The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-05-21
Airlmond Iispatth.
TUESDAY. 81, 1867
Education for citizenship.

The foolish or reckless pontlclans VINO
are engaged in the effort 10 make the
negro population the ruling element in the
southern States are doing an injury TO the
country which ought to attract some seri-
ous attention. If the negro is to be n
voting citizen, it is highly important that
he should be educated for citizenship. If
a foreigner were imported here to be made
a citizen at once, the mos. radical man III
the country would rdicule the idea OF
teaching him the "natural rights of man "
as his first lesson in American principles.
But as to the negro, it seems to be regarded
as proper to teach him this doctrine as the
sum OF political wisdom. Political meet
ings of the colored population are reported
in various parts OF the South. The reso-
lutions adopted at most of these meetings
are of course written ont for the ignorant
assembly by white men, who "cut and
dry" the proceedings.
One of the common resolutions which
these managers are in the habit of putting
into the hands of their colored pupils and
instructing them to adopt is an ASSERT on
of the Tom Paine doctrine of the Rights
Of Man. Thus, at a meeting in Maryland,
held few days ago, resolutions are re-
ported as unanimously adopted which
commence with the preamble, "Whereas
man is man, and entitled to all rights be-
cause he is man" &c.
Now, this is very poor doctrine to teach
any man, and the very worst doctrine to
teach to eniranchiSed slaves. 1t is false
in fact and false in theory. The very first
assertion that man is man, if 1t means any
thing more than nonsense, Is ialSehood.
The word man first used Is intended to
signify something else than the word as
repeated, and if it be designed to teach
that all mankind are men, or that every
male person of the human family is man,
or any other assertion that can possibly be
extracted out of it except the stupidity
that a man is mani, ii is essentially
false. But the other part OF the pre-
amble is worse. This Radical doctrine
that a man is "entitled to all rights be-
cause he is man" is calculated
to deceive, mislead, and destroy the
race which is taught to adopt it. 1t is the
argument for the bully whom nature has
made strong, who can justify himself IN
taking what he thinks his rights by virtue
of his strength. 1t is the argument OF the
swindler who cheats his neighbor, OF the
burglar who robs your house, OF the thiei
who picks your pocket. ltis either an un-
meaning phrase, or else it wholly ignores
the mutual relations and duties OF life
The civil rights which men have are, in
effect, duties, and not privileges. The
rights of each man must be made depend.
ent on the rights of other men; must be
modified and controlled by them. Hence
the necessity for government and law, ana
hence in practical life the necessity OF the
relation ofsupport and dependence. Noman
can claim by nature, or OF natural right
that which il is the province OF Government
to give. What possible difference does il
make in the natural right to vote whether
a man is born in Ireland, or China, or New
York Does any one pretend to say thal
the fresh come emgrant has natural
right of suffrage Is it not perfectly CON
petent for any Government TO conilne the
suffrage to native born men?
We have so often argued this subject
that our readers are tolerably familiar With
il. II presses on our attention now be-
cause such a manifest effort is made to
teach the negro population this a|leSs
doctrine, uniting them, instead OF lifting
them, to be good citizens. Nothing can ht
imagined more thoroughly inimical to the
best interests of any country than the sud
den throwing into the community mil
lion voters whose leading idea is this non
sense about the rights of man. II in no
other point of view, it should strike men
with alarm whep'they look to the stability
of the national credit, the payment OF the
interest and the principal of the national
debt, and the steadfastness OF a tax system
for these purposes. What would become
of the debt if the people of this country
were to carry out to its legitimate results
this doctrine ; that a man is entitled TO all
rights because he is man!