Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-07-05

been passed by Congress which proves
insufficient. The amendatOry Freed
mems Bureau Bill was passed So wa
1 the Civil Rights Bill. But these law
did not fully accomplish their purpose
/ Their execution depended on an unEviIl
/ ing President; the machinery created bl
/ them was too complicated and unwieldy
/ and their object was defeated by the de
i termined hostility of public opinion il
! the States for which they were chiefly
I intended. Thus far Congress, in en-
/ deavOring to protect the persons and
j property of the freedmen, had acted OF
l what might call the European system
/ of protection, which is protection from
/ above downWaros. That system prOVe(
{ insufficient, and it became necessary {,
/ resort to the American system Of pro
4 lection, which is protection from below
I upwards. The European system is th'
/ inverted pyramid resting on its apex -
( the American system is the pyramid il
I its natural position resting on its broad
4 square foundation. In continental Eu
| rope the government, in order to prOtec
/ those under its charge, reduces them K
/ pupilage and leads them like children
/ tied to its aprOn-strings. 1t interferel
with every hing and regulates every.
I thing. You meet it at every corner. Il
I prizes into every mans business. You
cannot lay your hands upon anything
I for which it has not prescribed rules anC
I regulations. That system would never
[ do for US. Tt would be impraCticable in
view Of the extent and magnitude OF
/ our country. 1T would be unsuita bic tC
] the peculiar character, the self-rehanee
self-assertion, and strong individuality
I Of our people. 1t would be ineOmpat-
ible with our fundamental idea of self
! government. For this reason it also
proved impracticabIe as a means OF
shielding the freedmen against OUtrages
and oppression. 1t became necessary
therefore, to apply our own system to
thenl-0ur great American system O1
-DTOtectjOn-that is to say, of EN-
plOying SUFFRAGE as the principal
means of attaining the ends of govern
ment.
Our system is based on the supposi-
ton that a vote is much stronger
weapon than the club of a policeman,
or the bayonet of a soldier. We believe
in the educating and civilizing influ-
ences and protective virtues of the bal
lot. It continually reminds those who
form the apex of the pyramid that they
are dependent on and responsible to
those who form its base 1t recalls rul-
ers apt to forget themselves in the sweet
enjoyment of power, to sense OF their
/ true position. It has remarkable ten
dency to make those polite and affable
and friendly whom a little briefauthOr-
1 ity incliues to be rude and Overbearing.
I If the clerks in Dickens circumlOcu-
ton office had reason to fear Mr.. Glen
nam's vote, they would have treated
I him much better. Suffrage is a power
/ ful corrective of official insOlence,
/ abuses, and inefficency. Tt is a great
| lever of impaI tial Justice. 1t eleva6es
/ the lowIy and the humble, it checks the
/ naughty and the influential. 1t pro-
vides an important safeguard for the
public peace, and teaches a wholesome
| respect for the rights and feelings Oi
[ others, thus Iessening the necessity Of
/ cesOrting to courts of Justice. Tt is, Oi
/ course, liable to abuse and corruption
/ it may have its imperfectiOns and dan
/ gers, like every other human institu-
| ton, but nevertheless its effects are
wonderful. r...
RELYING on its efficacy, we have made
| it the basis OfOur institutions. tits the
4 great assimilation agent in our social
/ development. Let me illustrate this
| proposition by an example. How diff
| ferent would the position of foreigners
4 be, fraught with disadvantages an6
| drawbacks, if it were not for theil
right to vote. The ballot is worth moro
I to them, and to the peace and prosperity
| of the country, than armies of police
| men could be. Russia may cOntinuC
/ for ages to oppress the Poles, and to en-
/ deavOr to extirpate Polish spirit anC
nationality, and yet that spirit and ma
/ ttonaiity viii live on and be cherished
/ by its children in spite of the Cars de
I crees and institutions. In our country
/ however, we see peaceably and spOnta-
/ tneously accomplished In one generation
/ what in Poland the dreadful power of
/ mighty empire has failed to accomplish
! during three hundred years And, it il
! the ballot to which we owe that rapid
/ and harmonious assimilation ofsO many
/ different natiOnalities which we behold
| in the United States
AbstractIng altogether from the ques
a. -srr
/ policy and a means of self-prOtection
/ Suffrage is Indispensable to our Ameri
/ can system and people. Considering
/ the strong, self-asserting, neYer-mind
/ ing individuality, pushing impetuosity
/ restless energy and settled dlsregare
not only of obstacles, but frequently
also of the rights and feelings Ofothers
| which distinguish AnglO-SaxOn charac
/ ter all over the world, and considering
/ further that the idea Of self-prObecbiOT
! or protection from below upwards, IN
/ derlies our social and political organic
alton, we must come to the lrreslsJiol'
] conclusion that no class of our cOmmu
Unity could practically enjoy that securt
/ tv. comfort and patriotism which, il
! theory, we want it to enjoy, unless arm
/ ed with that aWe-inspiring and incOm'
| parable defensive weapon, the right t.
/ vote.
| IF we want peace and order in ou
be a rightless class. There must not b'
a class of pariahs deprived of the polit
/ icaI privileges which all others enjoy
| Deprive a class of the only defensive
/ weapon which we respect, which influ
/ ences all others, and the effects of which
| pervade all our institutions, and you a
once doom that unfortunate class t
/ persecution and oppression. Deprive
/ class of the protection of suffrage, anC
that self-asserting and conquering spir
it of our people which has cleared ava,
a wilderness, redeemed continent
shaken off the yoke of the then great
est maritime power OF the world, tina
| spirit which recognizes no impOssibiIit.
and shrinks from no obstacle, viii i'm
mediately weigh down and Oppress tina
/ class, and either deprive 1T of all right
or set their remaining rights at nauRh
by that powerful control ana lnHuenc
which public opinion, right or wrong
well directed or misguided, invariabI
exercises over municipal authorities
Il courts of Justice and all other branche
and departments of Government.
Hence if you want peace and securi
ty for yourselves, if you want our ma
chinery of Government to roll Of
smoothly and harmoniously, let ther
be no man without that shield whic
| even the mighty, the strong and th
powerful cannot fail to respect. LIE
there be no man without that magi
/, l wand which transforms the great GOV
, ernOr of to-day, representing the soy
/ ereignity of millions Of people, int
the affaBIe candidate ofto-mOrrow, VIII
anxiously and sympathetically eI
duires for your dear health, and th
well-being of your good lady and Chi
dren-
d For these reasons we said to the nt
f gro in the Southern States Friend
we have done our best to protect yOl
: We have tried it from above dOwnWar
/ and it would not do. We passed FreeC
: mems Bureau and Civil Rights Bill
3 and they gave you no security. w
= must now adopt the American plan (
| self-protection, and try it from belo'
! upwards. We will clothe you wit
. that power which alone affords seeurit
r and a fair start in life-the right
# vote. Take the ballotsnd protect you
E self :" And, sir, this remedy at ono
q / effected the desired cure. The poor COZ
q traband is no longer the persecute
q outlaw whom incorrigible rebels migl
/ / Kick and kill with impunity, but he
. | once become 'tour colored fellOw-cit
/ zen'' in whose well-beiug his form'
/ master takes the liveliest Interest. ThJ
v bv bringing the negro under the Amer
# can system, we have completed b
Inclination. He has ceased to be