Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-05-02
Tn. Suffrage Amendment.

Who are these blacks whom we dis
franchise co. account Of their color? Are
they bad citizens, law-breakers, crirni-
nails? Our constitution processes to dis
franchise for infamous crimes. Is 1t then
an infamous crime to have been born
with black face? Shame, shame on
the party that sets up such monstrosity
as part Of its creed! 1t is heresy set
up not only in defiance Of justice, but
in defiance of facts. Whatever other
odium the colored population may bear,
| 1t has not that which comes from vio-
lence or lawlcssness. Point out the race
which does most to busy our police courts
and Ali our jails, and 1t will not be the
negro. We have Reform School to
which our charitable philanthropy does
not admit black boys and girls, but leaves
them parentless and homeless to roam at
will on the road to ruin. Yet public
opiniOn 10y no means admits that either
females are the most lawless classes in
society. The restraints which our par
tial public benevolence throws around
the male white boy to keep him from
crime and disgrace do not after all secure
him greater credit than the tender fe-
male orphan or the dcspised negro as an
observer of the law. The crimo for
which the colored race Is disfranchised
is the crime of birth, purely and simply.
But, while it should not be gal dcmerit
to be black, let IT not be supposed that
any one holds IL merit to be so. 1t
would be Just as absurd to enfranchise
man simply on account of complexion.
Republicans claim that the color of a
mans face has simply nothing to dowith
his ability to vote, and that common
sense teaches that his qualifications for
that high prerogative should be sought
+ for elsewhere than in the pigment of his
skin. we do not offer the negro the bal
lot because he has a color which is soci-
ally ostracised but in spite of that fact.
We do not offer it as a,bounty, as we GER
. tainly should not Withhold 1t rs pun
ishment for an incident Of his birth or
, dained by his Creator, and for which he
= Is neither to be censured or praised.
But aside from tho negative reasons
A., why the elective franchise should not be
withheld from the coiored citizens of
= Ohio, there are strong positive reasons
| why it should he conferred upon them.
1t Is bestowing no fulsome praise and risk
+ ing no intelligent contradiction to say as
e q class they are as loyal, peaceable, unoI-
f Tending and industrious asany race now
g admitted to the ballot. BY theirindustry
A and tact for business they have acquired
G no less than one hundred and fifteen
o million dollars worth Of property, out o,
# which, without being at all represented
or having any voice In the Cover nment
they bear their regular and full proper
:, ton of the burdens of the State. Our
J white ancestors revoltcd against English
!, misrule because il taxed them without
y their voice or consent, and we applauC
), the act rs glorious era III the World's
a history. And yet we commission olll
: tax gatherers to inflict upon sixty thous
Z and guiltless citizens of this State the
= same arbitrary oppression, resistance tc
whichwc glorify us heroic pa riotism ant
= obedience to God. We condemn ourselves
> as tyrants toward the colorcd race and ye
" against our tyranny there il lifted, no
= the hand of violence, but only the hum
= !, ble voice of petition. =. 49,,
~ We have placed ourseiv es I'm still
more unfortunate attitude. White trait
i ors organized rebellion to destroy oul
. liberties, and in our dire cxigency, while
!; Fate held doubtful balance, we called
u upon the colOred race to help us save
= them. One hundred and eighty-siS
u thousand responded to that call, and out
u of that number siXty-eight thousand
: lost life or limb in fighting our battles
. Out of eight thousand five hundred col
: ored men in Ohio Of competent age to
IL vote, about seven thousand, or nearly
! n seven-eighths, enlisted in the armies o
= the Union. Near the exploded mine a
y Petersburg the writer has stood by tht
I graves OF SEQ. cs of them, where they fell
y trenches. Black patriots who perished
for our cause fill humble graves at Wag
{ ner, Honey Spings, Fort Pillow, Por
J Hudson, and upon many another bloody
y field,
:, BY holy chrlsm and hot baptism
u Ofbattle's fiery Hood, -
The "chnttcl" rose above his woes,
d And wrote his right IN blood.
C And will the white voters of Ohio nsw
n repudiate that writing as nullity ant
spurn that blood as an unholy thing
.s Would not such an act he adding mean
l. ness to injustice, ingratitude, to wrong
v Would 1t not be branding patriotism will
d shame, and loyalty as u thing to be de-
m spised? No one Is fool enough to sa,
ir that the negro soldier alone saved th'
es country, nor IL any one very confiden
ID I'm the belief that 1t could have been save'
he without their aid. But whether 1t cOul,
le or could not, we acted upon the supposi
to ton that their help was necessary W
=. asked for it and it was freely given.-
Their loyalty and friendship came evel
unsolicited. Among the traitors, SUI
ar rounded by rebel armies, wrought upo
"a by every species of misrepresentation
m and deceit these poor, oppressed people
Mt nevertheless, could not be deceived Il
H. reference to the great purpose and objeC
at of the war. With all their imputed ig
A. norance and degradation they had tn
glorious, the noble instinct Oh IreeCoi
III which kept them faithful to the fiai
n, while educated and intel g,nt traitors o
)" every hand betrayed 1t. They knew
ct better even thnn some unfortunate Den
ty ocrats In the North, where the right Wa
;" and where their sympathics ought to b.
r; They knew on which side to fight, VIII
d. may they not know on which side
Y vote? They deserve, far more than som
no more eminent and less worthy upo
hit whom 1t has been fulsomely heaped, I'll
en praise of having been faithful anon
IT the faithless. 4" Whenever Union so
or dler saw white man in the South i
lal discerned his patriotism or disloyalty b
- the color of his dress, but wherever l
Iat "saw black face he knew he was lo0l
on ing In the face of friend" There WI
ed time of bitterness and trial when
.rd the fealty of the colored race to the Unio
nd had been doubtful, and. it could ha'
been obtained by giving II the ballot,
ed would have been considered as mo
cir cheaply bought. That loyalty, tried
isy the fire and pure and holy as the ligl
m OF heaven, was given without mon'
ice and without price. Shall we not, no'