The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1867-10-24
THE RIGHT or sUrrRAeE.

The people Of Minnesota will have
this fall an opportunity Of redeeming
the failure they made at a previous
election in adopting the amendment to
the Constitution giving to all men the
right Of suffrage. 1t is to be hoped
they will not signalize this attempt by
4 fresh failure. This question lies at
the foundation Of the whole theory Of
reconstruction, and upon the principle
OF universal justice must We build if We
would have a nation enduring, prosper
Gus and united.
A discrimination should be made in
favor Of rather than against those who
fought and lAbored and suffered to pre-
serve the government. If the right to
vote is given to the rebels who burned
our cities, devastated whole States, and
brought death to thousands of house.
holds, why should VIC deny it to those
who offered their lives to stay this de-
struction There is in this question
Of our own honor, Of what avail is
the freedom We boast so much of hav.
ing given the Four Million slaves of
the South if we refuse them the means
to protect themselves in it? It would
BIZ mere mockery.
Against all the requirements Of Hu.
manity and the demands of Right there
stands Prejudice cob-webbed and
oorroded, but still strong enough to
withstand the facts Of bloody rebel
lion, a mountainous debt, and an unset
tied country: How much longer must
this be? Will tho people of the Nation
still surrender their reason, their
judgment, their sense Of justice to this
guardian spirit Of barbarism? Will
they condemn man because it was the
will of his Maker that his skin should
be black? Will they still demand that
he shall be tried under laws he has no
part in framing, and be ruled by men
he has no voice in selecting? Shall
he be taxed and a portion Of his sub.
stance taken to support a government
that denies him the great essential for
his own protection!
Mems duty in this matter is plain,
did not they give their prcjudices the
rule of their reason.
Republicans cannot shirk this oues-
ton OF lmpartlal suffrage. What is
right in theory should be made so in
practice. live insist upon negro sui:
frage in the Southland there never
can be substantial reconstruction with
out tive must grant it in Minnesota.
And it can be all the better done here,
as the element which would be benefited
is comparatively few In numbers and
intelligent to an unusual degree.
The country never can be settled and
firm while Four Million people remain
as part Of the nation, unrepresented,
disfranchised and with no protection
save that of force. Such condition of
affairs is at variance with the first prin-
ciples Of our government and gives the
lie to tho Declaration of Independence.
We call upon the Republicans Of
this State to carry this great principle
triumphantly through. Nothing is to
be gained by delay. 1t must eventual
~ be adopted, aud the speedier the bet
ter: However much it may be ridicul.
ed, orhowever bitterly it may be opposed,
it will yet stand on the statute books of
every State; and Minnesota can we'll
afford to take front rank.
Let the good work be done now
When you 60 to the polls, see that you
vote eyes" to the ballot, "Amend-
ment to Section l Article Z of the
Constitution"