Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1865-08-30

soldier and = man, and whose opinions 3>
20 his capacity are as far above those oftbe
aTatcndeG soldier editor Of the Messenger
As Is rightahove wrong. That these men
were unanimously and enthusiastically
~ favor Of Gen. C,N for Gov eru0r, is the
best evidence that the soldiers are hI-
friends.
OLD SOLDIER.
lsen. Garfield ON NegrO Suffrage.
We make the following extract from
he able and eloquent oration Of Gen.
fairfield at Raveuna. on the Eth ult
wherein he urged Eith irresistible logic
IN right o. he negro 20 vote:
Let us not commit ourselves ~ the alb
surd aud --nseless dugm@, that the color
lf the skin shall, be the basis Of suffrage,
the talisnau ol liberty. lApp!ause.l /
admit tha. il l. periiaus to confer the
franchise Upun the ignorant and degrau
ID: hU! II au educational test cannot ht
established, iet suffrage he extended to ali
pI proper age, regardless Of color. Ii
may well he questioned whether the ne
tr0 does nos understand the nature Ol
"a, institutions better than the equally
ignorant foreigner. lie was intelligent
enough TO understand from the begin
my Oi this war that the destiny of his
rae was Involved IN 1t. lie was intelli
gent enough 90 be true TO that Union
which ms educated and traitrous master
was endeavuriug to destroy. He came to
Us in the hour OF sOreSt need. and by his
nd, under God, the Republic was saved.
lApplause.) Shall we now be guilty oi
the unutterHble meannezs, not OF thrust.
ing him beyond the pale OF its blessing,
nut Of committing his destiny 20 the ten
der meYcies O! those pardOned rebels who
have been so reluctantly compelled to
take their feet from his neck, and their
nands from his throat But some one
SAYS it is dangerous at this time to make
now experiments ! answer. 1t Is always
safe to do justice. tAPplause) But to
grant suffrage 70 tine black man IN this
country IS not innovation. but restoration.
1t is "a return to the ancient principles
and practice of the fathers. Let me re
fer you TO 81 few facts in our history, which
have been but little studied by the peO-
pie and politicians of this generation.
l. During the war of the Revolution,
and in 1889. the date of the adoption of
our national Constitution. there was but
one State among the thirteen whose con
stitution refused the right OF suffrage 10
tue negro. That State was South Carroll
Ia. Some, IL IS true, established, q prop
sriy qualification: all made freedom q
prerequisite. But none save South Car
0iina made color coalition of suffrage.
> The Federal Constitution makes no
such distinction, nor did the Articles of
Confederation. In the Congress of the
Confederation, on the 25th Of June, 1878,
the fourth article was under discussion.
II provided That the free inhabitants Ci
each Of these States shall be entitled to
all the privileges and immunities of the
several States"
The delegates from South Carolina
moved 10 insert between the words free
inhabitants" the word '1rhie," thus de
nying the privileges ami immunties OF
citizenship 20 the colOred man. Accord
ing TO the rules OF the Convention, each
State had but one vote. Eleven States
voted on the question. One was divided.
Two voted aye, and eight voted no. (See
Elliot's Debates, Vol. l. D. 9O) 1t was
thus early, and almost unanimously, de-
cided that trcei0m not coL0r, should be the
test of citizenship.
5. Federal legislation prior 10 1872
suffrage in consequence OF the color OF
the citizen During that period, the
Congress passed ten separate laws, estab-
LISTING new Territories. IN ali these,
freedom, and not color was the basis Ol
suffrage
4 After nearly ii quarter at a century
OF prosperity under the Constitution, the
spirit OF slavery 80 far triumphed over
the early principles and practice of the
Government that. in 1872, South Carolina
and her followers in Congress succeeded
IN inserting the word white IN the
suffrage clause of an Act establishing
Territorial government in u: ssouri. Ore
bv one the slave States gave way before
this crusade Of slavery against negro
citizenship.
In 1917, Connecticut caught the infec
ton, and in her Constitution she eXclud-
ed the negro from the ballot box. In
every other New England State his an
Gent right Of suffrage has remained and
still remains uudjsturbed-
Free negroes voted III Maryland till
1898: III North Carolina Till 1883; in
Pennsylvania I'LL 1898. Ii was the boast
of Cave johnson, OF Tennessee, that he
owed his election 20 Congress in 1898 10
the free negroes who worked in his mills.
They were excluded from suffrage in
in 1881 under the new Constitution OF
Tennessee, by "A vote Of 53 10 %. As
new States were formed, jneir COnstitu
tions for the most part excluded The ne
gro from citizenship. Tneu followed the
shameful catalogue of black laws-eXpa-
triatiou and ostracism in every form,
which have so deeply disgraced the rec
ord OF legislation in many of the States.
affirm, therefore, that our present
position Is one of apOstaCy; and to give
the ballot To the negro will be no innOva-
ton but "a return 10 the old path-a res
toration of that spirit of liberty 10 which
the sUfieTingz and sacrifices of the revo-
luton gave birth. But, II we had no re-
specJ for the early practices and tradi-
tons OF our fathers, We should be cont
PEELED to meet the early questions which
will very soon be forced upon us for So
luton.
The necessity of putting down the re
bellion by force of arms was no more i'm
perative than is that of res; oring law,
order and liberty in the States that re-
belled. No duty can be more sacred
than that of maintaining and perpetua
ting the freedom which the proclamation
of emancipation gave to the loyal black
men Of the South. (Applause.)
IL they are TO be disfranchised, if they
have no voice in determining the condi-
tions under which they are TO live and
labor. what hope for the future? 1t will
rest with their late masters-whose trea-
son they aided to thwart-to determine
whether the negroes shall he permitted /
to hold property-to enjoy the benefits I
of educatiOn-to enforce contracts, 20
have access to the courts of justice-in I
short. to enjoy any of those rights which /
give vitality and value to freedom
Who can fail to foresee the vision Of free /
dom has been presented, only to be with I
drawn, leaving them without even the
aid which the masters selfish CONNER
cial interest in their life and service for /
merly afforded them? Will these negroes, !
the battle-felds on which [
two hundred thousand of their number 4
have bravely fought, and many thou
sands have heIOically died, submit TO Op-
preston n tamely and peaceably as in
the days of slavery? Under such condi-
tions there could be no peace, no securi-
ty, no prosperity.