Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-04-24
The suarage Amendment :


Are they bad citizens, law breakers, Grim
inals? Our constitution processes to dis
franchise for infamous crimes. Is il then
an infamous crime to have been born
with 3 black facet Shame, shame on
the civilization that calls 1t suehl Shame,
shame on the party that sets up such
monstrocity as part of its ereedl It is q
heresay set up, not only in defiance of
justice, but in dieance Of facts. Whatever
other odium the colored population may
bear, it has not that which comes from
violence or lawlessness. Point out the
race which does most TO busy our police
courts and fill our jsils, and it will not be
the negro. We have Reform School to
which our charitable philanthropy does
not admit black boys or white girls, but
leaves them parentless and homeless to |
roam at will on the road to ruin. Yet
public opinion by no means admits that
either females are the most lawless classes |
in society. The restraints which our par
tial public benevolence throws around the
male white bov to keep him from crime
and disgrace do not after all secure him
greater credit than The tender female Or
phan or the despised negro as an obsesver
of the law. The crime for which the col
Ored race Is disfranchised, is the crime OF
birth, purely and simply.
But while it should be no legal -demerlt
to be black let it not be supposed that any
one holds it a merit 70 be so. 1t would be
Just as absurd TO enfranchlse man simply
on account of his complexion. Repubh-
cans claim that the color of q mans face
has simply nothing to do with his ability
to vote, and that common sense teaches
that his qualifications for that high pre-
rogative should be sought for elsewhere
than in the pigment of his skin We co
not offer the negro the ballot because he
has color which is socially ostracised,
but in spite of that fact. We do not of
fer it as a bounty, as we certainly should
not withhold it as punishment for an in
eident of his birth ordained by his Crea-
tor, and for which he is neither to be cen
sured or praised.
But aside from hsnegative reasons why
tho elective franchise should not be with
held from the eolored citizens of Ohio,
there are strong positive reasons why it
should be conferred upon them. 1t is be-
slowing no fulsome praise and risking no
4 intelligent contradiction to say as class
/ they are loyal, peaceable, unotiending and
industrious as any race now admitted to
/ the ballot. By their industry and tact
for business they have acquired no less than
one hundred and fifteen million dollars
worth of property, out Of which, without
being at all represented or having any
voice N the Government, they bear their
regular aud full proportions ofthe burdens
eff the State. Our white ancestors revol-
4 ted against English misrule because it
taxed them without their voice or con-
sent, and we applaud the act as a glorious
era in the worlds history And yet we
! commission our tax gatherers to inhiei
upon sixty thousand guiltless citizens Of
this State the same arbitrary oppression,
resistance to which we glorify as heroic
patriotism and obedience to God. We
condemn ourselves as tyrants toward the
colored race and yet against our tyranny
here Is lifted, not the hand of violence,
but only the humble voice of fpetition.
We have placed ourselves in more
unfortunate attitude. While traitors
organized a rebellion to destroy our
liberties, and in our exigency, while
/ Fate held doubtful balance, we called
upon the colored race to help US save
them. One hundred and eigbty-six
thousand responded to that call, and
out of that number sixty-eight thous-
and lost life OF limb in fighting our bat
| ties. Out of eight thousand five hun
dred colored men IN Ohio of compe-
tent age to vote. about seven thousand
or nearly seven-eighths. enlisted in the
armies of the Union. Near the expls-
ded mine at Petersburg the writer has
stood by the graves of scores OF them
where they fell, nobly fighting in and
around the rebel trenches. Black pa
triots who perished for cause I'll hum
bic graves at Wagner, Honey Springs,
Fort Pillow, Port Hudson and upon
many another bloody field,
| By holy ehrism and hot baptism.
I 0fbattle'sfiery food,
. The ''ehattel" rose above his woes.
And wrote his right in blood.
And will1he white voters of Ohio nog
repudiate that writing as nullity and
spurn that blood as an unholy thing ?
Would not such an act be adding mean
ness to injustice, ingratitude to wrong?
Would it not be branding patriotism
with shame, and loyalty as a thing to
be despised? No one is fool enough to
say that the negro soldiers alone saved
the country, nor is any one very conf
dent in the belief that it could not
have been saved without their aid
But whether it could or could not, we
acted upon the supposition that their
help was necessary we asked for it and
it was freely given Their loyalty and
friendship came even unsolicited
Among traitors, surrounded bv rebel
armies, wrought upon by every species
of Misrepresentation and deceit, these
poor oppressed people, nevertheless,
could not be deceived in reference to
the great purposes and objects OF the
war. With all their imputed ignorance
and degredation' they had the glorious,
the noble instinct of freedom which
/ kent them faithful to the flag. while ed
ucated and intelligent traitors on every
hand betrayed it. They knew better
than some unfortunate Democrats IN
the North, where the right was and
/ where their sympathies ought 10 be-
They knew on which side to hight, why
NAV they not know on which side TO
yote2 They deserve, far more than
some eminent and less worthy upon
whom it has been fuisomeiy bestowed,
the praise of having been faithful
among the faithless." Whenever Un-
ion soldier saw white man in the
South he discerned his patriotism or
disloyalty by the color Of his dress, but
wherever she saw black face he knew
he was looking in the face Of s friend.
There was q time of bitterness and trial
when if the fealty of the colored race
TO the Union had been doubtful and 1t
could have been bought by giving 1t
the ballot, it would have been eonsld-
cred as most eheaply bought. That
LOYALTY, tried in the FIRE and pure and
holy as the light of heaven, was given
without money and without price
Shall we not now, in the day Of our
peace and prosperity, reward 1t 6y so
much as the easy and comparatively
trivial compensation of the elective
franchisel
A remarkable carriage, that belonged
to the late General Cass, IS In hvery
hos