Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-12-26

MONTPELIER, VT,
Nlerninx, December 2e. 1866
Nebraska, and its Dental Of Suf-
frnSc 10 COlOFed People.
We had hoped that the day Of expedients,
which allow Justice to fail to-day in the vain
expectation of It's beipg established tomorrow,
or suffer a permanent evil to find pi1ce in leg
i.lation IN order TO secure temporary good,
had passed away. But the debate IN the Unit
ed States Senate on the bill to admit Nebraska
a. State, with q constitution limiting sufirsg &c
to the - white population of that territory,
shows thai. for reasons hidden we must believe
for those revealed are utterly inadequate to
satisfy any thinking believer in equal rights
there are Senators who are ready TO permit the
denial Of suffrage to colored people, when 1t is
clearly in their power to insist uPon it as an IN
dispensabie condition precedent to admission
into the Union. We print on the outside OF
this paper the speech of Senator Wilson, and
the remarks Of other Senators, when the ques-
ioa was before the Senate last week, and on
the inside of this paper We give the debate in
which Senator Edmunds participated. Senator
Wilson gave excellent reasons for insisting up
or equal suffrage in any new state, yet he wa
obliged to confess that last session he advocat
ed the admission of Nebraska with q constitu-
ton restricting suffrage 10 whites. We are
glad to find Senator Wilson right now, and We
hope he will rem ain so. He will 6nd, in the
long experI fence, that principles are better than
sxpeCients at any time, and that neither be
nor any other friend OF equal rights can safely
surrender q single foot of ground on that sub
jec., for any Temporary advantage
Mr.. Eimunds mas taken the position which
We expected ne would take ; and he had no need
to apologz. for mis- vote at the last session on
the Colorado bill, as be then voted, a. he viii
now, against any national recognition and en-
dersement of class Suffrage in any state or ter
ri,ory. We presume Senator Poland will vote
with him upon the question, and thus put
Vermont upon the record ct Washington
among the most earnest and consistent cham
pions of equal rights, and among the consist
ent opponents of al. legislation which would
make political rights the special property OF
any class in this country.
The Senate will have the thirteen days vaca
tion TO reflect upon the proposed endorsemen '
of class suffrage. and we hope Senator Wade
and ell the Republican members of that body
will sincerely consider the consequences of a
vote in favor of such suffrage. 1. is true, We
regret to say, that Ohio now denies the ballot
to men so unfortunate as to be black, but We
didn't expect that Senator Wade would be the
champion OF this exclusion of colored mer
from the ballot-box. 1t is natural enough tina
he should lose his temper aud exhibit pet
ulancs. when reminded that hehad heretofore
been one of the foremost advocates of equa
rights, for he understands well enough that he
is now con,radicting the teachings which have
made him one of the popular leaders of the
Radicals of this country. He can find no ar
guments better than the old conservative talk
about " extremists losing sight of practical
ity," and |" grasping at the ghost of principle
when it vas inapplicable Just as though
equal rights and absolute justice were evel
impractcab.e or unsubstantial, when Congress.
had the power TO make them practical and sub
stan tial. The very question before the Senate
Is, whether Congress will make practical aac
substantial the guarantees of the Constitution
and the truths of the Declaration Of lndepend
snce, 10 all the people of Nebraska. or whe he1
they shall remain to the oIored people of tina
embryo State, the merest phantom, giitterlnE
generality, promise made 20 the ear aDt
broken to the hope. Slavery, for sixty years
has done v hat it can to make the principle c
equal rights but an empty dream of philan
thropic enthusiasm,-to kill it and bury it Gu
o: sisht,-and now old Ben. Wade cay it is
ghost" and he will not be guilty of the foil
of grssping at it. We hoped better things c
him. We shall regret exceedingly if any Re
publican Senators follow his lead, though "
fear many Of them are ready to do 70. The
can now, if they will, so vitsIize the truths O
tine Declaration of Independence, incorpo
rate them into the legislation of Congress, q
to make them living energies 10 all the futur
Of the Republic, they surrender thei
convictions to the max inns and catch-.orCs {
scorrupting exped.ency ard selfish and exc.r
sive conservatism, aud lose the opportur II
which is now offered to thi' people OF makin
the Republic what it processes 10 be, a govern
ment by the consent of the governed. And
Senator Wade conticues TO insist that eQu.
right is but ghost, We trust he will find it
ghost which, liAe BAnquo's, xi.l Tot down, bl
which will yet drive lis murderes from the
stools. We hope Senators Edmunds, Sunni.
and others, who believe in equal rights, an
prove their faith by their works, will continc
to resist every departure from he princirl
The people are with them, and their triLmf
will come in the hear future. Congress WI
yet write q new motto over the doors Of i
Halls, :. No more caste legislation here"
The President sen ding Reinforce
lncMts - tine EuShWhacAeEs Ia
Missouri.
Political, military and civil matters in Mi
souri, are getting somewhat mixed. 10 son