, 1866-05-25
FALLACIOUs NOTIONS.

negro suHrage-SaJS euo ~ - O"'' S'N'
negroes should be allowed to vote because
they fought for the Union cause. This arr
gument is fallacious. In the first place,
the negroes did not fight primarily for the
Union cause; in the secoud, only small
portion took up arms for the Union, while
some rendered service against it. What the
negroes really fought for, was their own res
lease from slavery. Not negro was arms
ed till the Emancipation Proclamation was
issued the services, then, of small portion
of the negroes was called into reqUisition, in
order to secure the freedom of the.whOle ne.
gro race. There never we're to exceed one
hundred and sixty thousand negro troops in
the service Of the United States. Are the
four million of negroes in the United States
entitled to the privilege of voting because
of the services rendered by this small pro>
portion of the entire race ? Then all the
unnaturalized Germans and Irish who may
land on our soil during the next ten years,
should be entitled to immediate suffrage,
because large numbers of them enlisted and
fought in the Union army, and their fighting
did not aid in freeing either ireland or any
of the German States from their political
bondage. Why should negroes receive geat-
er reward than the other races who assisted
in fighting our battles? Again, OF that one
hundred and sixty thousand negro troops in
the service, only few VOlunteeredI although
they knew they had chance to gain their
freedom by fighting. 1t is well known that
at least nine tenths of the negro soldiers we're
onscripted-were impressed into the service
to fight for their owu freedom from slavery.
Does this entitle the whole race to the privi-
lege of suffrage? Every white soldier who
.fought-every white man who worked or
paid taxes after the issuance of the Eman>
cipation Proclamation fought, worked, and
paid taxes in part to secure the freedom of
negroes Have then, the whites done moth
ing for the negroes in return for the trifing
service the latter has rendered them ? The
negroes did not exhibit very earnest desire
to fight, even after they were assured their
fighting would aid in securing the freedom
of the race. In this, did they give evidence
of their capacity to aid in making our laws
to assist in ruling the whites who made
great sacrifices in order to secure freedom to
the negro? In our estimation, the negroes
have been well rewarded for the triaing ser,
vices they have rendered the Nation. The
whites have given them their freedom have
ed and clothed, and are now feeding, cloths
ing, and educating, thousands aud thousands
Of them. The negroes have, in very short
time, by very little personal risk. or sacrifice
on their part, been placed on an equal foot.
ing with the whites, before the law, in all
things except political privileges. We think
the negro has been well done by, by others,
and that his especial champions should now
give him chance to. prove his capacity to
do something for himself. Before we think
of giving to the recently>disenr
thralled negro the right to participate in max
ing our laws, let US sec if he has sufficient
capacity to perform the most essential duties
of life. Let us see if he is capable of pro-
viding for himself aud family, of educating
them, of supplying them with all the neces
saries and the most ordinary luxuries of civ
ilized life, Of re6ping their morals and i'm
proving their inteIlects. When the negro
shall have thoroughly demonstrated his ca.
pacity to do all these things, it will be hi b
time to talk seriously of permitting him to
become CO ruler in the land There never
has yet existed a race-white or black-ca-
pable of emerging at once from condition
of abject servitude and seizing and managing
the reins of enlightened government. Gem
turies Of slavery and ignorance do not fit men
and people to become either rulers or co
rulers. The slave-pen and drivers whip
are not the teachers to prepare either negroes
Or whites for the duties Of intelligent laws
making. To urge that the negroes should
be allowed to vote because they can fight or
have fought in good cause, is uttering out
rageOus absurdity. Bulldogs can fight and
have fought for good men and in good causes;
but we have yet to learn that those qualities
constitute them anything else but brute
lighters.
CoLvILLE lTEMs.-Under the impulse of
the Big Bend excitement, Colville has be-
come a place of considerable activity and
gives signs of improvement. One of the
indications of progress is the erection of
large hotel by DR.. 1. L. TObey, which will
be great accommodation to the travelling
public. Catching the spirit of the times,
the farmers Of the Valley have seeded"