The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-07-12
NEGRO SUFFRAGE.

We extract the following able article,
on the above subject, from the Clarks,
burg Telegraph. In the main, it ex-
presses our views. We do not honestly
believe that the extension of, suffrage to
the negro in the Southern States, or even
in West Virginia, at once, would be for
his true in terest, any more than restoring
the same privilege to rebels, until their
loyalty bo fully re.establishcd, would be
for the true interests Of the Country and
State. They will be content, we believe,
to wal. patiently, till by education, &C.,
they may be fitted to exercise the privi.
lege both iutelligcutly and indepcn-
IDENTIFY:
This is a subject which is now rcceiv-
ing great deal of attention, and upon
which We have for some time iutcudcd
writing. Whether or not the negroes
shall be allowed to vote, is an important
question. They are now free people,
and if they remain among US, it is neccs'
sary that they be entitled to the rights
of citizenship. But they are not as yet
qualified for voting. Although residing
among us-they have known absolutely
nothing Of the affairs Of the Government.
Prevented BY the laws Of some of the
Southern States from learning to read,
they have been kept profoundly ignorant
of the commonest affairs Of life, having
no knowledge Of anything not immcdi,
ately connected with their daily routine
of duties.
A negro is utterly unqualified to pass
Judgment upon the affairs in which the
United States are now engaged. y
foreigner is considered unqualified for
voting until he has resided here five
years, because he docs not understand
our peculiar institutions, and five years
are considered necessary to acquaint him
with them. How much better qualified
is negro just cmancipated from slavery
for voting, than German who has just
landed upon the American shores? But
as the foreigner after few years, res
idence among the people Of the United
States becomes competent to judge In
affairs which arise in the nation, so We
believe that the negro will acquire the
same competency. y few years to ac'
custom him to the idea Of freedom, dur.
ing which he will learn not only to read
but also the higher branches Of learning.
in which he can acquaint himself with
the laws which govern US, and learn to
discern the right from the wrong, the.
useful from the perniciouS. We have
reason to believe j few years will accom-.
plish much for this people. In the few
cases where they have enjoyed advan-
,aces they have done we'll. The negro
is considered indolcnt, but it must not
DC left out Of consideration that he has
had few incentives to industry, and the
system of slave labor has been such that
every idle hour was thatmuch clear gain
to the laborer. Why then should nc
strive to improve his moments by work
ing with diligence? But he will not be
slow to find out that he himself will be
the only loser By wasted moments now,
and will learn to improve them. Not
only will he labor physically, but men
tally. We long to possess nothing SO
much as that thing from which We have
been debarred-no,hing is so attractive,
nothing is SO easily strivcn after. Rcas'
oning upon this hypothesis we may assert
that the negro will be eager in the pur'
suit Of knowledge. for this privilege has
always been withheld This is further
proved by the eagcrness with which they
have attended the schools which have
been accessible to them, and the rapidity
with which they have mastered the tasks
which have been set before them. An
incident is related Of a negro barber who
short time ago offered four thousand
dollars towards dcfraying the expenses
Of building u church, the sum he had
saved in the four years Of the war. And
! if he is type of his class We may ex'
! pect to 6nd them possessed Of industry,
economy aud libcrali,y.
! The Alexau dria Jo"rnal says that
during the administration Of General
Slough in that city, extending over a
pcriod Of near three years, the colored
people in that city have invested in
ground rents, real estate and improve
ments something over 6fty.two thousand
dollars, far exceeding the amount in
vested during the same period by the
white population Of the city. The
Journal says: {" As class these people
are orderly and industrious, and seem
perfectly able to take care of themselves. "
We are aware that many persons have
an extreme aversion to allowing the
negroes the right Of suffrage. But why
need negro suffrage create such horror
in the minds Of the people? Even in
the Slave State Of North Carolina free
negroes we're allowed the right Of elcc'
tive franchise, and previous to the re-
modelling Of the Constitution Of the
/ State of Tennessee in 1881, the same
class of people were allowed to vote.
They may not now be capable OF voting