Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-10-10


could oe denied to children? Her answer
seemed 10 me perfectly satisfactory. She
said simply, "all that we ask is an equal
and not an arbitrary regulation. II you
have the right, zoe have it," The hohs
orable Chairman would hardly deny that
to regulate the exercise of right accord
! ing to obvious reason and experience is
one thing, to deny it absolutely forever
\ is another. And this is a safe practical
rule Of our government, as James Madi-
| son expressed IL, that 1T be derived from
the grest7body Of the people, not from an
inpofisiderable portion or favored class
kofit." When Mr.. Gladstone, in his fs-
NOUS speech that startled England, said,
I in effect, that no one could be justly ez-
cluded from the franchise, except upon
grounds of personal unfitness or public
danger, he merely echoed the sentiment
of Joseph Warren, which is gradually
seen TO be the wisest and most practical
political philosophy: ~ would havesuch
government as should give every man
the greatest liberty to do what he choos-
es, consistent with restraing him from
doing any injury to. another" Is not
| that the kind ofgovernment, sir, which
we wish to propose for this State? And
if every person in New York has a natu-
raj right to life, liberty and property,
and co-existent claim to share in the
government which defends them, regi-
lated only by perfectly equitable condi-
tions, what are the practical grounds up
on which it is proposed to continue the
absolute and hopeless Acknowledgement
of halfthe adult population?
1t is alleged that women are already
represented by men. Where are they 20
represented, and when was the choice
made? If am told that they are vir-
tually represented, reply with James
| Otis, that "no such phrase as virtual rep
resentation Is known in law or Constitu-
ton. 1t is altogether a subtlety and illu-
sion, wholly unfounded and absurd. l
repeat, If they are represented, when was
| the choice made? Nobody pretends that
they have ever been consulted. II is u
mere assumption to the effect that the
| interest and affection of men will lead
them to just and wise legislation FOR wo-
men as well as for themselves. But this
is merely the old appeal for the political
power of class. 1t is just what the
British Parliament said TO the colonies
hundred years ago. 1--WE are all under
the same government, " they said; "our
interests are identical; We are ali Brit
ons; Britannia rules the wave; God save
the King, and down with addition and
Sons of Liberty" The colonies chafed
and Indignantly protested, because the
assumption that therefore fair laws were
made was not true; because they were
discovering for themselves whet every
nation has discovered-the truth that
shakes England to-day, and brings
Disraeli and the Tory party to their
knees, and has already brought this
country to blood, that there is no class
of citiZens and no single citizen vino can
safely be intrusted with the permanent
and exclusive possession of political pow
er. "There is no instance on record,
says Buckle, in his history OF civilization
in England, "cf any cl1.s possessing
power without abusing ft." /. isas trne
Of men as a class AZ 10 is o. an hereditary
nobility, or of class of property hold
en. Men are not wise enough, NOR gen.
erous enough, nor pure enough, to iegis-
late fairly for women. The laws of the
most civilized nations depress and de-
grade women. Ihelegislstion il in favor
Of the legislating class. In the celebrs-
ted debate upon the marriage amendment
act in England, Mr.. Gladstone said that
"when the gospel came into the world
woman was elevated to an equality with
her stronger companion Yet at the
very time he was speaking, the English
law of divorce, made by men to regulate
their domestic relations with women,
was denounced by the law lords them
selves, as disgusting and denoralizing"
i'll its operation; "barbsrOus, "inde-
cent, "a disgrace to the country" and
shocking to the sense Of right" Now
il the equality Of which Mr. Gladstone
spoke had been political as well as senti
mental, does he or any statesman sup
pose that the law OF divorce would have
been what il then was, or that the law
of England to-day would give all the
earnings of married woman to her hus-
band; or that Of France forbid woman
to receive any gift without her husbands
permission?
We ask women to confide in us, as
having the same interests with them
Did any despot ever say anything else?
And if it be safe or proper for any intel
ligent part Of the people to relinquish
exclusive political power to any class,
ask the Committee who propose that wo-
men should be compelled to do this, to
what class, howeverrich, Orintelligent, or
honest, they would themselvessurrende
their power, and what they would do if
any class attempted to usurp that power?
They know, as we all know, az our own
experience has taught us, that the only
security of natural rights is the ballot
They know, and the instinct of the
whole loyal lands knows, that when we
nad aDOllShed slavery, tne emancipation
could be completed and secured only by
the ballot in the hands Of the emanci-
pated class. Civil rights were a mere
mOcking name until political power gave
them substance. A year ago Gov. Orr
Of South Carolina told us that the rights
of the freedmen were safest in the hands
of their old masters. "Will you walk
into my parlor, said the spider to the fly"
New Orleans, Memphis, and countless
and constant crimes showed what that
safety was. Then, hesitating no longer,
the nation handed the ballot to the freed
men, and said protect yourselvesW And
now Gov. Orr says that the part OF wis
dom for South Carolina is to cut loose
from all parties and make cordial alli-
ancs with the colored citizens. Gov. Orr
knows that man with civil rights mere
ly il blank cartridge. Give him the
ballot, and you add bullet, and make
him effective. In that section of the
country, seething with old hatreds and
wounded pride and social system up
heayed from the foundation, no other
measure could have done for real pacifi-
cation in q century what the mere prom
iss of the ballot has done in year. The
one formidable peril in the whole subject
of reconstruction has been the chance
that Conuress would continue i'm the