The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-07-04
ilege which part only now enjoy

I1AuSh AScS AihSopCA<AOANa EoDJSNGVA.
Under the constitution as it, now iss,
persons having fifty one per cent. OF
Caucasian blood are electors, while
those having forty-nine per cent,
being only two per cent. less, are
disfranchisetl, Can this insignificant,
difference in blood afford any Just
ground for the invidious distinction
made :? Or can the extension of
suffrage now enjoyed by the African
of fifty one per cent. to the African
of fortynine per cent, be regarded
as revolutionary innovation2 No.
The principle Of African suffrage
being thus established by constitu-
tional law and immediate usage,
its impartial extension to the whole
race is therefore, neither an innova-
ton of principle, nor degradation in
practice. Does any other just rea.
son exist then why the same enffan-
chisement conceded to. and enjoyed
by, the African of half blood, under
the existing constitution, shall not
be conceded to, and enjoyed by, the
African of whole blood, as propos-
ed by the Amendment Two only
are seriously urged--the tendency
of impartial suffrage to miscegena-
ton, and the inferiorty Of the race.
The first is stale, fiat and unpro-
fitable. For half a century it was
employed by the power Of slavery,
which was itself a system of univer-
sal concubinage, against the inter
ests and progress of freedom, rs it
is-now employed against the efforts
for extending acknowledgement 1t
was the impudent assumption ofthe
Devil preaching Righteousness. If
l were disposed to treat the assump-
ton with the dignity of respectful
consideration, / can discover much
stronger motives for miscegenation,
under the existing Democratic Con
stitution, which confers distinctive
privileges on those only of mixed
blood, than could possibly exist if
these privileges were impartially
enjoyed by all. But l have too ex-
alted an opinion Of my own race to
believe its taste can be corrupted, of
justice to unfortunate people; and
who utters the sentiment libels his
mother and slanders his kindred
May / never so far forget my sense
of dignity, and the feeling Of respect
due to my countrymen, rs to think
it necessary to defend them against
so disgusting an imputations Let
him who utters it belive it., / will
not. The domestic history of the
two races in Ohio, the judicial sta
tistics of the State, the candor of
intelligent observation, and truth,
alike refute the calumhy. ~.
But the great argument against
impartial suffrage is inferiority of
race This is the Alpha and Omega
Of the opposition. In it all reason,
ing on the subject has its beginning
and its end. Physiology, ethnolo-
gy, and theology are exhausted with
learned essays in it's demonstration
But conceding the inferiority Of
the African to the Caucasian what
then? II, 11otwithstandin, he have
the rights of man to protect, the OBJ
legations of the citizen to perform,
the burdens of citizenship to bear
if, in point of MANHOOD. he's not too
inferior to be the subject of govern
ment and law, as man, is not the
very fact of his inferiority most
powerful and convincing reason
for arming him with the ballot, that
he may defend himself against un-
just government and tyrannical
laws: What is the purpore of pop
ular suffrage but that the weak may
protect themselves against the
strong, the feeble defend their rights
and persons and liberties against the
injustice of the powerful? If this
be not its purpose, then suffrage is
an empty privilege, burdensome
rather than beneficial, and the theo
ry of popular government cheat
and a delusion ir, a,... =.
For ages the plea of interiority
held the masses of mankind i'm the
grasp of oppression, and subjected
them to the denomination of supe-
rior caste and nobler blood. Pa
trician and plebean, Bourbon and
sansculotte, Cavalier and ROundhead
were the inexorable distinctions
maintained by the arrogance Of no
hility and the divine right of Kings.
But the justice of Heaven, did not
sleep always. Imparting energy to
the resolution of despair, manhood
burst its fetters, and asserted the
immortal sentiment, that to secure
the equal and inalienable rights with
which all men by nature are endOw-
ed, governments are instituted
among them, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the gov
erned. ..-... - y
In defense OF this principle in
which our own liberties are anchor
ed, the sword of Bunker Hill was
drawn, and the equal dignity ofmat-
hood vindicated alike by the blood
of the Pilgrim and the Hugenot.1.-
Nor was it sheathed until the recog
milton was wrung from reluctant and
discomfitted tyranny, and the doc
trines of divine right and HEREDITARY
superiority which had justified the
hoary oppression of centuries, were
utterly exploded. =
Concede, then, that the African is
the feebler race-aye. inferior, il
you please; is his inferiority of such
degree as to place him below the
reach of this jnst principle thus as
serted by the authors of the Reyo-
lutien, and subject him to the abso-
lutte discretion and uncontrolled will
of his Caucasian superior! II he
were so far inferior as to be without
those attributes Of manhood, those
rights Of man, which are the subjects
of government and law, this might