The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-12-19
CHE Url(1une.
PKEIINIiE.

Probably there is no one Of the great
| evils Of the day which yield so readily to
| the influences Of intelligence and civiiza
| ton as prejudice. The man who judges
! shat which falls under his observation by
| the light Of discriminating thought, who
| .easoning powers Is rot governed bv
/ prejudice Ii he does wrong it is through
some weightier motive. But ignorance
| has no resistance to offer. no barrier to
inteGpose in the way of that subtle and
unreasonable prediction which prevents
the mind from arriving at just concIu-
slons and true estimates of passing
events In national affairs is this more
noticeable than elsewhere, for the reason
that the mighty questions which agitate
the greatest minds in the land are not
easily understood by the mass of man
kind who devote but little thought to
such matters And though the masses,
taken as whole, seek to do right, they
are often misled and induced to do wrong
by those who have personal ends in view;
and it is generally done by plausible rea-
soniug addressed to the prejudices. In
the history OF the world how many in
stances of this prejudgment might be
cited to show the blunders that nations
have committed And we do not have
to 90 beyond our own observation to find
such Illustrations England only short
time ago looked on this country with in
difference, which amounted at times
to contempt, and when Chas. Dickens
came to this country many years ago his
prejUdlces against us were 50 strong that
he could see nothing in right light, and
returning home he wrote anything but a
complimentary report concerning US, but
since then we have shown ourselves a
great people, and Dickens, willing to
undo any wrong committed, is now doing
what he can 10 give his countrynen cor
rect views of America. 1t is to be hoped
their eyes viii be opened to the fact-if
they are not alfeady-that this country
can exist let them do what they may
But we stray from the point which we
wish to make.
The American people have had ques-
ton submitted to them for their decision
which they have dealt with in a remark
able manner That question is Negro
Suffrage Recognizing the rights of
every man te participate in the govern
lnent OF free America there was at first a
large majority cast in favor of the black
man $ exercising lis RIGHT i'll the South,
but afterward when asked to bestow the
same II 2ht ut the North, certain persons
stepped III and working on the prcjUdices
Of the ignorant persuaded a sufficient
number to oppose the measure to cause
/ It's defeat What could be more inf;-
nous than for people 10 say it will do
for you but zee can't endure it. Now
what is it that our people object to? The
b3och man voting It i said that if the
negro votes We admit him 10 social equal
/ ity As well nigh. We say If we allow
| the negro 10 eat We must allow hiul to
.aarfy into eur families New who viii
| deny the nee~o feed ii he works and
earns 1t. Certainly the blacks fought,
and hravely too, for citizenship, and why
| hou!;i they lie denied 1t? We are en-
! ;oyinga good government which they bjed
20 maintain and shall they have no voice
IN that government? You say they G"e
! ignoraut well DO you exclude TIE ignor-
ant from voting at the North? Give
the negroes Of the South the same op
| portun;tie5 which II ignorant whites OF
the North have and in five years the ne
! gioes would excel in the race for inteii-
gence. 1t is very seldom you find ne
I gro in our cities who cannot read and
write, can you say as much Of the white
race? Now we DO not believe the negro
| is any better, nor any worse than any
ether man, but we do claim he is a hu-
lian Icing iliitt -A.-.u.l>.,,. ~-,.--.4i pos
essing thoughts AMI ieciiHg Hike othei
nortai>, aud for sensible people to say Ii
= not as good as they, and shall not po
sess the same rights which others have
merely because they have white skin
is simply foolish and wicked, and no ma
iion under heavens can flourish that toicr
ltes such gross mi stice merely through
ignorance, which is 5ne father of preju
lice