The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1866-10-25
How to end the NEGRO question"

The real difficulty which now pre-
vents the speedy and satisfactory settle !
ment of the NEGRO question:" all over
the Union Is, that SO many otherwise |
intelligent and reasonable persons cam
not or will not see that the abolition of
slavery has entirely revolutionized and
forever changed the status of the color
ed race in the United States. While
slavery existed every negro rested under
to great extent, the curse Of slavery
wherever he resided ON American soil.
Four millions of his race were denied all
the privileges, rights and immunities of
manhood, and were adjudged to be only
property and chattels personal. To
quiet the cOnsciences of owners of this
property, and to make the owning res
pectable in popular esteem, 1t was al
most every where, in the United States,
held and taught that the negroes were
Of not only an entirely inferior race, but
were SO inferior as to be absolutely dis
qualified for self care as we'll as for self
ownership. Thus, while slave owning
was justifiable at the South, the banisl-
ment of negroes from all participation
in governmental affairs In the North
was held to he absolutely essential for
the welfare of the colored race and indis-
pensable for the preservation of public
peace and the security of the Republic.
Indeed it could not we'll be otherwise.
1t was difficult for Northern Democrat
to justify and defend slavery at the
South without giving absolute denial to
the manhood ofthe negro. 1t was inn
possible to regard the South Carolina
negro we'll treated when owned and sold
| as property and yet admit that the negro
| in iowa was justly entitled to recogni-
/ ton as citizen. True the practice Of a
few States was in conflict with the tlleo-
ry popular on the outbreak of tire war;
but in those States-as in New Hamp-
| shire, where Democrats urged negroes
to the polls, and in New York, where
Democrats allowed the property of ne
gro, if of sufficient value, to secure him
vote-the liberal practice was establish-
ed before it became fashionable to de-
fend slavery rs right and just.
The war and its results has changed
all this. With the entire abolition of
slavery throughout the length and
breadth of the Republic pretense Of JUS
LITIGATION for class legialation against the
negro has disappeared To-day in eve
ry State of the Union the negro is, of
right, a MAN AND A CITIZEN, amenda-
BILE to precisely the same laws and having
precisely the same political rights as any
other man and citizen: This is the
: great fact to be recognized and acted up
s on by all who would dispose ofthe much
vexed NEGRO question:" Recognize
and act on this and there will no longer
be negro question. Then the laws for
q the government ofthe black citizen will
be just such as are made for the white,
and no other. Then class legislation
and class constitutions will be unknown,
and the grand idea Of the founders of the
Republic will be fully realized. Here,
and only here, is to be found the final
solution of the much talked of yet very
! simple "negro problem" How long
before sensible men open their eyes and
see this fact ktsenDO,t Gazette. nj