The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-01-04

the eyes of the law, as those of the white
man, and the means of enforcing them
should be placed fully within his reach
He should be admitted upon the. witness
stand and in the jury box, and should be
made to feel that he is no longer chattel,
but man, invested with, and protected in,
all the rights of manhood.
Freedom is no boon to him unless he is
protected in all his rights under it, and per
mitted and encouraged to pursue any and
all svocatIons for which he is qualified =
That he should at once be trusted with the
right of suffrage is matter of grave doubt
in the minds of many of his best friends. -
There are many who think that, in any
event. some limit should be attached to the
extension of that privilege. 1t cannot be
expected that a slave population whose
shackles have been 80 recently stricken off,
can at once exercise this sacred and impor-
tant trust but some there are among them
from whom that great privilege should not
be withheld. That one among them who'
in the midst of the most abject bondage and
in spite of unfriendly legislation. has 80 far
risen above his class and condition as TO be
able to read and write, cannot be wholly
unable or unfit to exercise the right of suff-
rage. Nor should those who.Voluntarily took
their nuskets and fought in the Union ar
my for the perpetuity of Republican insti-
buttons, be held unworthy of the highest
rights and dearest privileges of American
citizenship
1t is matter of regret that the citizens
our own State should have again denied to
the colored people in our midst the right to
suffrage. Time will yet modify their opin-
ions, and this privilege will, sooner or later,
be extended to that class. There can be no
good reason why any man of intelligence,
who is good citizen, who pays taxes for
the support of the Government, is subject to
military duty, and who yields ready ODE
dience to the laws, shonld not be allowed
an expression of his opinion at the ballot
box. If any restriction is to be placed up
on that privilege. it should relate. not to
the complexion of the voter, but to his in
telligence and capacity. | trust that the
day is not far distant when the suffrage
law of all the States will be alike, and that
they will be so broad and comprehensive in
their provisions as to reach every man in
the land who can read and write, and none
others. In this land of schools and cole ges
no man need be disqualified under such a
law unless he chooses to be, and if he choos-
es to be he will be entirely unfit to vote
In the reconstruction of the States lately
in rebellion, it seems both necessary and
proper that ample evidence should be reauir
ed upon their part that they are disposed to
yield a ready and willing obedience to the
Constitution and the laws.
When the Southern people arrayed them
selves in arms against the Government, they
committed treason and forfeited all their po-
litical rights under the Constitution. Now
that they ask to be invested with those
rights, it is just and proper that the Gov
ernment, in granting them political power
and privileges should annex to the grant
such conditions as are necessary to insure
the future peace of the nation Each State
should, at least be required to ratify the
amendment of the Constitution abolishing
slavery, even though the ratification of the
full number of States necessary to make il
binding has already been obtained.
Each State ought also to be required to
ratify further amendments to the Constitu
ton of the United States forever prohibiting
the payment of debts contracted in the sup.
port OF the rebellion affirming the sacred
ness of the national debt i; forever barring
any right of action against persons in the
United States army for acts done while in
the line Of duty, by the order of their proper
officers, during the late war; declaring al
ordinances of secession, past or future, null
and void; and apportiouing representation
in Congress upon the basis of the number
of voters in each State. With these condi-
tions faithfully carried out, and with the
necessary general Congressional enactments
for the full protection of all Union men,
white and black the people will be glad tc
again admit those States into full commu.
MON with the Union, and welcome them
with open arms
The loyal people of the North will never
be satisfied unless these conditions, or 9th.
ers equivalent thereto, are insisted upon
Anything else will be mistaken len
iency, aud will endanger the perpetuity Of
the Government. do not desire, nor do
believe that the citizens of any of the loyal
States desire, to humiIiate the Southern
people. They were our brothers, they be-
came our enemies, they are our brothers
again. Their prosperity is ours. Under
the same flag we must live or die asia nation
We are all citizens of one common country,
and must live together in brotherly unity.
We of the north only ask that this final set
Element of all the questions arisingsout Of
the contest shall be upon such terms as will
insure future peace, and justice to all citi-
zens H -
One of the greatest evils inflicted upon
the country by the war, is an immense ma
tional debt. The faith of the Government
is pledged for its payment, and it must and
will be paid to the last dollar of principal
and interest The national homer is at
stake, and the people who created the debt
in their almost superhuman effort to main
tain free government. have not only the
power, but the will and integrity to fulfill
their obligations to the fullest extent
Reputation would be a stain which could
never be effaoed. 1t would have been bet
ter to have failed in the contest and have
been blotted out entirely from the nat ions
of tbs earth, than, being successful to dis
grace ourselves by voluntarily ignoring the
claims of those who came forward to the
support of the Government in its time of
need. Republication in any form and under
any circumstances is one of the greatest of
national evils and the worst of national
sins ~
The power Is IN the hands OF the Presi-
dent and Congress to make the victory, so
dearly won a lasting benefit to the country,
and with full co6dence in their wisdom and
judgment the people await their action.
Ii this action shall be such as TO meet the
expectations of their constituents, and of
this | have no doubt, the result of the re-
belllon viii CHI was commenced for the de-
struction of the Government may illustrate
anew the benefcence of that Providence
which, everything the designs of the wicked
out of seeming evil still educes good.
The curse of slavery removed, labor made
respectable and idleness disgrace among
all classes, the rudiments, at least, of an
education assured to all the children of the
Republic, the right of free discussion estab-
lished and guaranteed in every State and
section, new era of material progress and
intellectual development will dawn upon
the country nornnarea with which tha