The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-09-21

pOilcleS anu measures rs nnQ them. 90
cord to every man sincerity and patriotism.
will not impute bad motives nor use harsh /
terms. Twill not enter the arena Of person
al conteoFersy. prefer to 'consider the
effect OF great policies on public interests,
rather than to discuss the influence OF per-
sonal character on the administration of
office. And.if, in delineating the tendency
and sequence of measures, must sean the
motives and advert to the mental and moral
development of those who originate and APP
ply them, l shall deal with them in their
collective character as parties, and ayo,a
the ground allotted to personal suscephpiii'
ty. e@@s4~Ns = = -
IF our system of government had neen
maintained, if its integrity were uninpaireu,
the subjects on which would address you
TODAY would be few and simple. Ihey "ouio
relate entirely to our state ahalrs tney
would touch only the making and executing
our local law. The election Is only for state
and county offices; it refers only to state and
comfy affairs In its results 1t touches fed
raj politics only in the election of senator
and the adoption of amendments to the
constitution which may possibly be proposed.
To the state have been con6ded your dear
est interests. Look about you. What do
you not hold under the egis ofits protection?
Your life, your liberty, the enforcement of
your contracts, the enjoyment of the fruits
OF your labor, the title to your property, the
peace of society, the sanctity of your homes,
the protection of your good name from as
'persion, of your family circle from pollution,
of your parental authority from contempt,
depend alone upon your state government.
The federal government was organized to
represent the states in the family of nations,
nd oA,uA,aafa IF do haSx
the states. 1t has not the constitutional pow
er to punish marder in your streets, or
riot in your city. 1t has not the constitu-
tional power to protect free speech at this
meeting, or TO render judgment upon and
collect by execution promissory note for
one hundred dollars given by one of your
citizens to another. Our system was ire
public of republics" Cheers. Its browning
glory was that it con6ded the fewest possible
subjects to the federal government; and re-
served the greatest possible number to the
states that it called around the states the
affections and interests of the people by
leaving with them the legislation affecting
their daily lives, and confided to the federal
government more remote, and therefore less
susceptible to their influence, the fewer sub
jects of international and interstate con-
Germs. Cheers.
And yet so great have been the usurpa-
tons of Federal power, so far has it over
stepped the limits both of subjects and pow
ers, that by its systems of taxation, of bank
ing, of tariffs, of civil rights bills, of con-
quered provinces, of military governments,
of martial law, its measures are really of
vital importance, and do in fact, though
wrongfully, dwarf into insignifcance, even
in state elections, all questions of state poll
cy and state law.
Alas that it is so! IF we shall ever be
able to restore again our system, the states
and the Union will assume their proper
spheres; the states will perform their mani
fold and simple functions under the eye of
their people; the Federal Government will
perform its few and conspicuous duties under
the direction OF its constituent republics.
The states will give dignity and power and
splendor to the Federal Government, which,
in turn, will reflect on them the lustre, of
its borrowed greatness.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
The constitutional amendment coufers
suffrage on the negro, and takes it away
from the white man. We hear many theo-
ries on this question of voting-universal
suffrage. manhood sufrage!I Gentlemen
win not stop to analyze them all, nor trace
ia CdSA ttlc " It's iuglCat COu-
clusion. But this will affirm-that never
in history-never in any government-never
by any party in any government-even in
GLIDING prolific New England, has the right
of suffrage been, in practice, held to be a
natural right. Women are excluded-min-
ors are excluded-aliens are excluded.
Pure-minded, wellinformed, patriotic per
sons-not stained with crime-not tainted
with mental or moral defect-for some rea.
son or other-have always been excluded;
and that exclusion has proven that the right
Is neither natural nor universal. The ne
cessity of the state-the good of the commu-
uity-political wisdom have always controll-
ed the enjoyment of this right-and have
established, as far uniform practice can
establish it, that the governing power of ev-
cry civil society may, subject to moral laws
and the revolutionary right of every minori-
ty decide in whom the political power shall
reside. In England the rule of wealth has
been the rule ofexclusion-perhaps / ought
to say the rule of admission. In France
ever since the Constituent Assembly decreed
universal suffrage, nativity and residence
have been the tests. In New York, and
perhaps some other states, while white male
citizens have been all admitted to suffrage,
negroes were required to have a property
qualification. In the western states negroes
were not admitted to suffrage on any terms.
In Massachusetts, the test is not color or
wealth, but their capacity to read the con-
stitution. In the south to-day, as admins
tered by military power, inspired by the ideas
OF the republican party, neither universal
suffrage, or manhood suffrage prevails. The
distinction of color alone is destroyed, but
the rule of sex, birth, residence, age, sanity,
and oh lx-ys
Wonderful, is it not, that amid all the rules
heretofore adopted, no ingenious individual,
no self-rIghteous community has invented or
adopted the rule of intelligence, or virtue.
or fitness?
The right of suffrage then is not natural.
1t is given or withheld according to the dis
erection of the governing power. Shall it in
Ohio be given to the negro? / answer no
lCheers and cries of that's the talk. dis
dain to respond to the mere vulgar abuse
that this is prejudice, Or caste or association.
disdain to answer that brutal levity which
asserts this opinion to belong to those who
would delight ia inficting corporal punish
ment or separating families. / 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 of moral, and physical ad-
vancemert. The means of acquiring wealth
and education should be within their reach.
But | would not give them political power
They belong to different race. They have
different blood and bones and organization.