The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1867-09-24

Mary yiand, from Kent1cky, from Penn
Isylyania, and from New Jersey, and from
New England. They came as brethren
They came as men who themselves haG
fought through seven years ReTolu
tionary War, or the descendants ofnthe
officers and soldiers of that war, They
metstogether and formed q Constitution
There were in proportion as many ne
Igroes in the South and in the Norta7-
yes, more in proportion then than now
There. were as qmanY in the State Of Ohio
lin proportion as there are now. Tn,
same reasons prevailed on the subject O
negro suffrage then that prevail now
The same God reigned in the heavens il
1902 as reigps now. It was the same
Bible then as now, teaching the same
lessons of wisdom and trpth--the same
Justice, human and divine77the same hu
Imanity, the same every thing that it is to.
| day. Yet the men who were brought nj
lin the school Of George Washington ane
Thomas jefferson, and our fathers, the pat
riots but not the loyal men Of 776,insertea
/ ip, that Constitution the word white. !
Why? Because they meanttaere should
be white mans State government in
Ohio. They meant that the negro should
have no. part or lot in the Administration
!of political affairs. That was the signi6
|cance Of the word awhite., There were
negroes here, but the men of that gen
Grafton believed they were not ;itto ex-
ereise the privileges and prerogatiVes
of white men; or whether 6tor not they
said this is q; government and country
set apart for the domination;of the white
race. That constitution continued until
1S5I. Now they tell you that our col
-ored troops fought well down South, and
that our eolpred friend Frederick Doug
lass is great orator and great states
man. and that John NJ, Laugstop and
other eolored persons are fit. to com.
pete with the Wasblngtonss the iAdamses
the Jeifersons Of aifermer day and the
Glays,i 0alhouns and Websters Of more
recent period. These men who
tell you thisa are not OF the kind who
framed the constitution in 1902, They
believed that these spersenss fwhatAser
might have been their intel ellectnal ca
pacity, ought not to- intermingle, and
were incapable Of being successfully in
Etermingled with this white popalation. =
The negroes are not the men ho{helped
toimake Ohio what it was from 1902 to
1851 Ihi1851 another constitution was
adopted Both Wings aud Democrats
were in that convention, and both par
ties united in reinsertiug the word eBhits
as qualification for the right of sSuff-
rage donice-holding Theywere agains,
negro equality--there were none on eth
er side in;faYor of it. The negroes did
mot ,hew down your forests and make OIL
them the beautiful farms you see around
you. You did it yourselves, or youl
fathers. before you. The negro didn'l
make your railroads and canals, it was
old PaddyTwhe did that. i Laughter. +
The negro did notsclear your fields. ! He
did not bring about thatNast and acen-
mnlatine civilization which s has marked
the careerof Ohio which. almost within
my short srecollectien, was q bowling
wilderness, ,eand is, to-day, the abode q
three millions aof happy. people,The
word white was IN beth constitutions
both parties agreed In disffanohising the
negro+-to keep him from participating
lin; or exercising the rights !oficivil goF-
ernment, am not an thezhaplt ct pan
ldering to popular hates or prelndices or
the question OF the negro s. 4 say TO YOU YOU
if IbelieEed the negrolwase capable o
asslmllating with the ShlteIrace there !
.pothing before tod or among men which
would stand in,the Eayas a justification