The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1867-08-29

lives, and conlided to the Federal Govern
ment more remote, and therefore less sus
ceptible to their influence. the fewer sub
iects Of international and inter State con
Germs.
And yet SO great have been the usurpa
tions Of Federal power, 50 far has it over
stepped the limits both OF subjects am
powers. that by its systems of taxation, @
banking, of tariffs, of civil rights bills. .
conquered provinces, of military govern
ments, of martial law It's measures ar,
really Of vital Importance, and do in fact
though wrongfully, dwarf into inSgniii
cancc, even in State elections, all ques
tions Of State policy and State law
Alas that it is so. If We shall ever b(
able to return again to orr system, ths
States and the Union will assume THEN
proper spheres; the States will perform
their manifold and simple functions under
the eye of their people; the Federal Gov.
ernment will perform Its few and CON
spicuous duties under the direction of it.
constituent republics. TIE States vii
give dignity and power and splcndor tc
the Federal Government, which, in tarn
will reflect on them the lustcr Of its bor-
rowed greatness.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
The Constitutional Amendment confers
suffrage on the negro, and takes it away
from the white man. We hear many
theories on the question Of voting-uni-
versal suffrage. Gentlemen, | will not
stop to analyzc them all, nor trace in each
the promises to It's logical conclusions But
this | vii! aiiirm- that never in history
never in any goye,nment--never 10y any
party i'll any Sovcrnment-cven Including
prolific New England, has the right OF
suffrage been i'll practice. held to be Il
natural right. Women are excluded =
minors are excludcd-aliens are excluded
Pure minded wcll-in!ormed, patriotic per-
sons-not stained with crimc-n0t tainted
with mental or moral dclrct-lor some
reason or other-have always been exclu-
ded aud that exclusion has proven that
the right Is neither natural nor universal
The necessity of the State-thc good Of
the community-political wisdom have
always controlled the enjoyment Of this
right-and have established, as far as uni
form practice can establish il, that the
governing power OF every civil society
may, subjcctto moral laws aud the reyolu-
tionary right Of every minority, decide in
whom the political power shall reside Iu
England tic rule OF wealth has been the
rule of cxcluslon--perhaps [ ought 10 say
the rule of admission. In France, even
since the Constituent Assembly Gecrecd
universal suffrage, nativity and residence
have been the tests. In New \ ork, and
perhaps some other States, while white
male citizens have been all admitted to
suffrage, negroes were required to have
Il property qualification. la the Western
States negroes were not admitted to sui
fragc on any terms. Ia Massachusetts.
the test is not color or wealth, but their
capacity to read the Constitution In the
South to-day, as administered by military
power, inspired by the IDEAS of the Re
publican party, neither universal suffrage,
nor manhood suffrage prevails. The dis
tinction OF coof alone is destroyed but
the rule of sex, birth, residence, age,
sanity, and above ali, loyalty" is main
taincd. Wonderful IS 1t not, that amid
all the rules heretofore adopted no ingc-
nious individual, no selt-rightcous commu-
nifty has invented or adopted the rule Of
Intelligence, or virtue, or fitness!
The right Of suffrage then is not natu-
ral 1t is given or withheld according to
the discretion OF the governing power.
Shall it i'll OHIO be given to the negroes
| answer no. | dis'iain 70 respond TO the
mere vulgar abuse that this Is prejudice,
or caste, or association. | dls,!ain to an
swcr that brutal levity which asserts this
opinion to belong to those who would de
light in lniliciing corporal punishment or
separating families. L know and respect
many colored men and women They are
honest, industrious, virtuous. | would not
only do them no harm, | would do them
good. | would open every avenue OF
mental, and moral, and physical advance
ment The means of acquiring wealth
aud education should be within their reach.
But | would not give them political
power. They belong TO a different race
They have different blood and bones ard
organization. They have different tastes
and habits and capacities. 1t is not mere
" difference of climate or sun, or birth,
or education, Or color 1t is an inherent
and radical difference Of race, Of blood, of
nature, Of intellect, of capacity, which no
training can eiiace, no associations or hab
its, or discipline can extinguish. God
made them different. man can not make
them the same or equal. And all the
teaching Of history, and all the observa-
ton of our experience is that the com
mingling of the blood Of the white aud the
black races Injuries both. Go into the
Southern States. where circumstances
have been favorable to this ANAL gamation
90 into our cities, where affection has
sought to establish the happiness Of the
hy ybrid offspring, and you viii see that
every animal passion is more developed,
every moral quality more depressed, every
physical iniirmity more exaggerated than
in either of the pure races. The elements
of contrariety are so strong that comblna-
ton dcvelopes the worst qualities OF both.
There is philosophic wisdom i'll the gov
crnmcnts of Liberia aud llayti, which cx-
cIudc white men from political power. 1t
is the philosophy of separation OF the races;
not the separation OF distance, but OF com
munion 1t affords to the negro the only
chance of independence-it enables him
to prove whether he is capable of the cares
of government Il is the same philosophy
which is expressed in the doctrine SO often
repeated by Douglas, " that tins is a white
mans government; established by white
men, to be administered by white men,
for them and their posterity."
NJ NOR Tnliano NOR