Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-03-19
THE QUESTION CALMLY CON
.SyDERED


BUNK, closing as follows:-
II can say with you that the Delaware
'ssTRIBuNR is the largest and best paper In
s.the State. But it favors Negro Suffrage
81 am like thousands of other Union men,
'am opposed to that. Therefore cannot
encourage it. Enclosed please find one
''dollar for the time you have sent the pa
''per," &C., &c. Yours, P. c. CARrKR.
Whiteleysburg, Kent Co., Del.
We receive, sometimes, in the multitude
of letters that reach us, paying for, sub
scribing for, contributing to, the TRIBUNE,
orders to discontinue, for varions reasons,
most prominent Of which is perhaps the diff
Guilty that they are already pensioned with
some old paper, and cannot, however much
they desire, get rid of it. But the letter
given is, we believe, only the second, or
possibly the third, that we can remsmber
which stopped our paper because we have
argued in favor of the right Of colored citi-
zens to vote.
Now can we not talk calmly over the
question, with Mr.. Carter, and everybody
else, not soliciting him to renew his sub
scription, but considering whether he had
good reason for suspending it!
Is the fact that man has dark colored
skin sufficient reason why he should not
help make the laws under which he has TO
live? 1t must he remembered that he
pays taxes according to the value of his pro-
perry, to sustain the law, and pay its officers.
He is bound, equally with all others to obey
the law. He is obliged, when the law is
defied by violence, to take up arms to sus-
tain it. Is it reasonable, or fair, then, Mr.
Carter, that he should have no share in
malingit? Isit just that other men should
make bargain for him and oblige him to
i've up to it?
You will, Of course, remember that the
Declaration of Independence, the first and
greatest, as it is the most universally re-
cognized, expression Of our theories of
Government the principles and rights, which
as people we declare to be eternally true,
does not make distinction on account OF
color. 1t would have redeemed our faces
with shame, if in that appeal to the world
and to posterity, the nation had declared
that only persons of certain complexion
had an inalicnable right to life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness. Thomas Jefferson,
father of all that is good in the Democratic
party; James Madison, his co-laborer, who
/ -. fro, nj arI LODI
the Constitution, never ventured to express
so absurd, so bald, so unjust theory as
that.
When the States were united, las they now
are, not more than one did positively forbid
the negro to vote. They voted in majority
of the ''old thirteen" Only single State
and that was South Carolina-had in 1T
clause on suffrage, the word ''while."
For sixteen years after independence wa
declared, and five years after she prompt,
stepped forward and signed her name frs
on the list of States ratifying the Nationa
Constitution, Delaware had no provision
that white men only might vote. Not till
a new frame of government was adopted il
June, 1892, was the clause to that effect in
serted.
Coming to the present, can you say, Mi
Z Carter, that all the colored men of Delawai
3 are, because of their color, unfit to vote
u Are not they equal to other men whose OF
y portunities Of education and improvement
" have been no greater? Can you not poll
l. n,t xf,,r NUN knnup1nt1irn Al ,.,l,itn MN,
y. equally as ignorant, as vicious, and as disr
az putablc as the worst ''nigger' you know
Docs the whiteness of mans skin maj
n him good citizen? If not, why do you I
" strict privileges to those only who are whit,
y You know, of course, that in all hunt
~ governments, the citizen and the law ha
u reciprocal duties. The citizen supports d
~ law, and receives in return, its protectio
10 Should it be assailed by armed force he jeo
81 ardzcs his life to defend its authority. I'll
y has been the case in the history of tl
ps country, on not less than three conspcuo
&c occasions. When the colonies fought f
- independence the people joined TO ACHE
it, t0ithout regard To cotor. The slav
who served in the patriot army, were ma
= free for their gallanlry, and their humble
were not few. So again, in 1872, color
~ men fought for the country, and at NJ
" Orleans, won from Andrew jackson hims
the warmest Communications for their her
ism. Last Of all, can you forget the rcco
the late struggle in which the color
- troops summoned to save the unity OF t
- Republic, preserve the rule of law, and pi
tect my property and yours, were number
by hundreds of thousands Did you THU
nj il WRONG that colored men should be dra
ip ed? Did you think it wrong that til
OF should endangcr their lives to defend t
H. common interest? Do you, then, think
81 the obligation is on their side and none
ng yourss
~, They have protected the law, but the Ii
le. does not protect them. Upon the staff
Is book of our own State was a long list
q as laws, some Of which yet exist, and none
M which were erased till the fiat of the
nd tional Congress compelled it. Is this ]
cir ticey
-" In the State Of Delaware there are f
hit men of white complexion for every one c
mrs ored. Ii the colorcd men vote, are d,
If afraid that their one ballot will count m
in than four. II SO, how can you explain t
nd fear. These, Mr.. Carter, are few con-
~ erations Of this subject, and some OF
~ questions which your letter suggests, II
~, do you answer thoms
49, THE LESSON OF VICTORY.
SIS. New Hampshire has been carried for
ese Republicans, for General Grant, for inn
the tial suffrage, for Reconstruction, for
said parchment, against Andy johnson, b
all PnmernY and similar :. white men. in