The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-01-27

certain states, in the prosecution of their po
litiosl policy, to admit these men, formerly
slaves, TO the right of franchise; but the dam
ger of too liberal participation in this sacred
right was one which our forefathers had
taught US should be avoided, and consequent
~ We were jealous of allowing this class of
men to participate in all the reserved rights
not delegated to the general government, and
also in electing that government to whom we
had delegated such vast and vital powers.
We had expressly provided that ours
should be republican government in form,
and . republican government is founded and
csn only exist in the interest of civilization
the highest grade of culture in the arts. the
the sciences, in agriculture, commerce and
manufactures such is the standard to which
q republican government must and should
aspire. To this standard we as a nation
have asplred, and to reach it we have, since
the days of the Pilgrims, laid our foundation
stone in the intelligence of our people. Har-
ward College and the University of Virginia
have drilled the recruits who have conquered
the wilderness of America. Education made
popular in common acknowledgements made
the exception, education the rule, is the foun.
dation prluciple of our commemorative
With this foundation and through it we have
grandly developed the capacity of man for
self government. All men physically and
mentally equal may be born equal; but one
having only the advantages OF the savage,
and the other of the civilized state, are they
equal az twenty -one in their capacity for self
government? Clearly not. For this reason
education in Massachusetts, has been made
the basis of government. The people have
amended the constitution OF the state so as to
extend our republican form of government to
all races of men, giving them equal participa
ton in the sacred right, who are equal in ed
ucation. That 10, all who can read and
write, whether they belong to the class who
were formerly held in slavery, of native or
foreign extraction, have the same right of
suffrage.
Whether this right would have been extended
to them had they numbered 500, 900 or ,000,-
900 in the state, when our white population only
reached the latter number, is a question which
we open for discussion. But when numbered
in whites 100000 population, we admitted to
suffrage 10, 900 blacks, and threw open the bal
lot to all the races of men who were legally edn-
Gated to meet the requirements of the constitu-
ton.
Now should we have consented, would il have
been at all probably we should have consented,
to allow an equal number Of persons whom we
had held in bondage to that time, even if they
frage in Massachusetts,? We doubt it; or rath-
do not doubt that We should have denied
them the privilege. 1t is an insult to education
and Intelligence of the people of this state TO
suppose for moment they would thus have put
themselves in the hands of other men of what
ever race. If their own self-government was "a
blessing, and they possessed the power under
our institutions to govern themselves, IS it sup
possible case that they would, from any motive
of philanthropy, have yieleed up that power into
other hands?
Yet the philanthropic insanity which super
hcially views the acts of some public men of
generation. is leading people to advocate the
abandonment of our republican system of gov
eminent founded on education, and to adept a
system which proclaims that the savage is az
well qualified for self-government as the tutored
and enlightened. But such q course is not
promted either by craftsmanship philanthro-
py. Party spirit, the love of and the fear of
the loss of power is now prompting civilized
educated men with savage instincts To degrade
the American people, by admitting hordes of
uninsured, halt-civilized slaves to the proud posts
ton of enfranchised American citizens The
Summers and Stevenses OF the present day, and
their feeble echoes, ask the American people To
throw open the ballot box to all the nations of
the earth, savage and civilized, without qualii-
cation or hesitation. Is such action for the well
fare of the people of this country of the
world? Samuel Adams truly said, '''nhe safety
and welfare of the people, the public good, is
above all other Considerations. And is such
action for the public good What republican
Cover nment has established such precedent?
1t is subversive of che liberties of the people.
1t is degrading the form of government under
which we live and flourish a nation. 1t is deg
tructive of every principle of the constitution
worth preserving.
Let protest against such villainous doctrine.
Let us nfusc the ideas OF Massachusetts on this
subject into our senators and representatives,
Let Harvard College protest in the name of the
of the north, and let WiiiiamstOwn,
from her mountain seat, echo the protest against
such an outrage.
Such an act overthrows the constitution and
ouy republican system of government; and
again in the words of the father of American
Samuel Adams, "When the con-
stitution is subverted, the principles of the con-
stituton must, if ever, be reasserted and supper
ted.'
We trust the legislature now in session will
take immediate action To maintain and support
the principle of Massachusetts relative TO this
important question.
Let the Legislature specialization Post.
John G.. SAKE and his lectures.
-, =. .toJ l.. 4