Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-07-01
The Renl Question.

( The Neeo York Times sides with President
JOHNSON on the Negro Suffrage question.
and on the 29th INDUCED in this talk in re-
! lation to it: li ,..s .rt ,.-s-.--.- ,-i.
The real question between us and those
who insist upon granting the suffrage, is
not whether the freedmen should receive
Justice, but whether the grant Of the suf-
frage is the best mode to secure them JUS
tice. The difference relates TO the means
not to the end. We know 1t Is said that the
mere withholding the franchise Is in itself
an iniustice-that the freedmen have natl
ural right to vote, and that, even II they had
not, they have earned that right by their
loyal service. But no serious argument
can be maintained on that ground. The
very word franchise excludes the idea of
natural right. IL means privilege confer
ed, in distinction from a birthright. We
withhold it from women and from minors,
and from aliens, without any violation of
natural justice. 1t Is something condition
al, not absolu.e-something to be regulated
BY the personal fitness of the individual and
the high interests of the State, and not some
thing that every human being In the land can
lay claim to, simply by virtue Of his being
human being. The other fallacy that the
freedmen have earned the suffrage by loya
StINlCG 10 oltIldEs OtNC bhCm dAi bhO NiCuAO
in this respect that these advocates claim
for them, it vet of itself furnishes no. title
to the franchise. WIN any man say that
the blacks of the South have done our ma
tional cause more service than the women
of the North? Have the tens of thousands
of those who fought In our armies the last
years of the war helped the Republic more
than the hundreds of thousands of noble
women who have clothed and nursed sol
'diers, sick and wounded, all through the
war? 1t is not too much to say that the
ladies Of the North, by their skill and care
and toll, have saved the lives OF a greater
number of white soldiers than the entire
number of black soldiers who have ever
fired gun in actual battle. If the black
soldiers have earned right to the suffrage
for their whole race, why have not their
Northern lady almoners earned 1t for their
sex? How is 1t that we hear 80 much Of
the cry that he who knows enough to fight
knows enough to vote, and yet hear no cry
that she who knows enough to save the
lives of the fighters knows enough to voter
Does 1t take more sense to kill well man
than to cure a sick one? Or is it more pat
riotic to shoot down rebel soldier than to
bring ND from the grave loyal soldier?
Nothing can be weaker tlian this argument
that the black soldiers, by their fighting,
have entitled their race to the right of suf-
frage. The kind of requital demanded has
no rational connection with the character
of the service. ~ tt -.
The reasons why the suffrage is withheld
from women and minors, are, that 1t would
not be for the interests of the State, or tor
-theiro own interests, that they should possess
it. When the reverse shall be proved, they
should not be kept out of the suffrage one
day longer. So, too, of the freedmen of the
South. They who claim the suffrage for
them must prove that it would be for their
interests, and the public interests, that they
should hayeit. No such proof has yet been
rendered. We donot say that such a show
ing may not be made, at some time. But
hitherto this has not been done, noreveh
seriously attempted. They who have de-
manded freedmen n-sufirage, have mostly
confined themselves toclap-trap words and
phrases, and to slurs upon themotives OF
all who deny or doubt, w .9Fi't' ~