Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-07-04
MANHOOD SUFFRAGE.

MANHOOD SUFFRAGE.
Speech of Hon. VIM. H. West, Attor-
ney General of OHIO, on the Pend
ing Amendment.
Delivered by Invitation fthe Union Club,
at the Capitol, I'm the city OF Cclun, bus,
on the Ev entng Preceding the stats
70 Union CONVENTION, Jane 18th. ,
AS wave succeeds wave in the oceans tide.
blem in the affairs o. men, to be agitated. dis
ing rise TO nov problems int in turn. urn Their aelts
tion is sometimes gentle, often tempestuousa and
@ staeiaton Which Is 18th the precursor @ Of decay si and
impart healthful, life-givlng vigor, respective
iy TO nature and TO nations. no 0.lG =
Scarcely has the country emerged from one OF
these periods OF storm, when Il N called upon to
grappfe with resulting issues kindred 60 those
which produced IT, Shall this lesson Of the past
be lost ON the futuref Shall the error which
preciptated that national CONFUSION be repeat
When @ ASraSsm % h,ncoin s ani,oaneed ous the great
frhth That this nation could not perInau3.pfly,
endure under the equal dominion Of nee6pm
and slavery, the sentiment was greeted as The
ebullition of reckless fanatcisrn. But this was
erroneous. 1t was the prophetic utterance Of
sagacfous statesmansbip reading results In the.
future through the logic Of their existing eapscs
~ was the announcement Of no new tHeory.--
cpta Mgtang ,d wT,tIen IN the book 9f ate was more
tury before, than that African slavery and the
institutions founded upon IL were destined TO
period was is bln refusal to recosnse this Is des
tiny-its folly, the iIl-advised attempt to thwart
the recognition OF this ultimate fact had con-
trolled the councils of the nation, its calamity
and great sorrow might have been averted. In
stead, however, blind fury prevailed but was
successful only in preventing emancipation
from peaceful causes, that it might arise from
The indicia which pointed to this destiny we're
unmistakably palpable. Two centuries and a
vassalage, or Celtic oppression had fettered the
soul and drunk the blood of the African race
An institutional wrong of such magnitude had
not failed, In the progress OF these centuries TO
concentrate against IL the enlightened senti-
ment and active sympathles Of mankind. II
omnipotent power Of this public opinion OF the
world. 0Tlf ~ u .-''--''-
But it's fate was not dependent on moral forces
alone. Cooperating with and superior TO them,
was the resistiess agency OF physical causes
slavery was essentially aristocratic and manor
agrarian. To the one the plantation was pecu-
liar and indispensable; the homestead was tha
animating and vital principle of the other.
These organic differences rendered it impos-
sible for them to occupy the same territorial
ulation-the plantation excluded il. The do
main of each was necessarily separate and dis
tipct jGpm that of tire other. If permanent and
i4tFtssable boundaries could have been estab-
k1afed for them the existence of slavery might
have been indefinitely prolonged. But the i'm
expansive We capabilities OF each system demanded
o corresponding expansion of territory. A col
Iision OF interests and struggle for empire, was,
therefore, inevitable, as population drove them
in quest OF new foundatioiis.l 1-eru>h
While the opposing SYSTEMS were in their in
IL Excess Of f It's inmediafe wants, % with ths
boundless range of the continent before themS
appaTenaly az m M ample Tor the future OF BOTH their
active Jealousy. But the rapid growth of nuIn.
bers, increasing with augmented ratio from the
source of nature and of emigration, SOON shfL
mOnstrated that the capacity of the contfnedt
was not unlimited. Its exhaustion was only Ia
could not fail to result in an aggressive contest
for the means of further expansion, not.a mere
sSnfa Con of n sG1 strhs
gle of compressed and overcrowded humnnites
millions against the manorial interests OF plan
tation aristocracy. II was, therefore, palpably
apparent to sagacious craftsmanship that the
inexorable laws of population must ultimately
produce aggressive collision, when the teeming
millions pressed on. and crowded forward by
out slavery, and cut into homesteads it's manor
ial estates: Ultimate extinction was, therefore,
the fate which awaited IL in any event. E'.'
But to await the period of territorial exhaust
ion was as irrational as it was unnatural. The
immense interests of freedom could not afford
to have slavery in the meantime augment its
power and strengthen Its defenses. Tointerpose
and preserve q future theater for homestead and
industrial life commencing with the interests
of rapidly augmenting free population, which,
If yielded, 1t would have to oreconquerand repos-
ssss %a % the ndS hatnral Of
has for the well-being of posterity. Hence the
struggle of statesnlanship and the arts Of diplo-
macy which preceded the recent convulsions.
But the exigencies of future population could
not be controlled by parchment com pacts or con-
ventonal diplomacy. The fairest portion of the
continent was already under the dominion and
suffering the curse of manorial vassalage. Its
peculiar civilization and profiigate social sys-
tenn were contesting the dominion OF the remain
ing portion with the more rugged systems of
the North. One or the other must yield ito the
peaceful arbitrament of material interests and
physical laws, II they wisely chose to direct
their counsel by Tito force, If blind obstinacy
af fnte in a The ef footprints Of Western empire II
peaceful causes were left to work out their results
rashly chose to hazard the experiment Of force
against destiny, and perished in blood.
I have recurred to this stern logic of the past
for the lesson which it teaches. The misfortunes
blind effort to thwart this march of destiny, by
attempting to hold a race of slaves forever tx
ftaea Il asainst HE kigdred per of atiemptiSE To
hold a race of freemen forever excluded from ths
privileges of citizenship. sH' ."fu
Acknowledgement is an issue naturally and
necessarily arising from emancipation. To
ignore1t is in vain-to successfully resist its ult:
mate contamination is impossible. Impartial
manhood suffrag is but question of fine
Emancipation was not more surely the destiny
man. This Government cannot permanently
maintain o stable peace and tranquil unity
while 1t contains within It a numerous and pow
erfni race alienated and made enemies by eX-
clusion from those privileges which alone give
enduring strength TO the ties of allegiance, and
Disfranchisement was an inseparable incident
of servitude. Slavery could only be main tanned
under color of law, which In popular Govern
ments is the expression of the public will. From
that expression the voice of the slave was neces-
sarily excluded. 1t was unnatural that II should
be given to sanction or sanctify the riveting of
his own chains.
But the lettering OF his limbs was of itself not
enough. In order to prevent lis restiveness and
discomfort, his aspirations for freedom were dis
| couraged and repressad by crushing from his
heart every motive 10 seek IL. To this end no.
thing was omitted which could render the con-
dition OF the freedman more intoerable, If pos
sible, than that of servttude. He was excluded
from citizenship; the temples of Justice were
closed against him; he was denied the conn
vagrant and vagabond by the enforced disabili-
ties which hemmei him around, and for being
such was condemned as criminal, and returned
to his chains, voluntarily sought them O
relief from the miseries OF his freedom. u.
Nor were these barbarous disabilities confined
to the dominions'of slavery. Theyoung States
of the Northwest initiated their example. Orig
inally settled by emgrants from the slave States,
they inherited their prejudices and emulated
their rinhumanity Out ofcomplacency to them,
they voluntarily constituted themselves out
posts to the citadel of slavery, and Sanizaries to
guard Its portals. To ''.,' fN' 'Ni ~.
10 this work of barbarity and Outrage the
earlier legislation of Ohio was prostituted Hen
code of black laws is the record OF her greatest
infamy, and deepest shame. This Draconean
code refused asylum 70 the. black man. except
under heavy bonds; denied him settlement and
against him the courts OF justice, by excluding
tha vii m n crime