The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-08-22
NUMBER Al.


so,losss, Tax payers, countrymon.
leiiO" eivs,sns aud fellow soldiers,
the eoiofed 1ie~.saf America have
peen and will be. ltft~,aow too late
for the advorsarics Of natioirss4v
human rights to undertake 90 dt--.
priye these tax payers, feeemen, citi.
zous aud soldiers Of tho right to
vote.
slaves were never voters. II was
bad enough that our fathers, for the
sake Of Union, wero compelled to al
low mastors TO reckon thTee-fifths Of
their slav6s ror representation. with
GU adding slave suffrage to the other
privileges of the slave holder. But
free colored mon were always voters
in many of the colonies, aud in sever
al of the States, North and South, af-
ter Independence was achieved. They
voted for members Of the Congfcss
which declared Independence, aud
for mcmbcrs of every Congress prior
to the adoption of the Federal Con-
stitutiou; for mombcrs Of the Conven.
ton which framed the Constitution;
for tho mombers Of many Of the State
Conventions which ratified it; and for
every President from Washington to
lincolr.
Our Government has been called
tho white mans Government Not 40.
/ 1t is not tho Government of any class
or sect, or nationality, or race, Its
a Government founded on the consent
of the governed and Mr.. Broomull,
of Pennsylvania, therefore properly
calls It "thc Government of the guYA
crncd." 1t is not the Government Of
the native born, or Of tho foreign
born, of tho rich man, or the poor
mau, of the white man, or of the coll
ored man--it is the Government Of
the freeman. Aud whom colorcd men
were made citizcus, soldiers, and
freemca, by our consent and votes,
we were estoppod from denying TO
them the right Of suffrage.
! Gen. Sherman was right when ho
said, in Ills atlanta letter, of 1864
IF you admit the negro to this strug-
gle for any purpose, he has right to
stay in for all; and, when the fight is
over the hand that drops the musk
ct cannot be denied the ballot"
Even our advorsaries arc compell7
ed to admit the JeiTersonian rule,
that "the man who pays taxes and
who fights for the country is entitled
to vote"
Mr.. Peudlcton, in his speech
against the enlistment Of colored SOL
diers gave up the whole controversy.
lie said. "Gentlcmen tell us that
/ these colored men are ready, with
their strong arms and their brave
hearts, TO maintain the supremacy Of
| the Constitution, and to defend the
f. integrity Of the Union, which in our
g hands to day is in peril, What is
0 that Constitution? 1t provides that
$ every child Of tho republic, every cit,
| izen of tho land, is before the law the
| equal Of every other. 1t provides for
! all Of them trial by jury, free speech,
free press, entire protection for life
' aud liberty and property. 1t goes
5 further. Ii secures to every citizen
+. the right of suffrage, the right to
- hold office, the right to aspire to
every Office or agency by which the
f Government is carried on. Eoery man
|. called upon 70 do military day, erqj
lf ntsta rcq'tircd 10 take mp arms IN Il
in defeasc IS by its, provisions entitled 4
ID cote, and da competent aspirant for Gee
10 ~ office IA tie Gorerame't.
b. DEMOCRATIC ORGANS coNcEDE THE
L JUSTICE OF IMPARTIAL SUFFRAGE.
The truth is, impartial manhood
Is suffrage is already practically decid
y ed. 1t is now merely a question ol
0 time. In tho eleven rebel States, ia
c five Of the New England States, anJ
G in d number Cf the Northwestern
c States, there is no organized party
20 able to successfully oppose Impartial
os suffrage, The Democratic party o
re more than half Of the States are ready
RS to copcede its justice and expedieney
r, The Boston Post, the able organ ol
d the New England Democracy, says;
! Color ought to have TO mere to Dc
= with the matter (voting) than size,-
J. Only establish right standard, and
9 then apply it impartially. A rule Of
Q that sort is too firmly fixed in Justice
i and equality to be shaken. II com
mends itself too clearly to the good
: sentiment Of the entire body Of oui
) oouutrymen to be successfully trav
Q ersel by objections. Once let this
;, principle be fairly presented to the
o people Of the several States, with the
y knowledge on their part that they
;, alone are to have the disposal and
70 settlement Of it, and We sincerely be
l. lieye it would not be long before L
d would be adopted by every State 10
y the Union.
c The New York World, the ahest
: Democratic newspaper in the UniOu
' says
Z (" Democrats in the North, as wei
}, as the South, should be fully alive Il
= the Importance of the new element
r thrust into the politics of the country
u We suppose it to be morally ceytaii
h that the new constitution of the Stat,
= Of New York, to be framed tF.is year
will confer the elective franchise upon
2 all adult male negroes, We have no
i faith in the success of any Efforts Il
shut the negro element out OF politics
r 1t - the part Of wisdom frankly "a
accept tho situation. and get before.
i hand With hie Radicals in calming ah
Q ascendepcy over the ncgro mind. p
= Tne Chicago Times, the influential
}, organ of the Northwestern Democrs-,
!. cy saysi
"The word { white is not tfound ip
: any of the original eonstitutions, sayn
I only that Of South Caroliua. In
! every other State negroes, who possess