North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1867-11-27
negro Ideas Of onss eli a,fsnaf Free xSm

Negro Ideas OF c Const hltfonaf free dom.
The American people are seeing dis
play of negro ideas of government, that en-
joys every advantage of time and place.
The Alabama Military Negro Reconstruc-
ton Convention is in session, and African
craftsmanship is devisinga State Govern
ment. Full reports of proceedings are pub
lished, and descriptions given of the per-
sons who are framing consultation and
laws for an American commonwealth
Many Of the members cannot sign their
names, but make, in lieu of signstures,
rude limitations of the cross-tree from
which "John Browns body hung dangling
in the air." Ignorance and maIignity are
the main inspiration of the constitution ma
kers. The principal feature of the insti-
tuition they propose to frame for Alabama
is the disfranchisement of white men,
Other grave topics are neglected for this.
Black and tan. wisdom finds this remedy .
panacea for all wrongs, the main pillar Of
free State. .-t. 49,. 800.
How to render d;sfranchisement most
sweeping and complete, :s,hs only enigms
that negro cunning seems to be trying to
solve. Indictment, trial and conviction
for infamous crimes are recognized by all
human laws, as a fact that should disoual-
ify men for exercising the right Of suf.
frage. Il never was the policy Of any gov
ernment to confde the governing power to
diverse races, and, as this is white man's
government, it has been the wise usage Of
our people to confine suffrage to the race
that forms majority of the whole people.
But this, the confirmed wisdom Of ages,
and the established policy of our people,
possesses no charms for the negro mind
that is laying fundamental law for State.
The Alabama negroes have views of their
own. They propose to establish quali6ca-
tions for suffrage that are original and
anomalous. The proposition has already
appeared in our dispatches, and the press
of the country has made it the subject of
extensive comments. They are to enact
that every person who neglects to vote on
the constitution that they are framing shall
never be allowed to vote hereafter. That
is negro craftsmanship, and negro ideas Of
constitutional freedom. -. ...
We do not recollect rightly whether un-
der the military reconstruction acts, the
re-admission Of the outside States to the
Union depends upon the approval of their
constitutions by Congress Bnt we have
recently heard great deal about the duty
Of Congress to guarantee republican forms
Of government to the States. We have
wondered whether the radical Congress
would regard as republican in form, .
State government which DISTINGUISHES, for
all the future, individuals who do not 20 to
elections and vote. Is staying away from
the polls crime to be punished without
trial or conviction? Would Alabama be
State in the Union, equal in power and
dignity to other States, if men were dis
qualir for voting hereafter, because they
neglect to vote at any particular election7
Should q Minnesota Republican, who
would mot vote on negro suffrage at the
recent election, be deprived of the right at
the next election? That, however, is the
negro theory in Alabama, and we may look
for some such ingredient in all the consti-.
tutions framed by negro stupidity and hate
at the South.-St. Paul Pioneer.