Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-12-13
WHOLE NUMBER 622.

confines itself to forms of law, and
vlndlcates its own purity by az impair
tlal examination Of every case before
competent judicial tribunal. Ifthis
does not satisfy all our desires with
regard. to the southern rebels, let us
console ourselves by rejecting that
free constitution, triumphant in war
and unbroken in peace, is worth far
more to US aud our children than the
qualification Of, any present feeling
| am aware it is assumed that this sys-
TEN of government for the southern
states is not to be perpetual. 1t is
true this military government is. to be
only provisional but it is through
THIS Temporary evil that a greater eyil
Ills TO pe made perpetual. Ii the guar
antics OF the consultation can be bro
ken professionally, to serve Temporal
Try purpose, and in a part only OF the
country, We can destroy them. every
where and for all time. Arbitrary
measures often change, but they gen
I.erally change for the worse. 1t is the
curse of despotism that it has no halt
ling place. lntermitted exercise of its
power brings no sense of security to
It's subjects, for they can never know
what more they will be called to en-
dure when its red right hand is armed
to plague them again. Nor is it pos
sible to conjecture how or where pow
er unrestraiued by law may seek its
next victims. States that are still
free may be enslaved at any moment,
for if the constitution does not pro-
tect all, 1t protects none. o.....
.- NEGRO, SUFFRAGE. aa-llas-e6
1t is manifestly aud avowedly the
Object OF these laws to coufer upon
negroes the privilege OF voting, and to
disfranchise such number of white
citizens as will give the former a clear.
majority at all elections in the south
ern states. This, to the minds of
some persons, is SO important, that a
violation OF the constitution is justl-
lied as a means OF bringing it about.
The morality is always false which ex-
cuses a wrong because it proposes to
accomplish desirable end. We are
not permitted to do evil that good may
come. But in this case the end itself
is evil, as well as the means. The
ou9jugation OF the states to negro do
mlnation would be worse than the mil
itary despotiSm under which they are
now suffering. 1t was believed be-
forehand that the people would endure
any amount OF military oppression for
any length Of time, rather than de-
| grade themselves by subjection to the
negro race. Therefore they have been
lett without choice. Negro suffrage
was established by act of congress,
and military officers were commanded
to superintend the process OF clothing
the negro race with the political priv
lleges torn from white men. The
1 blacks In the south. are entitled to be
well and humanely governed, and to
have the protection of just laws for
all their rights Of person and proper
ty. Ii it were practicable at this Time
To give them a government exclusive
4 iy their own, under which they might
manage their affairs in their own way,
| it would become a grave question
whether We ought TO do so, or wheth-
er common humanity would not re-
! quire US to save them from themselves.
But under the circumstances this is
only speculative point. Ii is not
proposed merely that they should gov
ern themselves, but that they snail
rule the white race, make aud admIn
ister state laws, elect presidents aud
members Of congress, and shape To a
greater or less extent The future dcs-
Tiny Of the whole country. Would
such a trust and power be safe In such
hands ......- i....... .l'....--.. ....5.
III The peculiar qualities which should
: characterize. any people. who are tt 10
ieclde upon the management OF pubic
affairs for a great state have scldom
been combined. 1t is the glory OF
white men TO know that they have had
these qualities in sufficient measure TO
| build up9n this continent a great po-
/ iltlcal faeric, and to preserve It's sta7
billy 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 acknowl-
edged that in the progress OF nations
A negroes have shown less capacity Tor
{. government than any other race OF
: people. No independent government
of any form has, ever been successful
3 10 their hands. On the contrary,
+ wherever they have been LETT to their
: own deYices, they have shown a con
t slant tendency to relapse into barbar-
ism, In the southern states, however,
t congress has undertaken to confer up
on them the. privileges ofthe ballot
! just released from slavery, it may be
4 doubted whether as a class they know
!, more than their ancestors how to or
I; ganize and regulate civil society, In
Il deed, it is admitted that the BLACKS OF
the south are not only regardless of
, the rights of property but SO utterly
4 ignorant of public, affairs that their vo-
! ting can consist in nothing more than
carrying a 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 at
i tribute of an American citizen, and
: that when guided by public virtue. in
t telIgeace, patriotism aud the proper,
appl eciation of our free Institutions.