The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-04

II AAOA14 Ia AlHGI Va ga
tending the suffrage TO blacks whenever
and wherever it might wisely be extended
TO whites under the same circumstances
We have repeatedly declared that the Wal
has broken down The wall Of distinction,
as TO legal rights and political privileges
which slavery has maintained so long;
that hereafter whites and blacks would
stand equal beforethelsW that the mere
fact Of q difference tn1color had ceased 10
create q difference in the rights and fran.
chise of didetent men, and that hencefoSth
kbe tendency Of public sentiment and pub
lie sction would Be 70 permit s black man
tovoB whenever, Under the same conditions,
the white man was permitted to do 3d.
That Is bow as it always has been, she POI
sitionl of the Times on the extension of
suffrage TO the blacks"
This is not the position of the Times
alone. It is the only ground upon which
it is possible, with any reason at All, to OPP
pose negro suffrage and it has therefore
been adopted not only by those who really
suppose that such an extension Of political
rights would be dangerous to the country,
but BY those who have, neither the DISPOSE
tiOn, nor, as it would seem, the power to
forget old prejudices against color, and by
those who find in such opposition the only
means of %prOlonging the evils which have
been brought about by the rebellion. If
this too popular notion which has bean so
plainly stated by The Times is once explod-
ed. there is no ground upon which any Of
these Glasses can rest with satisfaction to
themselves or others. But ever if we can
not justify negre suffrage upon the prem=
ises Of the Iinnss, even if all the awful con-
sequences which have been SO wildly por-
trsyea by copperhesd journals would fol-
low it stu the necessities OF the present
imperAtiYelyfdemand it, g4alssd -alas4u
The legitimate eonelulion from these
premises, however, is not against but in
favor of e~nfranchising the blacks, If we
were AboGt forming a constitution, and We
saw the future of. the country clearly
written before us, the propriety Of grant
ing the favor Of voting to either ignorant
whites or Ignorant blacks might well be
doubted. Bat such IS not theaeass. Our
Constitution has long since been formed
and our institutions are permanently set,
tled-settled upon the basis of universt /
suffrage. 1t is true that an American a L
not vote until he is twenty. one years of
sge nor q foreigner until ne has resided in
the United States five years. But NO
amount of learning, except in the case of
n State, no property is required. Eng
jlish, French, German and Irish are the
same Rs6o 1sI The lsEj An il so9 IEh t4 b Bound
20 respect HAnd yet" the Times says,
Gthe mere fact of q difference in color has
ceased 70 create q difference in tho rights
and franchises of different men, Il has
motor negroes would be permitted to vote.
We should permit a black ms1 TO vote
wherever antdsr he same conditions, the
white man is permitted 70 do so.1 Is that
ground upon which an enlightened news
paper can oppose the extension of suffrage
to negroes2 HUnder the same eonditiensp
Are we not every day admitting men to
che privilege of voting under even worse
conditiens-men who, far from obtaining 8
knowledge of our institutions, at the end
of five years. cannot speak three words of
Rnglish-men who are sWayed, like 5 leaf
BY an ignorant priest or brought 20 the
polls drunk with the whisky by which
their votes have been purchased-men who
have not only no love but an absolute
hatred for the free institutions of the oun
try which has beeotten or adopted them?
~ ~ FAS ~ 49, -Sb-~
has fought for the reward which some
would nowdeny them; who has clothed,
fed and guided our escaped prisoners who
has at least a religious nature and at least
knowledge enough to enable him to tell
which is the true side Of his country 2 It Is,
then, upon the very ground that suffrageis
granted 10 whites, g under the same condi-
tons, that we ask it for the blacks. Give
the negro the doctrine of the Times as 8
fnlcrum upon which TO rest his little power
of knowledge and patriotism, and he will
be but a short time in raising the heavy
weight of prejudice and emnity which has
so long oppressed him. 20 i'7n7-s "
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