Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-12-04

more. 1t 10 manifcstiy and avowediy the OBJ
ject Of these laws to con fer upon negroesthe
privilege Of vsting, and to disfranchise
euch number Of white citizens o. will give
the former clear majority at all elections
in the Southern States. This to the minds
Of some persons il 80 important that
violation OF the constitution is justified as
a means of bringing it about. That mo
raity is always false which excuses
wrong because it proposes to accomplish
desirable end. We are not permitted To
do evil that good may come; but in THE
case, the end is itself evil as we'll as the
means. The >ub;ugation of States to ne
gro domination would be worse than The
military desroiism under which they are
now suffering. II was believed before
hand that the peopl, would endure any
amount OF military oppression for anv
length Of time rather than degrade them
selves by subsection to the negro race :
therefore they have been lett without
choice. Negro suffrage was established
by act of Congress, and military officers
we're commended to superintend the pro
cess Of clothing the negro race with the
political privileges to govern white men.
| The blacks in the South are entitled to he
humanely governed, and to have the pro
lection Of Just laws for all their rights of
person and property. II 1t were practca
BILE nj this time 10 give them govern
ment exclusively their own, under which
they might manage their own affairs IN
their own way, il would become grave
question whether we ought to do 50 or
whether common humanity would not re-
auire US to save them from themselves.
i5u., under the circumstances this is only
a speculative point II is not proposed
merely that they shall govern themselves
but they shall rule the white race, make
and administer the State laws, elect Presi-
dents and members Of Congress, and shape,
to a greater or less extent the future des-
tiny of the " hole country. Would such a
trust and power be safe in such hands
The peculiar qualities which should char
acscrize any people that are fit to decide
upon the management of public Affairs for
n great State have seldom been combined
1t is the glory of the white men to know
that they have had these qualities in sufii
cient measure TO build upon this continent
great political fabric, and to preserve its
stability for more than ninety years, while
in every other part Of the world all simi-
| lar experiments have failed. II anything
can be proved by known facts; If all rea-
soning upon evidence is not abandoned, it
must be acknowledged that in the pro-
grcss Of nations the negroes have shown
lees capacity for government than any
other race Of people. No Independent
government of any form has ever been sue.
cessfu in their hands. On the contrary,
whenever they have been left to their own
| devices, they have shown constant ten
| dency to relapse into barbarism. In the
Southern States, however, Congress has
undertaken to coaier upon them the priv
| ilegc of the ballot. just released from
slavery, it may be doubted whether, as a
class, they know more than their ancestors
how to organize aud regulate civil society
| Indeed, it is admitted that the blacks ol
the South are not only regardless Of the
rights of property, but their voting can
consist in nothing more than carrying a
ballot to the place where they are directed
to deposit IT, | need not remind you that
the exercise of the elective franchise is the
highest attribute in the American citizen
aud that when guided by virtue, intelli.
senco, patriotism and q proper arprecia
tion Of our free institutions. it constitutes
the true basis ola Democratic form of gov
eminent in which the sovereign power il
lodged in the body of the people-a trust
artiiicially created, not for its own sake
but solely as means Of promoting ths
general welfare. Its influence for good
must necessarily depend upon the elevated
character and true allegiance Of the elect
or. 1t ought, therefore, to be reposed in
none except those who are fitted moral !
and mentally to administer it well, for il
conferred upon persons who do not justly
estimate its value, and who are indifferent
as TO its results, it will only serve MS a
means of placing power in the hands Of
the unprinciplcd and ambt rus and mus,
cventuate in the complete destruction Of
powerful CONSERVATION.
have, therefore. heretofore urged up
on your attention the great danger to be
apprehended from an untimcly extension
of the elective franchise to any new class
in our country, and especially when Il
large majority of that class in welding
the power thus placed in their hands can
not be expected correctly to comprehend
the duties and responsibilities which per
tain 10 suffrage. Yesterday, az II were,
| four millions of persons were held in the
condition Of slavery that ha existed for
| generations. To-day they are freemcn and
are presumed by the law to be oitiz rs. II
cannot be assumed from the previous con-
dition ot servitudc, that as class they
are rs we'll informed as to the nature OF
\ our government rs an INTEL gent foreigner
who makes ogr land his home In tie
case of the latter neither Il residence Of
/ 1--we years and knowledge cf our institu-
tons which IT gives nor an attachment
- principles Of constitution are the on =
conditions upon which he can be admitted
to citizenship. lie must prove in addition
a good moral character, and thus give rea-
sonable ground tor the belief that he will
be faithful to the obligations which he as
sumes as the citizen of republic whose
people are the source Of all political pow
er, and speak through the fundamentally
of the ballot box; it must bc carefully
guarded against the control OF those who
are corrupt in principle, and enemies of
free institutions; for it can only become 10
"ur political and social system safe con.
ductor OF healthy popular sentiment when
kept free from the demoralizing
influences controlled through fraud and
usurpation by designing anarchy and DIES.
potism must inevitably fall. In the hands
of the patriotic ard worthy, our govern
ment will I've preserved upon the princi-
pies of the constitution inherited from our
fathers. 1t follows, therefore, that in
admitting to the ballot box . new class of
voters, not qualified for the exercise of
the elective franchise, we weaken our sys.
tenn OF government, instead of adding to
it's strength and durability. yield to no
one in attachment to that rule of general
suffrage which distinguishes our policy as
a nation, but there is limit, wisely OBJ
served hitherto, which makes the ballot a
privilege and trust, and which requires of
some classes time suitable for
probation and preparation. To
To give it indiscriminately to new class,
wholly unpreparcd by previous habits
and opportunities TO perform the trust
which 1t demands, is to degrade it, and
finally to destroy it, power; for it may be
safely assumed that no political truth is
letter established than that such indis-
criminate and all-6mbracing extension Of
popular suffrage would end ct last in its
overthrow and destruction. l repeat the
expression Of my willingness to join in
any plan within the scope of our constitu.
tional authority, which promises 70 better
the condition OF the negroes in the South
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