Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-08-01
Mr.. ESHtwell on Negro Suffrage.

Hon. George s. Boutwell, delivered an address
on the reorganization Of the South, in fremont
Boston, Wednesday evening. Having
stated the general belief that all men are entitled
to liberty, and that the suffrage should be equal,
without regard to race or color, he proceeded to
argue the right and duty Of the general govern
meut to extend the suffrage to the freed negroes
of the South.
We print some of the most significant passages
of the address, which is able and earnest -
II | understand President Johnson, he does not
object to negro suffrage. 1t is, however, his de-
sire that the right should be extended to the ne
groes Of the once existing eleven states recently
in rebellion, by the white people Of those states,
who were authorised TO vote when the rebellion
commenced. II negro suffrage can be secured IN
that way, | shall, for one, readily accept the result
without any inquiry as to the means. But Il, on
the other hand, as | expect, the attempt to secure
negro suffrage, through the white people OF the
eleven rebel states, shall fail, | then expect that
President Johnson, and those who are co-operat-
ing with him, will accept the judgment OF the
country,-if it shall prove to be the Judgment OF
the country,-that negro suffrage must be secured
by some other means. Therefore, while am
content that these efforts should be made, and
while | shall welcome the result, Kit be favorable,
| look upon the efforts as experiments, not bind
ing upon President johnson, or upon his admins
t%ration, or upon the country and, as was the fact
in 1861 and 90, in reference to the expediency
Of emancipation, and the enrolment Of colored
soldiers in the army Of the republic, | now expect
that the people will take this matter into their
own hands. | believe, with reference to Presl.
dent Johnson, as in 1851 '62 | believed in refer
ence to President Lincoln, that he will accept the
judgment of the country, if, upon the whole, the
public opinion shall be that negro suffrage is es-
sentisl to the security Of the Union, as well as to
the protection Of the negroes themselves. There
fore, | counsel discussion, argument on the part
Of those who believe in negro suffrage patience,
that those in authority may have an opportunity
to make this effort to secure the reconstruction OF
the government according to the ideas that have
first presented themselves to them that no one
be committed to any particular line Of policy, but
all look to the grand result,-the reconstruction
Of the government upon the principle of the
equality Of men.
Can o state be destroyed | answer, it can.
That is to say, its political existence, including
ito organic law, can be destroyed-eradicated
By whom BY the people who created it. Do
you say they have no right to destroy it? an
swer, in concurrence they have no right to destroy
it, but we must look at the fact, and not at theo'
ries, nor even at the mere declaration Of the law
The declaration Of the law, both human and dl
vine, Is, that no man has a right to take his owr
life but 1t is possible for a man to take his life
and when he has taken his life, ii is useless, it IL
visionary, it is insane for men to stand up and say
" This thing cannot be done-GOd's law is against
it," 1t is done the dead body is before you
And so it is useless to say that the people Of
state cannot destroy the state, because they have
no legal right to do SO. 1t is not a question 0
8 legal right, ii is a question of fact. Now, wha
are the iacts2 Take South Carolina, for example
! is she a state Of the Amer can Union Did sbl
not, in the most solemn manner known to human
proceedings, in December, 1860, declare that shl
j ceased to exist as a state of the American Union
+, Did she not proceed, in conformity with tina
8 declaration, TO annul oil her relations TO the na
tional government, aud to create new relation
with another government, foreign and hostile Il
. the government of the United States and ha
she not, during these four years, sturdily refused
I to elect any mar to Office who was known TO b,
in favor Of the government OF the United States
and alter all this, do you say that South Carolint
is still a state of the American UnionP VIVA
8 else did she do She preserved her state organi
s zation but she transferred her allegiance to tn
so-cslled confederate states. Hence as a politica
organization, as a body or corporation, or stat
y which the government of the United States coul
t recognize, she, by her own act, ceased to exist
Q What followed BY the success OF our arms "
A have destroyed the state Of South Carolina, tina
professed to owe allegiance to the so-called con
VI federate states, and the old state Of South Care
lima has not been reproduced, and therefore Their
d is no state Of South Carolina, as a political organ
%sation, which can be recognized. II yo
assent to what | have said thus far, then | as
you confidently TO accept without rgument th
y proposition, which | should be ashamed u argu
to any OF my countrymen, that a consttutio
which DISTINGUISHES more than half the people of
state is not a " republican .orm Of government,
= in the eye of the constitution of the Unite
States, aud which we are bound to protect
10 people in maintaining and enjoying. 1t is Just
this point that we have the power over the Poop.
, of all the rebel states with reference to the COZ
%stitution or forms Of government which they ma
u set up.
We have a constitutional provision in Massa
chusetts that no man shall vote unless he can rea
the constitution and write his own name. A vel
proper provision but consider that it was inst
tuted with reference to men about whose loyalt
there was no question: but only this questio
10 existed as to whether they were competent
:. Judge Of the administration of public affairs. |
the ordinary course Of things, it is necessary thl
-
men should be able to read and write, in order
decide intelligently upon questions of public pol
A cy. We do not to-day ask suffrage for the n,
y, groes because they are competent to Judge
u questions of public policy, but we ask for suffrag
Is for them because they are in favor of this govern
ment, and the white people of the South al
h against it. That is an issue already made UT
Parties have taken their stand. The whites, b
a majority, are on one side, the blacks, unan
= mously, are on the other. They understand tia
question, and that is the vital question to US.
1t not whether. in South Carolina, judges shall b
elected by the people, or appointed by the go,
srnori that question very likely would be bette
solved by men who could read and write. Blu
tie question 10 which we are concerned is not
question Of internal policy, not a question OF loca
A or Of state administration, but the question i.
a "Shal this government exist ?" We knew tina
the negro is in favor of its existence, and there
: fore, for all the purposes Of voting, whether b
/ can read and write or not, he is a safe depositor
!. of power and therefore am in favor Of allow
ing him to vote, without going into any inquir,
whether he can read aud write, because bis powe
at the bslloi-box is now essential to us, Just ex
4 sctly as his power in the field with the bayone
A was essential to us during the war.
There are some over sensitive persons who ar
a rather reluctant to give suffrage to the negroe,
r because they fear it will irritate the white peopl
, of the South. We'll, my friends, / am for concili
alton. l see already that very few men in III