The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-07-05

ancestors. We are nation oil Ia
borers and defendants of slaves A
few pages back in our history tells
us, that not the rich and well born,
but the poor and oppressed, sought
the shores of America. And few
pages more bring us to the period
when our ancestors wore iron Rugs
about their necks and worked as
slaves, under the scourge OF a mas
ter. 1t is TO our honor that We came
up from such degradation, and it IS
not for US TO dim our glory as peo-
pie by forgetting the past and turn
ing heartless oppressors now that we
have 4 miserable class in turn to
trample upon.
/ will not say that Democrats have
forgotten these facts, for / doubt
whether they ever knew them. Their
severest term of reproach is TO call
US Jacobins, and they do not know
that this refers to war between op-
pressors and oppressed Of thirteen
centuries that eliminated at last in a
triumph of the oppressed, and that
the victorious Democrat of that day
was the Jaeobin so heartily abused in
this.
SOCIAL EQUALITY.
But the cry that browns out all the
others is that of social equality. We
are charged with an attempt to put
the negroes on a footing of social
equality with the sensitive, refined
and superior Anglo-Saxon race. 1t
is a grevious charge 1t pains us
beyond measure to think we should
be open to such an imputation. Our
principle difficulty is to know pre-
cisely what it meant. The laws gov
erning social intercourse are self-en-
acted, and lie outside any other in
huence. | make others my associ-
ate and companion if / find such 9TH
er agreeable, and in turn am subject
TO the same Influence All the be
it enacteds' ever crowded into stat
ute book could not force Mrs. Jones
to call on and associate with Mrs.
Muggins unless Mrs Jones was so
disposed, and then she had got the
consent OF Mrs. Muggins. 'Old
Hickory who made nearly all OBJ
stacles bend before him, broke down
ignominiously when he attempted to
force certain lady on the social re-
cognition of the families of his cabi-
net and Louis Napoleon, at the head
of the heaviest despotism of Europe,
backed up by q million OF bayonets,
can not make the mobiles of France
associate with him. And yet we
are told that if our Constitution is
so amended as to admit negroes TO
the polls. we will be forced TO eat
with negroes, drink with negroes,
and sleep with negroes in word,
that political equality means social
equality. How absurd.
Let me give you familiar exam
pie Mr.. George II. Pendleton is a
gentleman OF high social culture and
refinement He has arrived at the
proud eminence Of being considered
the one gentleman OF the Democrat
ic party. Well. | learn from the
press that he resides in a palace, call
ed the Bowler mansion, and is sur
rounded by all the elegancies Of mod
ern, social refinement.
Now, when Mr.. Pendleton gives
an entertainment, does he, like the
man in the parable, 90 out into the
highways and by ways of the Thir-
teenth Ward and fetch in the Irish
patriotic citizens he probably address
ell the day before? Certainly not.
My friend George, and | am proud
TO call him my friend, would lie just
" astOnished were the ragged paddy
whack voters. his political equals,
to invade his lawn, and pour in at his
door To claim Il social recognition
Nv honorable friend would properly
call in the police, and Iorcihly eject
the Irish equality
We are told that if We repeal a
certain constitutional law. the ne
SiVes viii a.Hna,-te with us. Let us
look at this for moment. IL means
that unless restrained by law tie ne
grOes will be our associates. Not
that We will associate with the ne
groes. We are the superior race,
and hold the vantage ground: we
need no law 10 restrain us The
cry means this, if it means anything.
Well, when it comes to that, | want
each fellow to speak for himself.
We OF the Union organization shield
ourselves nader the law OF God, that
makes the distinction between the ra-
ces and are so well educated and re-
fined, we feel no danger and ask for
no statutory protection. flour Dem
ocratic brethren, however, find them
selves differently situated, and feel
that they are in danger of negroes
,associating with them, why, we will
pass a law prohibiting the negroes,
under heavy penalties, To- SO encroach
on the poor Democrats. / believe
this fear to be real. It has been
working on our friends for years. l
am told that in your town, here 8
well-worn banner appears in every
Democratic procession, waving about
the heads of wagon load of girls
which reads Our fathers will protect
us from negro husbands Now. this
means the negroes are permitted to
vote they will go about marrying all
the little Democratic girls in the
country This would be terrible
state of affairs, and calls loudly for
prevention.
We can not very well retain the
word white in the Constitution, for
that, after all, is only an indirect way
of meeting the evil. / tell you what
we will do, we will pass law pro-
hibiting the negroes associating with
Democrats and marrying Democratic
girls. Let any man, or any set of
men, who feel their danger, let my
worth friend, for example, the editor
OF the Democratic organ in this coun-
ty, who, Judging from bis editorials,
is in periious condition, sit down and
address petition TO the next Legis-
lature, setting forth that he is in
danger from negroes associating with
him, or that some negro woman
threaters him with an elopement, and
ask tor protection, and pledge him
my word of honor we will pass law
prohibiting the negroes from associ-
ating or eloping with him. If Our
Democratic friends will admit that
they are so sunk in the scale of So
cial refinement, or that the negro