The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-12-04

the negroes have shown less capacity
for government than any other race
of people. No independent Govern
ment of any form has ever been sue
cessful in their hands. On the con-
trary, wherever they have been left TO
their own devices they have shown3al
constant tendency to relapse into bars
barism. In the Southern States, !
however, Congress has undertaken to
confer upon them the privileges of the
ballot. just released from slavery.
it may be doubted whether, as a class,
they know more than their ancestors
how to organize and regulate civilss
ciety. Indeed, it is admitted that the
blacks of the South are not only re
CARELESS of rights of property, but
their voting can consist In nothing
more than carrying d ballot to the
place where they are directed TO de-
post it. [ need notremind you that the
exercise of the elective franchise is the
highest attribute Of an American citi-
zen, and that, When guided By virtue.
intelligence, PATRIOTISM, and proper
appreciation Of our free institutions,
it constitutes the true basis Of
democratic form of government, IN
which the sovereign power is lodged
in the body of the people. A trust
artifcially created, not for It's own
sake, but solely as means Of pro-
noting the general welfare, its inhu-
ence for good must necessarily de-
pend upon the elevated characters and
true allegiance of the elector 1t
ought, therefore, to b. reposed in
none except those who are fitted NOR
ally and mentally to administer a it
well. For if conferred upon persons 4
who do not justly estimate its value,
and who are Indifferent to its results,
it will only serve. as a means of
placing power In the hands OF the
unprincipled and mbitious, and must
eventuate in the complete destruction
of that liberty of which it should be
the most powerful CONSERVATION.
[ have therefore heretofore urged
upon your attention the greats danger
to be apprehended from an untimely
extension of the elective franchise to
any new class In our country, especial
~ when a majority of that class in
welding the powers thus placed ia
their hands, cannot be expected cor
rectly to comprehend. the duties and
responsibilities which pertain to SUI
frage. Yesterday, as it were, four
millions Of persons were held in a
condition of slavery that had existed
for generations To-day they are
freemen, and are assumed by law to be
scitizens. 1t cannot be presumed
from the previous condition Of
servitude, that as a class they are
as we'll Informed as to our
Government as INTELLIGENT foreign
ers, who make our land the home of
their choice. In case Of the latter. nei-
Their a residence of five years, and the
know ledge Of our institutions which
at gives, nor attachment in the prin-
ciples of the Constitution, are the
only conditions upon which he can be
admitted to- citizenship he must
prove, IN addition, a good moral char
acter, and thus give reasonable ground
for belief that he will be faithful to
the obligations which he assumes as
a citizen of a, Republic, where the
people, the source of all political pow
er, speak by their SURFACES through
instrumentality of the ballot box. 1t
must be carefully guarded against the
control of those who are corrupt III
principle and enemies-of free institu-
tons, for it can only become to our
political and. social SYSTEMIC. safe con
ductor of healthy popular sentiment,
when kept free from demoralizing in
fuences controlled through fraud.
y Usurpation,l by designing anarchy
land despOtism, must inevitab Y fol-
low. In the hands Of patriotic and
worthy citizens our Government will
be preserved upon the principles Of
the Constitution inherited from our
fathers. 1t follows, therefore, that In
admitting to the ballot new class Of
voters not qualified for the exercise of
the elective franchise, we weaken our
system Of government instead Of add
ing to its strength and durability. I
yield to no one in attachment to the
rule of general suffrage, which dis
tlngulshes or policy as a nation, but
there Is a limit, wisely observed
hitherto, which makes the ballot
privilege and trust, and which re-
qulres OF some classes time suita bic
Tor probation and preparation. To
give it indiscriminately to new class
wholly unprepared by previous habits
and s opportunities to perform the
trust which it demands, is to de-
grade it, and finally to destroy
It's power For it may be safely
assumed, that no political truth Is
better established than that such in
discriminate and all embracing exten-
sion of popular suffrage must end at
last in its overthrow and destruction.
[ repeat the expression of my willing
ness to join in any plan within the |
scope of our constitutional authority, |
which promises to better the condi- !