Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-10-08
COLUMBUS, O., TUESDAY MORNING,
DIsFRANcHIs1NG WHITE SOLDIERS.

I DIsFRANCHIsING WHITE SOLDIERS.
The amendment proposes not only to en-
franchise 5000 negroes, but TO disfranchiss
2IOO0 white soldiers. The Radical plat
form is tissue of absurdities and contra
dictions. You are urged to eafrdnchise S00(
negroes because about one per cent. of thii
number served in the Union army perhapl
as cooks aud hostlers; in the same breatf
you are also urged to dtsfrGnchise 27, ,00(
white soldiers because every one of then
served his country and fought the battles
of the Unionl This is Radical logic fo
you'll But it is claimed that the 81 7,OO(
white soldiers are sdeserters! Technfcally
this may be true. But certainly party
which loves the soldier so ardently NIGH
overlook a technical offense when the sol
diers were guilty of no detection. What i,
their crime? These brave men, and many
many more, left homes, trusting their wives
and little ones to the cold charities of the
world, who relied upon the oft repeated AS
sertiOn of Mr.. Seward that the rebellion
would lastonlyr r''ninety days." Instead o.
ninety days the war lasted four long and
bloody years. During all this time these
heroic men marched under the starry ban
nerand crimsoned its folds with their blood
Many, many found graves in Southern soil
The bones of many a beloved comrade lie
bleaching on the bloody fields of Gettys-
burgh and Chickaniauga. When Lee sur
rendered to Grant and Johnston to Sher-
man; when no hostile arm was raised
against the Government from the lakes to
the gulf from the Atlantic to the Pacific
these veterans did not wait for the forma-
tion of discharge. but fastened home to
clasp their wives and little ones to their
bosoms. They supposed that when the war
was over their Occupation was gone." A
soldiers duty is to fight, instead of remain
ing In camp for months until some official
in his good will and pleasure should mus
ter them out of the service. They came
home. For this 'crime" the party which
loves the soldiers so dearly proposes to
brand them as renegades Men are dis
tranchised in Ohio for crime. A convict
loses his right of suffrage unless pardoned
and restored to his rights of citizenship by
the Governor. Has it come to thisi Will
the men of Ohio place $1,000 battle SCARED
veterans on level with the convicts in the
Penitentiary? This is the basest, blacklist
ingratitude history records. I trust the
people of Ohio will not disgrace themselves
nor stain the escutcheon of this State by
voting for such a monstrous measure. i
hope you will place the seal of condemna-
tion upon the party which dares to advo-
cate it. 1~
RUNNING AWAY FROM THE DRAFT"
There is one clause in the am endment to
which have no objections: it has my most
hearty concurrence. Could L vote for il
separately would most willingly do so.
refer to the clause esdisfranchising those
who "ran away from the draft" The pass
age of this would cause a deficit of at least
5000 votes for the Union Ticket" in the
Western ,Reserve--the Puritan element
was well and numerously represented in
Canada during the gloomy days of s63 and
'64. Like some pious Christians who PAM
per the flesh but mortify the spirit, they
were exceedingly loyal-in theory detest-
nCi fhn nall lrNf hat
petre, which should mot be digged from
the bowels of the earth'' to kill or scare
true loyal men-the price of cheese ad-
vanced fifteen cents per pound in Canada
during. the sojourn of our neighbors of the
Reserve. This fact explains the apathy of
those gentlemen who don't a ivocate negro
Suffrage so enthusiastically as might other
wise be expected. They know the amend
ment as it stands is a two edged sword.
They are willing to enfranchise the negro
but not tosdisfranchise themselves. Our
pious friends are right. The scripture does
not require them to love the neighbors
(the negre) better than themselves.
ExPEDIENcY OF NEGRO SUFFRAGE.
History furnishes no example of a gov
eminent under which all the adult male
inhabitants exercise the right OF suffrage
The adult male inhabitants will number
about one-fifth of the population Yet in
the Athenian Republic, in the year 444 B
c., there were only $4,000 voters out of an
entire population OF 100000! Pericle !
struck off 5000 from their list. of qualified
citizens, and thus, at the most splendid pc
riod of Athenian history, the Athenian
Republic permitted only one in euery forty
of her population to vote -'--.- -
Sparta was still less Democratic. In 369
b. C:the number of Spartan voters was
only 10000, while those excluded from po-
litical power numbered 16 600, exclusive OF
women, children and slaves. In the year
SO B. G. the Roman citizens numbered only
463,000. Thus Rome allowed onlg one IN
euery fifty of her Inhabitants to cote! In
England to- day the number of voters is
comparatively small. Only one in euery tauentp
Of her Inhabitants exercises the right of suf-
frage! Every government, ancient and
modern, has dispensed the right of suf-
frage with prudent hand.
The American Republic stands solitary
example of truly Democratic government,
in which all the adult white males of the
Confederation exercise the right of suf-
frage. / think this right has been extend
ed as far as the dictates of prudence will
warrant-as far as the existence of the Re-
public will permit. The proposed amend
ment, which would admit another and an
inferior race to the ballot-box, is fraught
with untold dangers to the Republic. In
Rome, as we have seen, the right of SUI
frage was confined to a privileged class
known as the Pom8ria. But Caracalla,
instiSated by avarice, extended the right
of citizenship to all the free men of the
Roman Empire in order that the property
of those "Romans of yesterday might be
subject to all the burdens of taxation The
newly enfranchised rabble assembled in
enormous masses within the walls of Rome.
Corruption and bribery prevailed to a
shameful extent. The worthless dema-
10 Sli ho
sufrages of the mob, while patriots and
statesmen were neglected and their counsel
unheeded. Good, virtuous citizens with
drew in disgust from the contest. This in
novation produced anarchy and confusion;
precipitated the downfall and caused the
rain OF the Roman Commonwealth. Amer
/ loan citizens, if you would avoid such con-
sequences, you must shun the cause. Now.
in the pride of power, you may smile at the
warning. -s- t.t.L. ..f1l-'-.a}
The naughty Roman leading captive
kings to grace his triumphal procession on
the Appian way, would scorn to admit the
Z possibility of Rome's dissolution. Yet
/ Rome, victorious over every foe, was con-
j quered by her own strength. Romans des-
troyed Rome. The horse of the Bardanan
was stabbed in the capitol. The captors
were led captive, because they were un-
worthy to be free, because vice and igno-
rance usurped the positions of virtue and
wisdom. D.. ss..- ~ ..s...
IMMIGRATION.
5 am opposed to negro suffrage because
we thereby hold out premium to the me-
groes of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ken
lucky and Pennsylvania to immi2rate and
settle in Ohio. They are not desirable
population. They are not thrifty; they do
not acquire property and hence add moth
ing to the industry and wealth OF the State.
A negro, with the precarious support
which he may derive from his neighbor's
hen roosts, can live upon one-half of that
which white man requires for his support.
: Hence the negro can afford to work for