Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1867-12-11

but they generally change for the worse
1t is the>curs Of despotism that it has n,
halting place. The intermitted exelcis
of its power brings no sense Of security t.
its subjects for they can never know wha
more they will be called to endure whei
its red right hand is armed to plague then
again. Nor is it possible to CONJECTURE
how or where power, unrestrainrd by law
may seek its next victims. The States tha
are still free may be ensIaved at any mo
ment for if the Constitution does not pro
tect all, it protects none.
NEGRO SUFFRAGE.
It is manifestly and avowedIy the objec
of these laws to confer upon negroes thC
privilege of voting, aud to disfranchise sucl
a number of white citizens as will give the
former clear majority at all the elections
in the Southern States This, to the mind
of some persons, is SO important,t that a Vi
oIaiians of the Constitution is justified as 6
means of bringing it about. The morality
is always false which excuses wrong be
cause it proposes to accomplish a desirable
end. We are not permitted to do evil thai
good may come. Bnt in this case the enc
itself is evil, as well as the means. The
sublugation Of the States to negro domino
ton would be worse than the military des,
potism under which they are now suffering
1t was believed beforehand that the peo
pie would endure any amount of military
oppression, for any length oftime rather
than degrade themselves by subsection to
the negro race. Therefore they have been
left without choice. Negro suffrage was
established by act Of Congress, and the
military officers were commanded to super.
intend the process of clothing the negro
race with the political privileges torn from
white men.
The blacks in the South are eRtitled to
be well and humancly governed, and to
have the protection ofjnst laws for all their
rights of person and property. fit were
practicable at this tune to give them gov
ernment exclusively their own, under which
they might manage their own affairs in
their own way. it would become grave
question whether we ought to do so or
whether common humanity wonld not re-
quire us to save them from themselves
Bot under the circumstances, this is only
a speculative point 1t is not proposed
merely that they shall govern themselves
but that they shall rule the white race,
make and administer State laws, elect
Presidents and members of Congress, and
shape to greater or less extent the future
destiny of the whole country. Would such
a trust and power be safe in such hands !?
The peculiar qualities which should char
acterise any people who are fit to decide
upon the management Of public affairs for
a great State have seldom been combined.
1t is the glory of white men to know that
they have had these qualities IN sufficient
mesure to build upon this continent great
political fabric, and to preserve its stability
for more than 80 years, while in every 9TH
cr part Of the world ali similar experiments
have failed. But if anything can be prov
ed by known facts if all reasoning upon
evidence is not abandoned, it must be ac-
knowledged that in the progress of nations
negroes have shown less capacity for gov
eminent than any other race OF people. No
independent government has been success
ful IN their hands. On the contrary wberev-
er they have been left to their own devices
they have shown constant tendency to
relapse into barbarism. In the Southern
States however, Congress has undertaken
to confer upon them the privilege of the
ballot. Just released from slavery, it may
be doubted whether, as class, they know
more than thei: ancestors how to organize
and regulate civil society. Indeed, it is admit
ted that the blacks of South the are not only
regardless of the rights of property, but so
utterly ignorant of public affairs that 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 fran
chise is the highest attribute of an American
citizen, and that when guided BY virtue,
intelligence, patriotism. and proper appre-
citation of our free institutions, it constitutes
the true basis Democratic form govern
ment in which the sovereign power is lodged
in the body of the people. A trust
artfically created, not for Its own sake, but
solely as means of promoting the geher-
al welfare, its influence for good must nec-
essarily depend upon the elevated charac-
ter and the true allegiance of the elector.
1t ought, therefore, to be reposed in none
except those who are fitted morally and
mentally to administer it well, for if con-
ferred upon persons who do not justly esti.
mate its value. and who are Indifferent as to
its result, it will only serve as means of
placing power in the hands of unprinci-
pied and ambitious men, and must eventu-
ate in the complete destruction of that lib
erty of which it should be the most pow
erful conservator. I have, therefore, here
tofore urged upon your attention the great
danger to be apprehended from an uutimely
extension of the elective franchise to any
new class 10 our country, especially when
the 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 to suffrage. ....... .......
Yesterday, as it were, four millions o.
persons were held in a condition of slavery
that had existed for generations to-day
they are ireemen and are assumed by law