Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-07-30
s" [From the Baltimore Sun.l
The Radicals aud Negro Testi-
mOny. - f..

.
Notwithstanding their clumsy attempts
at concealment, the Radical papers are
manifestly disconnected at finding some of
their partisan thunder going, gone, by the
passage to the third reading in the Mary
land Constitutional Convention of the pro-!
vision for the admission of the testimony
of celored men in the courts. Their party
in this State, to say nothing of their allies
elsewhere, has effected nothing to engraft
t, is reform, and other Kindred ones, upon
our State laws by the only agencies COM
petent to place them there. The reason Is
obvious, and it reflects the partisan hypoc-
risy of their pretensions on the subject.
For mere party purposes they would de-
sire these plain provisions of right to fail.
They do not want them to pass, unless
their adoption can be made to enure to
their own political advantage. 1t is not
the advancement of right, but the adj
vancement of party and of self that is the
handspring of all their pretended philan-
thropy, and SO they would have nothing
done by others in regard to the admission
of the testimony of men of color, or any
other right of that class, because it would
be to the disadvantage of those who, not
withstanding their vociferOus professions,
neglected to take care both of the rights of
colored and of white men when they had
the opportunity. If the object of these
pseudo-republicans were the general good,
why do they not rejoice when that good is
brought about, no matter by whom it. is
done?
We confess that to us, who have labored
SO long and persistently for this object, the
manifestation of liberal sentiments in the
passage to the third reading OF the provis-
ion above referred to is source of sincere
qualification. Those who imagine that
such views as we have recently expressed
n y, h,aaf tn 6arf fhafx ,inl, r
the opportune moment convince others
indicate any new opinions on the part of
this journal, or that it is influenced by any
other motives than considerations of right
and of justice to the whole people, and of
what is necessary to their convenience,
know very little of the general course of
The sam, or purposely misrepresenti it. From
the moment that the war was fairly over
we addressed ourselves to the considera-
ton of matters belonging to the new order
of things, in our own State especially. With
this end we advocated the removal from
| the statute book of such laws as were un-
necessary in view OF the changes that had
occurred, and adapting, as fast as it could
be wisely done, our laws to the present
status. This matter Of abolishing all dis
tinction in our State as to testimony, on ac-
count of color, we urged earnestly, as q
| thing intrinsically right and necessary to
| be done. While those now controlling the
| radical party of the State were still in
power they paid little heed to the subject
They not only sat through the Legislative
session of 1865, but also the extra session ol
1866, without accomplishing anything Of
themselves in relation to it. 1t wa:
not till the conservative elements o.
| the State, the great mass of the
people, had regained their State
Government that we began to expect thai
| so proper a measure would be secured
Having advocated it with due zeal, it af
forded us no small satisfaction, when tht
new Legislature met, to find that many o
the ablest members of that body had learn
ed the character of the proposed measure
which was finally carried through the pop
ular branch of the Legislature without any
special effort in its behalf by the Radica
members. They dare not, of course
vote against it, but by their supinenes
they could aid in delaying action anC
thus it reached the Senate at so late pc
riod in the session that there was NJ
time for the proper efforts in that body t.
secure the attention for it which its impor
tance demanded, and to effect it passage
But as it passed the popular branch, who's
members more directly represent the peo
pie, it may be assumed that the voice of tn
people stood recorded in its favor befor
the Constitutional Convention was called
Certain it is that number of those Demo
Gratis or Conservatives who supported tn
measure in the Legislature have been re
turned by their constituents to represen
them in the Convention.