The Portland daily press., 1866-01-29

rulers and aw-makers-whether natural OF
an acquired right, is one of the most impor-
tant that free citizen can enjoy. We are not
disposed in this article to go far into the dis.
cussion of the grounds on which the righr
rests, though we will say in passing, that if ii
is nota natural right, as much so as the right
of liberty, then we know of no natural peace
full means by which the citizen can protect his
liberty. The Declaration of Independence,
once reyered but now secuted and ignored, by
Democrats, assumed as a self-evident truth
that all. men are by their Creator endowed
with certain inalienable rights, among which
are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
This is but condensed form of the same dec
trine enunciated by the "good people of Vir-
ginia, assembled IN full and free convention"
prior to the 4th of July, 1776 in the first @declar
alton of Rights made in America, and which
is now extant in the hand writing of George
Mason, and reads as follows; italics in the
original: lo9 ;..f..r
II. That all men are created equally free
and independent, and have certain ipherent
natural rights, of which they cannot, by any
compact, deprive or divest their posterity,
among achich are the enjoyment of lie and
liberty, with the means of acquiring and pos
ssesslns property, and pursuing and obtaining
happiness and safety"
Such doctrines as are here enunciated
were popular with the men who achieved our
independence and framed our institutions,
though they have now become somewhat OBJ
solete with those who claim to be the ineal
political descendants Of Thomas, jefferson and
other fathers of the Declaration OF Indepe1.-
dence. Liberty, it will be seen, and the righl
to acquire and hold property, and to secure
happiness and safety, were considered naturai
rights. Now no man can protect his Rbertl
by peaceful methods, or protect his properly,
or secure his happiness and safety, ercep
through the ballot bo1. Through the ballot
box he may exert political power. elect hi
own rulers, and make his own laws,-the laws
which protect his person and his property,
his liberty and his happiness. If any of these
"natural rights" are invaded he finds the ready
protection and corrective through the ballot.
II his rulers prove corrupt and usurp powers
not properly belonging to them and thus play
the part of usurpers and despots, the ballot
enables him to displace them, under our short
tenure system, and put in their places those
more worthy Of his confidence and who will
be true to the mission entrusted to their care.
Deprive the individual of the right of suffrage
and yoa take from him the only peaceful rem
edy he has against these aggressions and evils,
and leave him no methods Of protection ex-
cept those of brute force, the exercise of which
against authority is crime, to be punished
with loss of property, liberty or lifel In
view of such considerations hcw can any one
deny the natural right of suffrage who admits
the natural right of iberty9
But the object Of this article is to consider
briefly the conditions of suffrage. On this
point there is great variety of opinion. In
some States the possession of property is made
condition precedent to the exercise of suffrage
in other States an educational qualification is
required, while in others the right of suffrage
is hedged about by no such conditions, bu,
rests on manhood.
We do not dispute that great deal may be
said for and against either of these conditions
and if suffrage is denied to a people until a
plan is hit upon against which no objection
can be raised and no argument urged, they
may rest assured that they will never find theil
way to the ballot box. The great object should
be, it seems to us, to hit upon that plan which
&c liohlo ff, tho faxuocf nf;aots1ps o-I .-l:zl
can be defined in the simplest and clearesi
manner, so as to leave no possible doubt as tc
the right of a person under the rules adopted
Take the property qualification, and how i,
it possible to reduce it to terms SO definite ant
unmistakable that constant abuses may no
exist? Suppose man, in order to exercis'
the right Of suffrage, is required to own 500
worth Of personal or real property, the ques
Is the man the owner of land who owes 70
every dollar of the price, and has mortgages
it back for security? Is the man propert
owner who has in his possession assets to tn
amount of $1,000 with liabilities hanging oy
er him for double that sum? How is it posi-
BILE to tell whether man is worth property o
not? Then the rich man of to-day, by fire O
shipwreck, becomes beggar tomorrow
Shall such misfortune take from him tn
highest right of citizenship? Does he no
suffer enough without superadding this dis
grace? 1t will be seen from these simple con
siderations, though there seems upon the fac
of the proposition manifest injustice in al
lowing the man who has not q single dollar +
vote on questions affecting the property Q
others, that property qualification is imprae
ticable to say the least, inasn,uch as it is i'm
possible to make such rule sufficiently def
mite to bar out imposition on the one hand o
the grossest cruelty and injustice on the Other
Man has interests dearer than those of prop
erty, to be protected, and for their protection
in a free government, he needs the ballot.
How is it with the educational qualification
Surely man ought to handle his ballot intel
ligently? He should know how to read-t
read the Constitution of the United States,
you please-but how can such qualification
be made definite, clear and certain? Hon
,veU must the voter be required to read? ? Shal
he be allowed to spell the hard words, and
so, how many of thema Suppose he know
how to read, must he understand what h
reads? If he does not understand Of wha
benefit the knowledge by which he reads? On
proposition introduced in Congress to qualif
the right of suffrage, required ability to rea
the Constitution of the United States il
English According to this the naturalize
Frenchman, though member of the Academ
of Science, it unacquainted with English,
not intelligent enough to votel Who doe
not know that of two men one may kno,
how to read and literally know nothing els'
while the other seems we'll posted in every
thing but the art of reading and writing
Who does not know that men may be fouD
who +" make their mark" instead Of writin
their names, and are unable to read ehapte
in the New Testament, and yet, on all practl
cal subjects, are better informed than som
others who have been forced through coiios