The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-07-21
Gen. Garfield on Universal Suffrage.

Gen. Garfield on Universal Suffrage.
General Garfield delivered the oration at
the celebration of the Fourth Of July in Ra.
VIENNA, in which he argued at length and
with great force and power in favor Of ad.
mitling the freedmen TO tho right Of suf-
frage. We regret that our limited space
will permit US TO copy only one or two OK.
tracts from the extended report OF bis speech
which we find in tho Ravenna Democrat.
We may now say that the past, with all its
wealth and glorious associations, is secure.
The air Is filed with brightness; the horizon
Is aglow with hope. The future is full of
magnificent possibilities. But God has com.
mitteG to US trust which we must not, we
dare not overlook.
BY the dispensation o: His Providence,
The chains have been stricken from four mil.
lion of the inhabitants of this Republic, and
He has shown us the truth of that early ut.
terance Of Abraham Lincoln, "Tbat this is
world of compensation; and he who would
be no slave must have no slave. Those
who deny freedom, to others deserve il not
for themselves; and, under just God. can.
not long retain it," .....
In the great crisis Of the war, God brought
us face to face with the mighty truth that
We must lose our own freedom, or grant ii
to the slave, In tho extremity of cur dis.
tress We called upon the black man to help
US save the Republic, and amid The very
thunder Of battle, we made covenant with
him, sealed both with bis blood and ours,
and witnessed by Jehovah, that when the
nation was redeemed ho should he free, and
share with us its glories and it's blessings
[Applause.1 .'-'..t ~. .'''
The Ompiscicnt witness will appear 10
judgment against us if we do not fulfill that
covenant. Have we done ii? Have We CIV
en- freedom to the black man: WHAT'S free
dom: Is IL mere negation: The bare
privilege Of not being chained, Of not being
bought and sold, branded and scourged?-
cry, cruel dolusion, and it may well be
quoati whether slavery we're not better.
But Liberty is no negation. It is D sub.
.stantive, tangible reality. 1t is the reaiiza-
tion of those lmperisbable truths of the
declaration. "that all men are created equal" !"
that the sanction of all just government 10
''the consent of the governed" [Applause. ]
Can those be realized until each man has o
right to bo beard on oil matters relating to
himself?i The plain truth TO-, that each man
knows bis interest best. .,.gsrs ..'r....
"lf he is compelled to pay. If be may be
compelled to fight, If he be required implicit.
ly to obey, ho should be legally entitled to
be told what for; to have his consent asked,
and bis opinion counted at what it 10 worth.
There ought to be no pariahs 10 Q full
grown and civilized nation, no persons die.
qualified except through their own defaults"
Ia J. would not insult your intelligence by
disoSssing an plain truth, had not the pas
sion and prejudice of this generation called
10 question the vory axioms of the Declara-
tion.. 20 aids a,.,s.I ..1x a-,ie,4.-...i. ....
After arguing the sntjecs of suffrage ae
length, and giving sketch of the history of
the franchise in England, the General con-
cludes as follows: =, -, ..i t.,,. y. ......
- The struggle 10 again going on. The
has just passed, gave temporary triumph
to the enemies Of popular right iu England
But our recent glorious triumph 10 the signal
of disaster to tyranny. and victory for. the
people. The liberal party in England sre
jubilant. and will never rest until the ballot
10 in the band of the working man. and the
temple of English liberty rests upon the
broad foundation of popular suffrage. Let
us learn from this, that suffrage and safety,
like liberty and union, are one and inseps-
rable. Applause. .s ... -..t .-r
1t 10 related in ancient fable that ono of
the gods, dissatisfied with the DEGREES of des.
tiny, attempted to steal the box IN which
wss kept the DEGREES of the Fates, but he
found it was fastened to the throne of Jupi-
ter by q golden chain, and to remove it
would pull down the pillars of heaven.
So is the sacred ballot. box, which holes
tho DEGREES of freemeu, linked by the indis.
soluble bond of necessity to the pillars of the
Republic, and be who Hampers with its de-
crees. or plucks it away from its place in
our temple, will perish amid the ruins be
has wrought. .. .. a.t..... ..