The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-12-12

States is not to be perpetual. 1t is true
this military government is to be only
provisional, but it is through this tenn
porary evil that greater evil is to be
made perpetual If the guarantees Of
Constitution can be broken Professionally
to serve temporary purpose, aud in
part only Of the country, we can destroy
them everywhere, and for all time. Ar
bitrary measures often change, but they
generally change for the worse.
1t is the curse of despotism that it
has no hating place. The intermitted
exercise of its power brings no sense OF
security 70 its subjects, for they can
never know what more they will be call
ed upon to endure when its red right
hand is armed to plague them again.
Nor is it possible to conjecture how or
where power unrestrained by law may
seek its next victims. The States that
are still free may be enslaved at any mo.
ment, for if the constitution does not
protect all it protects none.
1t is manifestly and avowedly the OBJ
ject of these laws 70 confer upon negroes
the privilege Of voting, and to disiran-
chlse such number of white citizens
as will give the former clear majority
at all elections in Southern States. This
to the minds of some persons, is so i'm
portant, that violation of the Constitu
ton is justified as means Of bringing
it about. ...
The morality is always false which
excuses wrong because it proposes to
accomplish a desirable end. We are
not permitted to do evil that good may
come. But in this case the end itself
is evil as well as the means. The sub.
jugation of States to negro domination
would be worse than the military despo-
tism under which they are now suffering
1t was believed beforehand that the peo.
pie would endure any amount of military
oppression for any length of time, rath.
er than degrade themselves by subiec.
ton to the negro race. Therefore they
have been left without a choice.
Negro suffrage was established by act
of Congress, and the military officer.
were commanded to superinteni the pro
cess of clothing the negre race with po
litical privileges torn from white men.
The blacks of the South are entitled
to be we'll and humanely governed, anC
to have the protection of just laws fo
all their rights of person and property
If it were practicable at this time to Civ,
them a government exclusively thei
OWE, under which they. might manag
their own affairs in their own way, i
would become grave question whethe
we ought to do so, or whether common
humanity would not require us to saw
them from themselves.
But, under the circumstances, this i
only speculative point. 1t is not pro
posed merely that they shall govern
themselves, but that they shall rule tn
white race, make and administer Stat
laws, elect Presidents and members O
Congress, and shape, to a greater or les
extent, the future destiny of the Who'll
country. Would such trust and pow
er be safe in such hands? The peculia
qualities when should characterize an
people, who are fit to decide upon tn
management of public affairs for grea
State, have seldom been combined.
1t is the glory of white men to kno'
that they have had these qualities i
sufficient measure to build upon thi
continent a great political fabric, and t
preserve its stability for more than nine
ty years, while in every other part {
the world all similar experiments hav
failed. But if any can be proved b
known facts; if all reasoning upon ev
: dence is not abandoned, it must be a
! knowledged that in the progress of n;
tions negroes have shown less capacit
f for government than any other race {
, people. No independent governmel
of any form has ever been successful
their hands. On the contrary, where
er they have been left to their own d.
vices they have shown a constant ten
: dency to relapse into barbarism.
In the Southern States, however, Coz
, gress has undertaken to confer upC
! them the privilege of the ballot. Ju
t released from slavery, it may be doub
, ful whether, as a class, they know, mo
: than their ancestors, how to organi
t and regulate civil society. Indeed it
admitted that the blacks of the Sou
are not only regardless of the rights
7 property, but so utterly ignorant of pu
: lie affairs that their voting can consist
| nothing more than carrying ballot
: the place where they are directed
t deposit it. ,. ., ..
!, l need not remind you that the exc
| else of the elective franchise is t
/ highest attribute of an American ci
: zen, and that when guided by virtu
intelligence aud patriotism, and a prop