The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1867-10-03
The Constitutional Amendment.
BY PlIIDELTA.


The negro should be enfranchised In Ohio and
wherever other men have no other bars than
color against suffrage. Justice demands it. In
tcligent, brave and free men should not insult
justice whatever poor opinion they NAV have of
the negro. Justice is not degraded though it be
color-biiad. Justice is lifted as high as Heaven
above prejudice. The hvors of Justice arc dis
tributye. just men sNOull not fear to do rgAt;
they should not slay justice for the sake Of eXpe
diency. lit is just t. reward tbs patriotic white
man so 1t is TO reward the patriotic black man.
Ifit is just and safe TO put the ballot in the hands
of an ignorant white man or foreigner it is tue
same to put it in the hands of the ignorant black
Americans The rules ofjustiee are as rigid as
the rules Of war--they should not re,pcc. persons
Justice, in the case Of negro sulItag3 needs no
arguments It's quality Is not strained; it invales
no exclusive rights Of white men; il Is simply
aud easily unlerstoodi il is the frat and natural
presumption in favor OF the Constitutional
Amendment Who can deny it. viii God
scourgc this nation for an act of justice?
We should not fear the just and simple tendcn-
cies of repuhicauiSn. Europe viii laugh us 10
scorn in that we put the ballot IN the hands Of
immigrants fresh from European schools of dcs.
polsn and deny IL TO Amcrican-bOrn citizens
Our government is mans government based on
manhood. Shall we fear the tendency of our
theory to give to rreiy man the bnlOt2 Let all
our theories of cntiOnchlsement involve consid-
erations OF justice and manhood Are we afraid
of pure Democracy2 or is the opposition to the
Amendment a remnant of Southern aristocracy?
You resist the tendencies of Republicanism to
mnnhOod-Suifrage and cireumscriOe the ballot
aud you at the same time virtually declare that
the civil rights which Jou enjoy are mere acci-
dents. And you are sowing the seeds of fntura
insurrection. Despotism keeps many things still
by force; but in land half free disturbances are
inevitable until the other half is free also. Re-
pRJtics cannot bear contrasts Of the cirL rights Of
men. ..H
Bv the Constitutional Amendment vexatious
question III be set at rest. The best way to
avoid vexation is to do right; we have no right
to avoid 1t in any other way. We have tried the
opposite method to our sorrow In the case of
slavery The negro is raised to undue lnpor-
tance by the very efforts of men to crush him.
So far as the famous argument respecting negro
equality" is concerned, the cunning politician
knows that after the Constitution is amended the
negro will sink (fndeed he has been exalted by
"AbotiOnists') to bis proper level. Individuals
among them will rise by their own eXcrtions
lust as they do among white men. Admit for
sake of argument that they are as q race-Jy Ra-
ture inferior to white men then we need not fear
them--we may just enIIanclise them--for mag
unanimous republic will give the weok the means
of prOtectiOn-and thus set the matter at
rest But suppose (only SUPPOSE they are sape-
rior; then you have another horn to the dilemma
take whichever you please we white folks are in
an awkward position.
Other md more important measures than nc
gro-suifrage demand attention. We have work
to do---f we do simple Justice first We can do the
hard work with hearty will. The fact is we
may as well do now what must he done sooner
or later and reorganize parties for the develope-
ment OF our country. The most bitter opponent
to the Amendment (bitter because of the animos-
tiles of the present day. may see in less thon five
years large majority of the negroes on the same
side with him on some tavorlte question. Ger
tain dCmagogues appeal to the ldboTiHg men, as
class, respecting the amendment. Are not the
negroes en- masse laborlng men9 Are they not
interested in moderate taxation--since there Is
so much talk about taxation. Do YOU suppose
that several hundred thousand negroes will ever
vote TO pay their late masters for the loss OF their
black bodies and the coorless souls within them
millions on millions of dollars taxing the very air
that white laborers and black laborers breatheS
Manhood suffrage is the smplist theory of pure
and honest Democracy. We should favor the
amendment in order that we may simplify as
much as possible our form of government. Let
it be so that he who runs may read aud under
stand. This Is not question to which "const-
tutlona" arguments can be appled--it is to
amend The constitution in accordance with the
spirit Of Democracy and the plainest justice. 1t
Is n simple question about which th0re can be
raised no legal fog. The people propose In le-
gitimate way to change the constitution, There
Is no call for legal argument There is even no
occasion for an appeal to our federal 'Jdthers."
Those fathers could not scan the entire future
Their wisdom was not adequate for all ages. If
those fathers could have ioreseen they might
have prevented secession or the attempt In 1861.
Each generation is expected to improve in the
wisdom which Its circumstances require. The
most important results Of political wisdom are
those which simplify government. Now is our
opportunity. Every honest humble man in the
land now has the opportunity to legaizea SELF
protecting neilal-nothing more nor less than
simple manhood suffrage. Do not be duped by
denmgogues; IL is TO Your interest to have this
pIincipal clearly and dUthoyiitdiDey asserted. 1t
II is not violent radical princpal-lt is II simply
natural principle. f.G
This is not the white mans government In the
sense in which this is asserted. There is no
doubt that white men will always control It,