The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-12-11
NEW SERIES--VOLUME 8. NO. 49,,


! Of Iromnting the general welfare, its inilu
/ cncc for good must necessarily depend upoH
| the elev ated character and true intelligence
/ # the electors. 1t ought. therefore. To be
/ imposed on none czcpt those who are fi'>
! ted, morally and mentally, to administer it
/ well; for, it conferred upon persons -Tbo do
| not Justly estimate It's value, and who are
! Indifferent as to Its results, it will only serve
as a means of placing power in the hands
OF the unplincipiCd and ambitious, and
must evontuate in the complete destruction
! Of that liberty Of which 1t should be the
most powerful consCryatOr.
have, therefore heretofore urged upon
! your attention the great danger to be ap-
! pretended from an untimely extension of
! the elective franchise to any new class IN
tur country. especially when large maiori-
| ty Of that class, in welding the pow, + thus
/ placed in their Lands, can not be expected
| corr, city to comprehend the duties and res
! sponSibiities which pertain to suftrase.
Yesterday, as it were, fou, millions Of
persons were held in condition of slavery
| that had existed for generations. day
! they are treemen, and are assumed by law
to be citizens Il can not be presumed,
from their previous condition Of servitude,
! that as a class they are rs well informed az
| to our government as the intelligent for
| eigner who makes our land his home. In
| the case Of the latter, neither residence Of
| five years and the knowledge of our institu
| tions which it gives, nor the attachment to
the PRINCIPLES OF the Constitution, are the
| only conditions upon which he can be ad
mitted to citizenship He must prove, in
| addition, a good moral character, and thus
give reasonable ground for belief that he
will be faithful to the obligations which he
assumes as a citizen of the Republic
When a people, the source of all political
power, spelll by their suffrage, through the
instrnmentaIlity Of the ballot>box, it must
be carefully guarded against the control Of
| those who are corrupt in principle and enc
mics of free institutions; for it can only be-
come to our political and social system safe
conductor Of healthy popular sentiment
when kept free from demoralizing influences
controlled through frauds and usurpation by
designing men, and despotsm must in~
evitatly follow. In the hands cf the patri-
otto and worthy our Government will be
prese, we'd upon the principles of the Con
stitution Inherited from our fathers. 1t
follows, therefore that in admitting to the
ballot a new class Of voters, not qualified
! for the exercise of the elective franchise,
we weaken cur system of government in>
stead of adding to its strength and durabil-
| ity. | yield to no one in attachment to the
rule of general suffrage which distinguishes
our policy as nation; but there is Il limit
wisely observed hitherto, which makes the
ballot a privilege and trust, and which re-
ouires of some classes a time suitable for
probation and preparation. To give it in
IL. .o,, ,tplE tn (lD
prepared hy previous habits and opportuni-
ties to perform the rust which it demands,
s 20 degrade it and finally to destroy its
power; for it may be safely assumed that no
political truth is better established than that
such indiScriminate and all.embracing ex-
! tension of popular suffrage must end at last
in its overthrow and destruction.
repeat the expression Of my willingness
to ioin in anv plan within the scope Of our
constitutional authority which promises to
better the condition Of the negroes Of the
| South. hy encouraging them in industry and
cnIchtenn ent, the improvements of their
morals, and giving protection to all their
inst rights as freedmen. But, to transfer
our political Inheritance to them would, in
nv opinion, be an abandonment Of duty
which we owe alike to the memory OF our
| The plan Of putting the Southern States
wholly, and the Federal Government par
tally, into the hands of the negroes is pro-
posed at time peculiarly unpropitious.-
| The foundations Of society have been brok
EN- up by the civil war. Industry must be
reorganized, justice re established, puoc
credit maintained, and order brought out of
confusion. 70 accomplish these ends would
! IL .i..l1 nd rtn OF ha
great men who framed our institutions
originally. confidently believe that their
descendants will be equal to the task before
them. But it is worse than radness to ex-
pcct that negroes will perform it for Us. --
Certainly we ought not to ask theT assist
ance until we despair OF our own eompc-
| tency
The great difference between the two
races in physical. mental and moral charac-
teristics will prevent amagamatlon or fusion
Of them together in one homogeneous mass.
! IF the Inferior obtains the ascendency over
! the other, it will govern with reference only
to its own interest; for it will recognize no
common interest, and create sucn tyranny
as this continent has never yet witnessed.
| Already the negroes are influenced by
promises Of confscation and punder. They
are taught to regard as an enemy every
white man who has any respect tor the rights
of his own race. II this continues, 1t must
become worse and worse until all order will
| be subverted all industry cease, and the
fertile fields of the Sonth grow up. INTO a
wilderness. Of all the dangers which our
nation has yet encountered, none are equal
to those which must result from the sue
cess Of the effort now making TO Atrlcanlze
| half our country.
would not put considerations of money
in competition with justice and right, but
the expenses incident to reconstruction un-
der the system adopted by Congress, aggra>
gate what regard as the intrinsic wrong of
tle measure itself 1t has cost unconnted
millions already, and if persisted it will add
largely to the weight Of taxation already
too oppressive to be borne without just com
plant, and may hnally reduce the Treasury
of the nation 10 a condition of bankruptcy.
| We must not delude ourselves. 1t will re-
quire strong standing army, and probably
more than $500, 900, 600 per annum to main
tain the supremacy of the negro govern
ments after they are established. The sum
thus thrown away would if properly used,
form a sinking fund large enough to pay
the whole national debt in less than fifteen
years.
In is vain to hope that negroes will main
tain their ascendency themselves. Without
military power they are wholly incapable of
holding in suhjection tho white people Of
the South.
FINANCIAL AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
| submit to the Judgment of Congress,
whether the public credit may not he in
iuriously affected ty a system of measures
fke this. With urdebt and vast private
interests which are complicated with it, we
can not be too cqutious of policy, which