Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-12-04


white citizens rs will give the former
|, clear majority at oil elections in thu
Southern States. This 10 tho minds o
r some persons is 80 important that a vio'
lation Of the Constitution is justified ~
n means OF bringing II lboul. The NOR
. atty is always false which excuses {
wrong because il proposes to accomplish
n desirable end. We are not permitted
|, 70 do evil that good may come. But in
t this case the end itself is evil, as well as
the means.
The subjugatiou Of States to negro
domination would be worse than the
military despotisms under which they
are now suffering II was believed before
Congress passed the act that the people
would endure any amount OF military
oppression for any length OF time rather
than degrade themselves by subsection
TO the negro race. Therefore they have
been left without 'choice Negro sui
frage was established by act Of Congress,
and military officers we're commanded
TO superintend the process Of clothing the
negro race with the political privileges
formerly belonging TO white men.
The blacks in the South are entitled
to be we'll and humanely governed, and
to have the protection Of just laws for
all the rights of person and property.
II il were practicable at this time to give
them government exclusively their
own, under which they might manage
their own affairs in their own way, 1t
would become grave question
whether we ought to do so, or
whether common humanity would
not require us to save them from
themselves. But under the circum-
stances, this is a speculative point. II
is not proposed merely that they shall
govern themselves, but that they shall
rule the white race, make and admin
lister State laws, elect Presidents and
members of Congress, and shape, to a
greater or less extent, the future destiny
of the whole country. Would such a
trust and power be safe in such hands Z
The peculiar qualities which should
characterize any people who are bit to
decide upon the management of public
affairs for n great State have seldom
been combined in any race. 1t is the
glory of white men to know that they
have had these qualities in a sufficient
measure to build upon this continent
great political fabric and preserve its
stability for more than ninety years, while
in every other part of the world all
similar experiments have failed. But
if anything can be proved by known
facts, if all reasoning upon evidence is
not abandoned, it must be acknowledged
that in the progress of nations negroes
have shown less capacity for government
than any other race of people. No in
dependent government of any form has
ever been successful in their hands. On
the contrary, whenever they have been
left to their own devices they have shown
a constant tendency to relapse into bar
barism. In the Southern States, how
ever, Congress has undertaken to confer |
upon them the privilege of the ballot.
Just released from slavery it may be
doubted whether, as q class, they know
more than their ancestors how to organ
izs and regulate civil society. In !
deed, it is admitted that the blacks
of the South are not only regard.
less of the rights of property, but
so utterly ignorant of public affairs that
their voting can consist of nothing more
than carrying ballot to the place where
they are directed to deposit it. | need
not remind you that the exercise of the
elective franchise is the highest attribute
of an American citizen, and when guided
by virtue, intelligence, patriotism, and
proper appreciation of our free institu-
tons, it constitutes the true basis of the
democratic form of government in which
the sovereign power is lodged in the
body of the people. A trust arti6cially
created-not for its own sake, but solely
as means of promoting the general
welfare-its influence for good must
necessarily depend upon the elevated
character and true allegiance of the cleo.
tor. 1t ought therefore to be reposed in
none except those who are fitted morally
and mentally to administer it well for
if conferred upon persons who do not
justly estimate it's value and who are in
different as to its results, it will only
serve as a means of placing power in the
hands of the unprincipled and ambitious,
and must eventuate in the complete de-
struction of the liberty of which it should
be the most powerful conservator.
] have therefore heretofore urged upon
your attention the great danger to be
apprehended from any untimely extern
ton of the elective franchise to any new
class in our country, especially when a
large majority of that class, in welding
the power thus placed in their hands,
cannot be expected to correctly compre-
bend the duties and responsibilities
which pertain to suffrage. Yesterday, as
it ewere, four million persons were held
in state of slavery that existed for
generations. To-day they are freemen,
and are assumed by law to be citizens.
1t cannot be presumed from their pre-.
vious condition of servitude that as class
they are as we'll informed as to the nature
of our Government as the intelligent
foreigner who makes our land the home
of his choice. In the case of the latter,
neither a residence Of FIVE years and
knowledge of our institutions which
gives it, nor attachment to the princi-
Piles Of the Constitution, are the only
conditions upon which he can be ad-
mitted to citizenship. He must prove,
in addition, good moral character,
and thus give reasonable ground for the
belief that he will be faithful to the
which he assumes as citizen
of republic.
Where the people, the source of all
political power, speak by their suffrage
through the ballot.box, it must be care
fully guarded against the control of those
who are corrupt in principle and enc
mics of our free institutions; for it can
only become to our political and social
system safe conductor of healthy aud
popular sentiment, when kept free from
institutions
Fta.t.oliod tbrouUh fraud and rcurpo | ,