The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-02-24

| We are glad to observe that some d
the Republican papers of this State have
The manliness to express doubts Of the pro
priety of extending the right Of suffrage
| to class of persons that cannot exercise
! it intelligently. These journals do not fol-
low the Press of this city in all its fanati-
cal theories. They believe that certain
degree of intelligence should be required
OF every voter, and do not mean to stulti-
fy themselves by advocating the extension
of the elective franchise to negroes indis-
criminately, without any qualification
whstever.
b The Winona Republican, while oonoed-
ing the probability that negro equality will
be carried forward to the point Of success,
observes:
It may well be questioned whether the sud-
den elevation of such great body of igno-
rant, untutored, almost barbaric persons, to
the rights of citizenship would not endanger,
if not the actual existence of our free institu-
tons, at least their tranquil operation. This Is
question of the highest importance, and 1t
should not be overlooked by those who are
about to take action in the premises.
The Wilton Weekly Ne,os, a radical
hti-slavery paper, comes out decidedly
against the negro suffrage proposition al
leging that it would lead US into difficult
ties. 1t says: .t-t-..
Negroes like every other class of man, will
be clannish. They will vote together. Politi-
clans will stoop to their prejudices for the
purpose of obtaining their votes Their power
at the ballot box will induce amalgamation,
and sooner or later we shall sink to the level
of the South American and Mexican creoles.
The Neaos concludes its article by adj
vocating proposition to colonize the ne
groes in some Southern State or Terri
tory, where, by themselves, they might
enjoy all their rights unmolested, but dis
franchised everywhere else. '.
The Valley Herald, Of Chaska, Carver
county, edited by Hon. CHAs. A. WARREN,
late State Senator, is no less decided in its
opposition to the measure. We have
printed portion of its article on the sub
iect, and now reproduce it entire, and
commend it to the conservative members
of the Republican party. .. .e..
The House has passed by strictly party
vote the bill proposing an amendment to the
Constitution by which the right of suffrage Is
the black race. A condition was first proposed
which would render it necessary for all per-
sons, both white and black, to be able to read
in order to exercise the right of suffrage, but
the bug-bear of unpopularity scattered all such
conditions to their holes; and in the face OF
fact well known, and acknowledged by the
Republican organ of the State, that intelli.
gence is the best safeguard to our government
institutions, and the only rightful condition to
be imposed upon voters, and the matter Is
made worse by opening the door to a degrad.
ed and untutored race who will require gener-
atoms of generations before they are fitted to
perform, with discretion, the duties OF an
American citizen. And vet while the Press
comedies that the permanency of our govern
ment requires some restriction of the elective
franchise, itapplauds the action of the Legisla-
ture in extending it and says truly the world
moves" 1,.. .. ,s.
If the proposed amendment passes the Sen.
ate, Minnesota will have been the first State
which has, since the war began, taken any &C
ton towards allowing the negro to vote. The
Republican Legislature of Illinois have only
repealed law which prohibited blacks from
entering the State upon penalty OF q fine to be
collected by sale OF the services of the party
convicted The right of egress and ingress is
all they propose to grant.
The Mankato Union, Republican pa
per, has also denounced its impolicy in
strong terms, and its opinion will not be
without weight, if the proposition comes
before the people. The Mankato Record,
the organ of the Valley Democracy, OPP
poses it in the following language:
Laying aside all prejudice against the negro,
and viewing it wholly in the bearing it will
have upon the interests of the State, we can.
not but look upon the adoption of this propo'
sition as extremely disastrous. At present
there are less than three hundred negroes in
the entire State who would come within the
provisions of this act. But once adopted, and
Minnesota being the only State in the North
west where negroes would be permitted 10
vote and hold office, we should have whole
sale immigration of that class of persons.
While there are doubtless some respectable and
worthy exceptions, they are, as people, ig-
norant, indolent, and addicted TO petty
thieving. ...--.,-.
Let it be known that this class OF persons,
four months after escaping from Southern
slavery, are here endowed with all the sacred
rights of free born intelligent citizens, and 1t
would prove q most effectual barrier in direct
ing the better classes of white immigrants to
other States The fact that Minnesota gave
these privileges to negroes would be extern
sively advertised by the immigrant agents of
rival States; and greatly to our injury. In
deed, we are firmly of the belief that not only
would the adoption of this amendment have
the effect to retard and prevent immigration,
but it would induce many good men, already
in the State, to leave it. "''''
We hope oil citizens of Minnesota, regard
less of party, having the good of the State at
heart viii unite in voting down this measure.
We are aware that come members of
the Democratic party, for various reasons,
have lent their influence in favor of the