The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-10-03
. MANHOOD SUFFRAGE. b

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y . MANHOOD SUFFRAGE.r rs
Speech cf a Distinguished Ger
man Democrat. %a3 2ti
A proposition to, embody an i'm
partial suffrage clause in the Consti-
tuition of New York was pending in
the Convention a few days ago,
when a general debate ensued2 Mr..
Gross. the distinguished editor Of
| the Stats Zeitung, the German
Dem ocratic organ of New York.
got. the. floor, and made a speech
which rather perplexed some of his
colleagues, We quote :rfa. =
e SPEECH OF MR.. GROSS.
After the eloquent and lengthy
remarks which it has been my good
fortune to listen to during a full
weeks discussion OF the pending
question, I should have deemed ii
superfiuous to add a word of my
own, if it were not for the fact that
/ findmy views on the subject, to a
certain extent, at varirnce with those
advanced by gentlemen Of either
side Of the house. Under such cir
cumstances, it becomes a kind of
duty that / should define my posi-
ton. The moment emancipation
became a settled fact by the incor-
I o alton of the Emancipation clause
into the Constitution Of the land, /
was satisfied in my own mind that
political rights and full citizenship
for the freedmen must follow sooner
or later.
I readily admit that in certain
States, this claim of new born cit
zens of the United States has under
a certain aspect its alarming fea-
lures; as it involves "a more, or less
thorough revolution Of the-political
and social state Of the eommdnitp,
and works greatly to the disadvan-
tage Of the heretofore ruling classes
of whites. If such unweIcome
changes are among The fruits and
consequences Of treason and rebel
lion, Whois to blame for it ? Shall
miserable prejueiees carry Us SO
far as to deny justice to athe black
man, who has proved true and re-
NAMED faithful to the cause Of the
Union under the most trying cir
eumstances, while those boasting OF
a great and patriotic ancestry stand
convicted of. the crime or fell into
the criminal error of applying all
heir means. and power to destroy
the inheritance Of their futhers
Il Itmust be Remembered that the
institution of human slavery unfor-
tunately existing in this country,
and at best to be tolerated. only I'M
der a federal compact till otherwise
ordered ~ the Joint consent Of the
States, their representatives or the
people thereof, that this institution
Of human Slavery under the pres
sure of alluring material adyanta-
ges became more and more aggres-
sive every day, till it finally" dared
to commit high treason and to ar-
peel to the sword. After d desper-
ate four years struggle slavery
found itself routed, put to the sword
and finally, abolished. 1t is most
natural that its advocates and de-
tenders have now to accept the con-
sequences Of their crime, folly Or
error. twill not. do for them, nor
for us, to try to obliterate from
man $ memory or from the pages OF
history, the record of'the events OF
the last six or seven years, and to
fall back upon the record made by
their fathers. They have written
in blood their own record and must
be content to be judged by it. It
is the most unpropitious and con
ceited.position man can take. ii
they sendeayorto cover and .hiderthe
momentuous present by an everlast-
ing recurrence to glorious past,
This endeavor does not only place
him in the wrong in the eyes Of the
people, who have sacrificed so much
for the maintenance of the Union
it does not only cost them respect
Of progressive civilized age Tin
which they live, but it. makes them
.poWerless to alleviate and mitigate
for the defeat and subdued the cruel
consequences of the rebellion and
war. However much we may hesi-
tt t. OF resist to acknowledge the
oycrpo Nering influence of the events
OF, the, last decede on the future
laws and destiny of, the republic, it
viii nevertheless prove true that
they, will date much more from the
surrender Of Appomattox, than
from that Of Yorktown or the battle
Of New Orleans. {! The stubborn re
fusal by some of our leading men
to read the signs Of the times, to
understand the temper Of the peo
Eple, and to assume a position at
once to be followed by9a return of
the confidence Of the people in their
counsels is. the, main cause, that
more moderate views and. a more
sforgiving policy did not obtain ain
our national councils. - = 3
After giving his reasons for not
being an enthusiastic Eadmlrer OF
the black man, he proceeded to ar
que that there were no. reasons for
denying him equal political rights.
He continued: .
I do not .apprUhend any danger
for the new Constitution if the ne
gro suffrage clause is incorporated
in it, nor do see any harm in a
seperate submission. Gentlemen on
one side may as well assent IS not,
without fear Of injury or loss to a
Eseperate submission, while the gen
tlemen on the other side will do
wen to, beware Of the false step of
making it the decisive issue. Par