Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-07-07
gaa.rbmqn s. Stats 5outuaI.
MONTPELIER. JULY I. 1865.
A SIGHT Of SHAM DEMOCRACY THRO'
APAIR OF SPECTACLkS.
BY R.P. WALTON

We copy from the resolutions Of the Yer
mont Democratic State Convention a pair
beautiful to see ,hrough-fight into the rotten
heart Of a spurious democracy;
Resolved, That believing, with the immort-
al Douglas, that the government Of this coun-
try was organized for, and should DO controll-
ed by, the white race therein, and that the
good Of all will best be promoted by conhn-
ing the right Of suffrage to the white citizens
thereof, we are unalterably opposed to confer
ring the right Of suffrage upon the ignorant
negroes Of the country.
Resolved, That we call the attention Of the
citizens Of the State to, and invoke their con-
sideration upon, the law OF the last Legisls-
ture, excluding foreigners, who are in5abi-
tants, who own property, and have grand
list, from the right of voting in this State, in
town and school district meetings. This
right that class Of inhabitants have exercised
since the formation Of the State and as a
proper corrective TO this unjust legislation we
hope they will get naturalized, and vote
against their oppressors.
So there are men in Vermont who would
refuse the right OF suffrage, il they could, to
ignorant colored men who are citizens Of the
State, and confer it upon ignorant aliens who
are not citizens of the State Do they mean
to repudiate the Constitution of Vermont,
which from l777 to this day has forbid any
distinctions in rights, founded in caste, color
or race, among citizens Of the State 1t will
be observed that the copperhead persuasion
admit aliens VINO have paid taxes; bat ne
groes, too, pay taIes.and on the principle that
the man who pays shall also vote, the negro
ought not to be excluded from voting; OF if
excluded from voting, he ought not 10 be
taxed. Now we come to an interesting point
for the white taxpayers: will you relieve one
eighth Of the population OF the United States
from paying taxes, and assume and pay their
proportion yourselvesf or will you not rath-
er tax all, and allow all to vote who are equal
ly qualified That is the whole question Of
negro suffrage. 1t will also be observed that
the objection to negroes voting is placed in
ignorance. Very we'll, if the principle is to
be extended to white men also. Why reejct an
ignorant black or red man and admit an igno-
rant copper-tinged white man, Where the
great body Of the people, black and white, are
intelligent, as in New England, there is lit
tie need of any discrimination on this score !;
but it may be otherwise in the South, where
very large proportion OF both white and
black are deplorably ignorant. We are dis
posed to be very liberal to them. to encour-
age them to ht themselves for all the duties
Of citizenship; but any necessary restrictions
upon the right of suffrage, founded in real
ineapacity, such as gross ignorance or bad
character, we would not object to, If
applied to all citizens alike. What we do
most strenuously object to is the denial
OF civil rights to any citizen merely be-
cause of his color--for that is the very es-
sence Of slavery or to any citizen merely
because he happened to be born in Ireland,
or Scotland, or England, or Germany, or
Affica-for that was the essence Of Know
Nothingism, and neither are Democratic, the
copperheads to the contrary Notwithstanding.
No, gentlemen the Constitution Of the
United States will speedily give US new ma
tional definition OF Republican government,
which Vermont from the beginning has ad-
hered to-a definition which EXCLUDES slavery,
and by logical consequence alec excludes all
distinctions and disabilities founded in sla-
very, throughout the entire Union. We
think it best for the Southern states to
do this for themselves, and President john
son thinks so too but he exscts from them
a pledge to ratify the constitutional amend
ment, so the day is at hand wi hen the Constitu-
ton of the United States will be more potent
than it has been for the protection of the
people Of every state, white or black, in the
enjoyment Of life, liberty and the pursuit
Of happiness" through all proper personal,
civil, and political rights. The hopes of
Washington and Jefferson and Franklin are
to be realized. by and through the Constitution;
and both copperheads and traitors had better
be educating themselves. upward, SO as to
stsnd on real equality with loyal, patriotic,
and respectable black men.