Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1867-12-13

Ahts-S of tle CDuslftAtIDu c1n bc bso1EN
Professionally, to serve temporary purpose,
and in a Part only Of the coantry, sc can
destroy them every where and for all time.
\ Arbitrary measures often change, but they
generally change for the worse. 1t 10 the
curse Of despo;isn tha, it has no hating
I place. Iniermiltent exercise Of is Poser
| brIngs no sense o. sec1riiy - is subjects ;
! for they can never know what more they VI
be called TO endure when is red right Eanf
is armed to plague them again nor Is II pos
| sible TO conjecture how OF wien power Gn-
restrained By law may seeA its next victims
States that are still free raay be enslaved al
any moment. for, il the Consultation does
not protect all, it protects nome
II is rnanifestly and avoweily the object
OF these laws TO confer upon the negroes the
privilege Of voting, and u disfranchise such
number Of wLsie citizens "a viii give the
former a clear ma JorItv at all the elections
in the Southern States Iais, TO the minds
of some persons, Is - important that vio-
! iation Of the Constitution Is justified as .
means Of bringing II about The morality
il always false which excuses wrong be-
Cause II proposes To accou. p.isa . desirable
end We are nut permitted 70 do esii that
good may come. But. IL this case, tie end
Is it-elf evil, as vel as the neans- The sub
juga'ion of state. 20 negro domination w0sid
be worse than the mil.t ~ desPotism under
which ;hey are now suffering. 1t was be-
lieved beforehand that the people would en-
dare any amount Of military oppression for
any length Of time, rather than degrade
themselves By subsection TO the negro race !:
therefore they haze been left without choice
- - e
Congress, and military officers we're eoG.-
manded to saperintend the process Of cloth
ing the negro race xIh tie political priyi-
leges Of the white men. The blacks IL tie
South are entitled 70 be hananely governed.
and TO have the protection Of just laws for
all their rights Of person and property. II
j: we're practicable a, this time 10 give them
a government exclusively their o~n, under
which ihey nigh: manage their own affairs
in their own war, il would become a grave
question whether We ought 70 do so, or
whether humanity would not require Us 10
save them from themselves: bat, Un6er the
circumstances, this is only speculative
point. l, Is not proposed merely that they
shall govern themselves, bat that they shall
rule the white race, make and administer
State laws, elect Presidents and members Of
Congress, and shape. TO greater OF Iess ex-
tent, the future destiny Of the whole country.
Would such trus. and power De safe il
such hands? The peculiar qualities which
shocld characterize any people that are g.
to decide upon the management ct public
affairs for q great state have seldom been
combined. II il the glory Of white men 10
know that they had these qualities in suti-
cieui measure to build Up, on this continent
. great political fabric, and TO preser.e lis
stability for more than ninety years; while,
in every other part Of the world. all similar
experiments have failed But. if anything
can be proved by known fscts,-f all rea-
soniug upon evidence is not ABANDONED -;
must be Acknowledged that, in the progress
Of nations, the negroes hare shown less ca
pacity for government than any other raee
Of people. No independent government Of
any form has ever been successful in their
hands. On tie contrary, whenever they
have been left to their own devices. they
have shown . constant tendency to relapse
into barLarism- In the Southern States.
however, Congress has undertaken TO confer
upon them the privilege of the ballot. Just
released from slavery, it may be doubted
whether, IS class, they know, more than
their ancestors how 70 organize and regu>
late civil society. Indeed, il i admitted
that the blacks Of the South are not enlY r..
gardless of the rights IF property, but their
voting can consist in nothing more shan car
rying the ballot to the place where they are
directed to deposit il.
need not remind you that the exercise
OF the elective franchise is the highest at
tribute of sa American citizen aud that.
when guided by virtue. intelligence, pa;rios>
ism, and proper appreciation OF our free In
stituiions, it constitutes The trse basis of
democratic form of government, in which
the sovereign powsr Is lodged in the body Of
the people. A trust sr;ihcialy created, not
for its own sake, but solely As . means OF
promoting the general welfare, its influence
for good must necessarily depend upon the
elevated character and true allegiance Of the
elsctor. 1t ought, therefore, to b repossd
in none except those who are fitted morally
and mentally 10 administer It well; for, II
conferred upon persons Who do not Justly
estimate its value, and Who are Indifferent
as to its results, j; viii ouly serve As . means
of placing poxer in the hands Of the uzprin-
cipled and ambitious, and must erentuate in
the complete destruction Of liberty, Of which
it should be The most powerful consorva-
tor.
have, therefore, heretofore urged upon
your attention the great danger to be appre
hended from on nnsimely extension Of the
elective franchise to any nev class in our
country, and especially when large major
ity Of that class, in WELDING the power thus
placed in their hands, cannot be expected
corrsctly to comprehend the duties and re-
sponsibilities which pertain 10 suffrage.
Yesterday, as il vere, four millions Of per.
sons were held in . condition of slavery that
had existed tor generations. To-day. they
are freemen, aud are assumed BY Law 10 be
citizens. 1t cannot be presumed from the
previous condition Of s<rvitude, that, - .
class, they are as well informed as to the
nature OF our government as an intelligent
foreigner who makes our land his home b.
choice. In the case of the latter, neither a
residence Of i've years, and the knowledge
Of our institutions which it gives, nor an At
;achmens 10 the principles of the Constitu-
ton, are the only conditions upon which he
can be admitted to citizenship. He muss
prove. in addition, good moral character,
and thus give reasonable ground for the be-
lief that be will be faithful to the obligations
which be assumes as citizen Of the repub-
lS UntkS = pcofics toC eoukCC Va 02i tOaibiSoi
power. speak BY their suffrage, through the
instrumentality OF the ballot-box. 1t must
be carefully guarded against the control Of
those who are corrupt in principle and the
enemies Of free institutions for it can only
become to our political and social system
safe conductor Of healthy, popular sentiment,
when kept free from den.oralizing influences.
Controlled, through fraud and usurpation BY
designing men, anarchy and despotism must
inevitably follow. In the hands OF patriotic
aud worthy men our government viii be pre-
served upon the principles of the Constitu>
ton inherited from our fathers. II follows,
therefore, that, in admitting to the ballots
box . new class Of voters not qualified for
the exercise Of the elective franchise, we
weaken our system Of government, instead
Of adding to its strength and durability. !
yield to no one in attachment to that rule of
general suffrage which distinguishes our pol
icy ss a nation but there is limit, wisely
Observed hitherto, which makes the ballot
privilege and trust, aud which requires Of
some classes . time suitable for probation
and preparation. 70 give it indiscriminste-
ly to new class, wholly unprepared BY pre-
yious habits and opportunities to perform
the trust which it demands, is 70 degrade it,
and finally 10 destroy its power. For it may
be safely assumed that no political truth is
better established than that such indiscrim>
mate and all embracing extension Of popu-