Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-05-10
7HB AAEND1lENT.


The Cincinnati Commercial, in It's
attacks upon she suffrage amendment,
first fixed the number of deserters it
would disfranohise at q, 900, and af-
forwards reduced its estimate to 24,-
900 and then to 10000. In answer to
this we ventured the assertion that rot
fUs Hundred deserters from Ohio troops
had been convicted of the crime be-
fore civil or military courts, and chal-
lenged proof to the contrary. We now
repeat the challenge, and also the as
sertion that no deserters except those
convicted of the crime and not after
wards honorablY discharged viii be
disfranchised by the amendment. 1t
is idle to say that this Interpretation
renders the disfranehising clause nu-
gatory, for it applies to the class OF
deserters who most richly deserve dis
franchisement and who according to
the laws of every civilized country in
the world have incurred the penalty OF
death. Tt also applies to the infamous
brood who sneaked out of the State to
avoid the draft, and than whom euI-
prits guilty Of bribery, forgery or al
most any other Infamous crime are far
more worthy to vote and hold Office. Il
also applies TO a third class who have
fought In the armies Of the rebellion
and hence are guilty of overt treason
These classes will all be most right
eously disfranchised by the amend
ment, and it is therefore extravaganI
Misrepresentation to say that the dis
franchising clause will be nugatory
unless it should apply to all who have
been merely charged with desertion.
Nor can any one who has proper
regard for the respectfully of the
elective franchise find fault with this
The laws Of the State take political
rights from persons convicted Of bur
glary, arson, manslaughter, rape, bri-
berry, horse-stealing, counterfeiting.
mayhem, and variety Of other infa-
nous crimes, and yet what are such
culprits as these beside him who de-
serts his flag when the safety of mil
lions is imperilled or who goes over
to the enemy who seeks to destroy the
government that protects his Liberties
and his home or who abandons his
native land to avoid helping to keep
rebels from invading his hearth-stone
and the graves of his kindred or him
who lifts reasonable and bloody hands
against the Union and the government
of our fathers | It is a piece ofsbaneful
injustice to let such as these vote and
hold Office while the burglar, thief
forgeF and murderer, who i1jure but
fey and sin only in constructive
sense against the public veal, are de-
prived Of these privileges. And il
this be unjust what is 1t to deprive OF
the ballot and thus fix the brand Of
social and political infamy upon one
who stood nobly faithful to the flag in
the hour of its peril and who per
chance bangles at his side a sleeve
emptied By the bullets of traitors Is
the mere color of a mans face any
excuse for such a piece of wicked in
justice ? White men had strong mo-
tives to be true to the Union in It's
jeopardy for il gave them not only
life, property and home but honor,
Office and social and political privel-
eyes. When such an one went abroad
he might in any land command res
pect and safety by the proud deolara-
ton that he was q citizen of the Uni
ted States. But how with the colored
man Why wherever he went Amer
lean citizenship" was for him brand
of shame. The whole world knew by
the color in his face that he belonged
to class which here in Ohio is not
only socially ostracised but deprived Of
the most sacred privileges of citizen
ship. To acknowledge that he was an
American citizen was to make a con,
fession which brought him not socia
respect or public consideration. bnt
exclusion, contumely and disgrace
Ohio sent her colored men abroad
stigmatized by complexion given then
by the Creator, but which her laws
insulting alike to the God of justice
and the human sense Of justice, had
converted into badge of infamy
White citizens of Ohio, we repeat, had
the strongest possible motives to be
true to the flag which conferred upon
them such privileges and such honor,
but the oOloFed tax payers ofthe State
would have been excusabIe had they
desired and even aided the destruction
Of government which inflicted upor
them such monstrous injustice.
And yet, when that government
which protected as in these rights and
that flag which conferred upon as thi.
honorable citizenship, were threatened
BY traitors with destruction, in what
ranks were these eolored men found
How many of them pusillanimously ly
sneaked TO Canada Co avoid the draft
How maHy enlisted in rebel armies
How many deserted to the enemy OF
acted as spies to betray the plans ot
Union Generals? For the credit o.
the white race we forbear answers tc
these questions. The loyalty Of th,