The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-02-28

ur ,tertv 4 r9nnt Of Slow CROWN.
60 81 never 20 this day becn formally
.,,n,,.hs a n England. No statute Of abolition
!. X,.nd among the laws Of Parliament
.vsrv fa1i into desuetnde and gradually
nsa ssd 10 exist, under the influences OF advan-
c,nr civilization and Christianity, and more
In tellleent appreciation OF seif-interest- But
area eiapsed before the emancipated white
serfs were permitted TO participate in the exer-
else Of political power. Their ernergence from
state OF vassalage, and their acquisition Of
political rights and privileges. have alike been
by slow and almost imperceptible degrees.
Such, indeed, has been the character Of all the
encroachments which have been made upon
despotlsm and privilege In Great Britain
Inch by inch, and foot by foot, have BRUSH
liberties been secured. But they have taken
no step backward. The column OF progress
might halt for time. bat IL was only the malt
Of preparation. It stood still to survey the
ground. and invigorate itself for an onward
march. II has never failed to secure all that
Il has gained, and has realized the value OF the
maxim, make haste slowly"
In France, on the contrary, Liberty was
born in day. It came up like JoSAH's gourd,
and IL perished as soon. A people, never
trained to self government, was abruptly in
vested with the exercise of political power,
and the experiment ended In the loss OF all
liberty and the establishment Of a military
despotism. With the experience OF England
and France before us, how can Americans
think of comforting political power upon
race Just emancipated from slavery! III IL
has proved safer for the permanence Of free
government that even the white races OF
Europe should pass through long period OF
probation, after their emancipation, before
being permitted to share In the exercise OF
political power, is 1t not wise and expedient 10
place the same restriction upon the black race
in this country'
The New York Evening Post, Republican
journal, calls attention to the fact that while
the extremists in the North desire to realize
their ideas Of political perfection in the South
at single bound, the process OF gradual
development at the North has been very slow.
Thus, in Massachusetts, which now gives abso-
lutte equality so far as laws can confer it, to
eyery man within her limits, political privi-
leges were confined at first to the members OF
one religious sect only. This common basis
has been gradually enlarged, the small num-
Der Of blacks within her limits being included
only quite recently In New Hampshire it is
but A few wears since Roman Catholics were
d;sfranchised, and none but freeholders could
be elected to Office. In all but three or four
free States, the blacks are still excluded from
the right of suffrage. In Philadelphia, city
which is more obstreperous than any other
for negro equality, the practice prevails OF
running off the track a car into which black
man or woman enters, and letting it stand as
long MS he or she remains in it. Throughout
the whole North, with rare exceptions, black
persons are excluded, by social decree, from
frequenting on an equality places of worship
and amusement occupied by whites. With
what shadow of reason or justice do those who
are SO slow in comforting political rights upon
a race which, within their own limits, has
been nominally free for many years, and whom
they vigorously exclude from social compan-
ionship, insist that in the South the immense
multitude of the same race, suddenly released
from bondage, should be forthwith invested
with the control of public affairs If we
really desire the perpetuity Of Repubiicanism
in this country, is it not incumbent upon us to
pause and observe the effects OF the great
social changes which have occurred before we
proceed to try political experiments which
may, by possibility, involve the ultimate and
entire overthrow Of free institutions?