The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-06-27
CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK.
For the Pioneer
The Constitution as 1t Is VS., The
Constitutional Amendment.

For the Pioneerl
The Constitution as 1t Is vs., The
Constitutional Amendment.
We take it for granted that the
readers of the Pioneer are all tami-
liar with the language Of the pro-
posed amendment to our State Con-
stitution. Being aware that there
are several supposed serious ohjec-
Etions to its adoption, we propose,
in this, and perhaps several succeed
ing articles, to endeavor to discuss
the merits of these objections upon
the one hand, and to offer a few
reasons in favor Of the amendment
upon the other.
The first and chief objection urged
against this amendment is, that it
will force the negroes upon a social
equality with white men.
Now, though we feel confident
that this objection would be held
bad on general demurrer by all sen
sible and magnanimous men, we will
not dispose of it in so summary a
manner For argument sake, we
will admit it's truth and answer it
accordingly.
tt giving the negro the elective
franchise. will place him upon a So
cial equality with the whites, it must
do so either by the elevation of the
negro, or by the degradation of the
whites. That it will do SO by the
degradation Of the whites, we be-
lieve has never been claimed by any
respectable opponent of the amend
ment II at all, then, it must bring
Eabout this, by some much dreaded
catastrophe, the elevation of the
negro as claimed by the opponents
of the measure And if this is to be
really so, is the result to be depre-
Gated Three or four millions of
those negroes are among US, and
that: for keeps. There seems to be
no practical mode Of getting rid OF
their personal presence, or of re
turning them to bondage, as many
short:sf9hted men would like to do.
Will it not, then, be most desire
stDlG stCIllGNCIhS SNCh IL Oul l pun e
ly selfish point of view, to get rid OF
i all that is Objectionable in them, by
/ doing anything that will truly ele-
4 vate them to our own mental, NOR
al, and social standing.
;. When this shall be fairly accom-
plished, even Demo- ocrats will be
| estopped from further OBJECTION to the
negro, because they have always
based their objections to him, solely
upon his supposed mental inferiority
/ Though some mayn not have sense
enough to perceive it, surely every
/, citizen of. Republic is interested
; in, and benefited by the elevation
4 of the humblest and meanest indi
vidual Of his Government, since il
is self-evident that such Govern
ment can only be prosperous and
happy, in proportion to the average
intelligence and virtue of its people
Then if the negroes Of this Repub-
lie are so far inferior to the whites
, in the qualities necessary to make
good citizens, as they are claimed to
| be, by the opponents Of this amend
f ment. how vastly will the average
: of Intelligence and virtue Of this
whole people be raised, when, by
any means, these negroes are eleva
, ted to the lofty mental, moral and
social standard Of modern Demo
| cracy.
f Three or four millions of these ne
, groes, just as they now are, for bet
t ter or for worse, and with no faul
; of theirs, constitute q card that we
the twenty or thirty millions o
whites, of this Government, nov
| hold in our hands and have got tC
A play. And how shall we play it
: Because some may regard them a.
I constituting but small trump, shall
a we throw them away, or perhap
Y sacrificed one whole hand; or shall
t we give him chance, play him tt
J, the very best advantage and take
n. trick, and even make ponit witt
4 him, if we can?
Becauee he is weak and ignorant
t in consequence Of protracted abuse
r Or even from natural defects, if yo1
o please, shall we, who profess to b
S enlightened and magnanimous, stil
s hold him down? While compelling
: him to share all the burdens Of
G citizen, shall we meanly deprive hir
r of the privileges and honors of tn
e same; or shall we do him the sim
/ pie Justice of taking from him a
l. the clogs we have placed upon hin
! and of giving him fair chance t
o develope what manhood God la
y given him, be the same more or less
:, He asks no advantages or com
y pensation for his past abuse, br
only the simple justice Of fair an
+ . equal chance from this time fov
, ard, to do the best he can for hin
=, self, But is it said that we are nc
# fairly meeting the real objection t
70 negro suffrage, which is this, viz
IL Placing the elective FRANCHISE in tt
,r hands of the negro will force bi1
20 upon a social equality with tt
g, whites, without adding anything
n his mental or moral capacity.
o. We fear the party opposed to Il
,e amendment, judge that possessic
at of the BALLOT will do nothing towal
Id the mental or moral Improvement
n the negro from too exclusive o
" servation of it's effect, or want of {
I'd feet upon the mass Of it's own mel
n bers, who, we admit, seem to gro
bt no wiser or better, from the CONT
ual possession and exercise of th
,r incentive, which, it would seel
st should force alittle manho cd out