, 1866-11-11
ImPARTIAL SUFFRAGE.

The question Of suGrnEc is discussed with
greas earnestuess, sud the situation Of the
country presses for decision. II Is not sur
pr!sinE tbat on this question there should be
great c}asbinE Of opinions, and the most OBJ
ettnate defence Of positions. because the POSI-
tion ofindlriduals. the asccndaucy OF parties,
and The power Of different sections Of the
country all depend upon 1t. In wntchtng
the drift Of opin1on ard the changing phases
OF this controversy, VIC think We sec that |
color Of complexion is fast disappearing "a |
a test Of The right Of suffrage. No man, and /
no Journal, 60 far rs VIC arc informed, con- |
tends NOW that any citizen Should 10 de- !
rriyed Of voting because he il not white, Or
teeausc he Is black, rcd, coppcr-colozed, OF
of any other tint. 4 man may wear ia his |
skin none Of The seven primary colots, or be |
may have them NIL harmoniously mixed and
neutfallzed, or he may be gay with any one
or more Of the tInts Of the rainhow, and In |
either case be equally entitled to the right
Of Suffrage. It seems to be admitted now
that color In itself is not to be thought Of;
and this Is q point gained. But 1t Is still
commended that when a race Of
particular complexion, b1ack or red, arc
found 70 30 uniformly stupid, degraded and
vicious, then for these gross disqualiflcatious
all men Of that co1ored race may Justly BE-
diEffnnchised, the presumption being that all
men Of that color arc unfit to vote, But this
Is in reality doing away with complexion or
ekin ss the test, and substituting In its stead
the test Of intelligence aud virtue. And
when It comes 10 be admitted, as 1t must be,
that there arc black, brown and red men
FULLY the equals In morality and intelligence
Of white men who vote, 1t will be found iu-
possible to deny to them also the same right
.fsIftage. If intelligence and problty arc
10 be made the basis Of this franchise, then
| It Is 60 palpably absurd to exclude on &C.
| count Of color, citizens who have these quail
illcations, that no such attempt ean succeed,
| and it will soon cease to be mndc. This
fccuas to us Inevitable, aud, VIC hare no
doubt, TINT the logic of the case, IL intel1f-
lepce and virtue are made the tests, will
compel the admission Of blacks, South and
North, 10 the elective franchise equally with
the whites.
But there is tho OF her claim, TINT the right
cf suf1nEe Is natural right belonging TO
every male citizen, and that this right may be
freely exercised by nll, and that it should be
restricted Gy no test, not even that Of finteiti-
lerce and virtue The practice In the county
has hitherto conformcd 10 this broad view Of
satural right, for In rery few States has any
test Of Intelligence, and In fewer still Of
taorallty, ever been set up. This Was the
Doctrine OF the old Democratic party, and
lnder its teaching not only men Of no cdn.
tation, or intelligence, but shoals Of cini.
grants from the Old World, who added Ia
their general ignorance and blindness, an
utter unacQuaintance with free institutions,
and who seemed to be entirely unit 10 take
part in their administration, were admitted
With kind OF enthusiastic aud fraternnl vel
come 10 the solemn duty and responsibility
, Of tho suffrage. Tho results that have fol
| lowed this coursc, especially in come Of OIL
lnre e cities, hare led many 10 reconsider tbt
subject, and have awakened grave doubt!
whether such policy will not lead to great
Ind manifold cri! and wrong, and whether II
should not be abolished at once. We al
know that in New York City legislation hs!
become 60 corrurt and iniquItous, aud tax
alton 30 unequal and enormous. that whn
= remedy can be found has become mos
: serious problem, and the wissst and braves
shrink back appalled, before the evils ant
= dangers that threaten. It Reems most proba
lie that cases Of this kind, occasloned b,
= the action of unrestricted suffrage In a com
= muni,y of great city, where vice, igno1
ance, the arts Of deragogucs aud greed q
I ,n5 fecd sna T.ttcn toce,1sr oil oil, ~ h.re ' ,o h
l. ,not sna tno,. os,,s eost-s,noa hr ,,a.n,,.
n 1.o;s1a1,o, !, Ia W.T. ,,rn,,h h,o ,ho; ,hn ~
d ~ sr,tr,nro nh, ho .nh1ao,sd " anr nns1,ec,
= t;on ~ iotc1,,rence. ~ If ~ to one :
&c 1or In tta Tcon;,emcn+e thet hut f.,
1t nil, find thcm.e1rc. rvr,uacd. j
=. IA FIR lao ,,,rb.hln that ,nv ,,ron.+t
nnaliac,tfon viii cvar be 1enrr,,l
n sdontct. Tho cur1ert rms rn.hcr towori
1t extension than 1r.,r, zion, The broal,,
0, suffrage },as wrought M evil. saye In larp
!; towns. where the circumstances are pecI
= liar. In t1,c country cvcryul,crc there Is N
pt complaint made that men are allowed t
- vote who should not. The exercise I
y the franchise in itself Is now claimed to b
Al snc Of tho best meana for educating the c,
- lien In the proper understanding of h
IL rights aud duties; aud this exercise
eS claimed by some to be the only war b
" which n reOnle cnn hc hrnuuht !, n n ff
y full height OF civilization and power. Wit
=. greater carEcstness and more force It
:. shown thst the elective franchise Is the be-
!, hnd only protection Of the lower and feeblt
- classes, against the encroachmcnts and oI
Trcssions Of wealth and power, and the onl
sure dcfcnce against collision, violence an
~ bloodshed. Men everywhere arc coming
" see, every day and every land arc addlr
new prG0l Of the truth, that men nre u,