The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-07-04

nity oil his own labor ana enterprise
for Won guarantee to them the i'm
partial projections of judicial RENE
dies. Ii is not, then, in the nature
or the dignity of these rights that
his inferiority consists, for in re-
spect to them, and the measure of
protection and security to which
they are entitled, yo,i concede- him
TO he the equal OF all other men.
Does it consist in the nature of
his obligations as a member Of com
munityf In respect to these you
also regard him rs having the attri-
butes Of manhood. You enforce
against him the rigid performance
of his contracts; YOU exact from
him his equal share of public bur-
dens; YOU hold him equelly amena-
Bile to abe laws, and intiict upon him
the impartial penalties Of their vio-
lation you bind him by the ties of
allegiance, and punish his infdality
to the State as treason; you treat
him in respect to all these things as
one having rational, intelligent,
evusl manhood. 1t is not, then, in
the nature of his obligations as a
member of community that you re-
gard his inferiority as consisting.
But these rights arc the rights of
man-these obligations are the in
cidents of manhood. For the pro-
lection and enforcement of these,
and these only, government is insti-
tinted. 1t has no other purpose ::
these are the only subjects of its
powers. Does it not foflow then,
rs a logical sequence, that as the
African has, in equal degree with
NIL other men, the rights and obliga-
tions of rational manhood, for the
protectson and enforcemens of
whhichgovernment is instituted. he
ought to- have and exercise, in COM
mon with them, such measure of POI
litical power derived from luis con
sent, as will make them permanently
secure. This necessarily results
from the principle upon which pop
ular government is founded, and in
which our own liberties repose for
security, unless he is so inferior in
rational capacity as to render him
incapable of intelligent consent.
Can such defect of capabity be
Justly asserted of him If it can.
then the separation of the races and
colonization Of the African, consigns
to anarchy; for if he be not eapa-
BILE of intelligently exercising the
ordinary functions of citizenship in
conjunction with a superior race,
much less is he if cast upon his own
resources and his civil and political
condition in state Of separation
would therefore, be one ofindescrib-
able miseries, exposing him to the
cupidity of commercial adventurers
and the misfortunes Of his own in
capacity. Unless the theory of sep
aration be the suggestion of a bar
barous inhumanity, its advocates
must be satisfied Of his capacity for
self government, and the exercise of
political powers with sufficient intel
ligence to guarantee the protection
and security Of his rights. With
them, therefore, no controversy can
he had-no vindication of the ne
gro's capacity is necessary, for they
concede it.
That he is inadequate to those
higher efforts of genius and intel
lectuality of which the Caucasian is
capable, may be possible. But the
capacity Of genius is not the rule of
cnfranchisement. If suffrage were
restricted to those possessing extra
ordinary capabilities, not only the
African, but the great body of the
Caucasian race would be excluded.
A government conforming its prac
tice to such standard would con-
stitute an aristocracy of intellect,
highly Utopian in theory, yet no less
despotic and tyrannical than an ar
istocracy of wealth or birth. Oul
whole political system is at war with
a standard so practically unattain-
able. 1t rests upon the fundamental
and liberal idea that rational man
hood, however humble its endow-
ment, however incapable of reach,
ing the higher attainments Of states
manship, is the only practical stan
dard of restriction. The masses OF
mankind, although ungifted will
those powers which make men illus
trious, are nevertheless competent
totconstitute an ultimate tribunal, 8
grand inquest Of the nation, by
whose will selections from the gifted
are commissioned to exercise the
more delicate and difficult powers ot
state, and at the bar of whose judg
ment they are rightly required te
account for the manner in which
they discharge their high trust. Oh
this depends the security Of tn,
weak against the strong-of the fee
BILE against the powerful. This i
their bulwark, their only shield, tn
palladium of their safety.
Shall more stringent rule be ap
piled to the more gifted of the eau
casian race: what then? Does
follow that because he may not ri
val the efforts of genius, he canno
have the ordinary nationality o
manhood? That because he ma
not reach the first rank in statesman
ship, he cannot intelligently exercis
the ordinary functions of the citi
izcn ?-T That because he may not b
Caesar, he can be nothing9 If thi
standard were applied. to our ow
race, its electoral ranks would b
fearfully decimated. AS to it, how
ever, the ordinary capacity of rs
tional manhood is the test and rul
of suffrage. Can impartial justic
demand less liberal rule for tn
African? He has the same right
of life, liberty and property to