The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1867-09-20
Impartial Suffrage. .


Ohio wss the first State created BY
the Ordinance of 's7, which forever
set apart the great Northwest to free
dom. As she was the first-born Of
freedom, she has been the first to ad-
vocate free measures, free territory and
free men. She has been pioneer in
all movements Of reform. It is appro-
pirate, therefore, that she should take
the lead in adopting the principle Of
Impartial Manhood Suffrage. This
issue is at stake in the present cam
paign, and opposition to it forms the
main capital of the Democratic party.
WHAT'S the history of negro suffrage
in this countryg In every one of the
old thirteen States, with the exception
of South Carolina, free negroes were
allowed TO vote, during the earlier days
of the nation. In Tennessee they were
allowed to vote as late as 1882. An
drew johnson was first elected to Con-
gress by one vote, and that the vote of
a negro. In New York, negroes vote
who are worth two hundred and fifty
dollars. In Massachusetts,, all men
vote who can read and write. Aud in
all the other New England States, ex-
cept Connecticut, negroes have the
right of suffrage. In Ohio there are
about 1000 negro men, nearly one
third of whom now vote, under de-
cision of a Democratic Supreme Court.
Practically, the extension of the right
of suffrage to the other two-thirds will
not affect the result Of any election in
the State; but it viii establish the prin-
ciple that in bestowing the franchise,
neither wealth, nationality, nor race
should be considered, but manhood,
citizenship, and loyalty should be the
only requisites.
Is there any argument against i'm
partial suffrage! If ours is a republi-
can form of government what right
have we to deny to one class of citi-
zens any political privilege enjoyed by
other classesl 1t is certain that there
is no such thing as class known or re-
cognized in the republican idea upon
which our government is founded, any
thing in our constitutions to the con-
trary Notwithstanding. AS long as we
exact the duties and responsibilities Of
citizenship from any man, we are com
mitting gross injustice unless we grant
him its privileges. If it is sufficient
reason to withhold the right of suffrage
from a man because he is black, then
the same reason should be sufficient to
excuse him from paying taxes. When
we come to pay taxes, or work on the
roads, or stand our chances in draft,
no distinction is made on account of
color; these are the duties and respon-
sibilities of citizenship which fall alike
upon white and black; now, where is
the justice of compelling the black
man to, bear all the burthens of the
government equally with the white
man, and at the same time forbidding
him the enjoyment of any of its privil-
eges?
We should allow negroes to vote be-
cause they have always been patriotic.
Our country has never had war but
that negroes fought in her armies. The
first man killed in the Revolution was
a negro-a patriot named Grispus At
tucks, killed by British soldiers in the
Boston riot--and during that long
struggle for our independence colored
men were enlisted in the same COM
panies and fought side by side with
the white patriots. Negroes stood by
Andrew jackson in the defence of New
Orleans; and in the great civil war just
closed, nearly two hundred thousand
colored men shared its perils and hard
ships, and made record for bravery
second to no troops in the field. Now,
if they were good enough to fight for
us, why are they not fit to vote? Gen.
SHERMA never said truer thing than
when he said "If you call on negroes
tosfght, you must let them vote. The
hand that lays down the bayonet ought
to take up the ballot"
We owe the ballot to the negroes as
a reward for their fidelity to the Union
cause and unceasiDg and unfinching
devotion to our armies; for their kind
ness, shown at the risk of their own
lives, to Union soldiers in rebel prisons,
and for their services to Union soldiers
and refugees when escaping pursuit,
capture aud death from rebels. Ev-
cry consideration of gratitude no less
than justice, should prompt us to ex-
tend to them the same political privi-
leges that we enjoy.
Reputation.
The proposition advocated with such
vinor inst now hu tho Damocracv to