose that
he has the bullet.
That party which delights to be styled
Democratic " our readers viii remem-
Der was very much exercised in the last
Presidential campaign because open and
ayowed rebels in the border States were
declared from voting. The action of
the Administration YVES characterized
as tyrannical ana wholly uuwarrantil-
BILE, and the NEST sinister motives were
freely ascribed. 1t was fully understood
by the friends of the Government that
this dissatisfaction arose from the fact
that the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of rebels cur
tailed the strength Of the Mcclellan
party, ana not because amy usurpation
or tyranny resulted, nor because any
principle OF justice or right was tram
pied upon. Persecution u is the plea
of miserable class of sycophaiits the
world over.
Now this peculiar school Of politics,
of which the Herold is the most impor-
rtant member we have in Iowa, is OPP
posed TO the acknowledgements Of the he
gro for exactly the same reasons that ii
is opposed 10 the acknowledgements OF
rebels. They are reasons, it is needless
10 say, which should have no weight
with loyal people, to whom the control