The Placer herald. [volume] (Auburn, Placer County, Calif.) 1855-1991, 1868-09-12


mate success.
Now, with all this before our eyes, our
Radical opponents propose to surrender
ton States to unlimited negro Suffrage
that is practically to the control of
mass of negroes just freed from slavery y
ignorant of the means by which suffrage is
expressed, semi-barbarous field hands of
the very lowest grade Of mental and moral
Development
Was ever an attempt made more rash or
perilous? The negro is not an untried
contact in Egypt with the civilization of
the world. He has been in contact with it
ever since. Greece, and Rome, and after
wards modern Europe on one shore of the
Mediterranean, and ancient and modern
Africa on the other, illustrate the subject.
On his own soil, whatever may be said of
other races there, he has never shown of him.
self any capacity for political or social or
ganization; never has risen above the
tribal condition.
The inconsistency of the partizans OF re-
construction is something wonderful. What
was the point Of the attack upon slavery
Why was it finally abolished
| One main ground, and perhaps the
ground most insisted on by our opponents,
was that it had a most pernicious and de-
grading effect upon the negro. But if those
four millions of negro slaves, field hands,
and all, were qualified, Immediately
after their freedom, to receive indiscrimi-
nate suffrage, and assume the burdens
and the responsibility Of eur political in
situations which are tasking the supreme
civilization Of the American race-then has
slavery proved itself the most extraordinary
civilizer and elevator of an inferior race
that the world has yet seen. Applause.
MICRO SUFFRAGE IN THE SOUTH CONTROLS
THE COUNTRY.
This policy of indiscriminate negro suf-
frage does not hurt the ton States only. 1t
strikes at us all in the other States.
This mass of negro voters practically con-
trolls the election Of twenty Senators and
fifty Representatives in Congress. Those
twenty Senators representing this negro
vote will neutralize in the United States
Senate the votes of ten of the great States
that stretch from the Hudson river to tho
Missouri; New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Mis-
souri,, Iowa and Michigan. Florida, with
white vote of o little over half the
vote of San Francisco, will neutralizo
in the Senate this State with its white vote
of at least 100000, and in the Senate and
House will neutralize Oregon or Nevada.
We donot deny the rights OF the negroes as
human beings. We know their helpless
friends, that have ever been for treating
them with humanity-for giving them that
equal protection of life, liberty and lawful
pursuits which We give to our women and
children. Does 1t follow that because
the negro is helpless and an object of
our sympathy that he must be admitted
into partnership in the Government APP
plause To say SO is to cOntound two things
utterly different. 1t is only the prurient
Sell timentality Of the day which could con
fou 4 them. Such sentimentality, ut bot
ton, il generally cruel, and always I'M
natural. 1t is most like the virtue OF that
debauched sentimentalist who was said to
have boon found weeping over dead ass
in the highway, while his mother was
rotting in u dungeon for debt Applause.
THE RECONSTRUCTED CONSTITUTIONS.
The first product of the Congressional
policy in the line of government is seen in
the Constitutions of several of the States.
The conventions which formed them con-
tanned large element of the negro freed
men.
The work Of forming Constitution has
always, hitherto, been treated among us as
the highest test of the political capa-
city and virtue of the State. The conven-
tons which formed our State Constitutions
have generally contained large proper
ton of our best men--ex-P Presidents, Chief
Justices, distinguished statesmen, lawyers,
merchants, farmers, the true representative
men of the community.
In the States Of the South field hands
take the places Of such men us these in the
Constitutional Conventions.
We would not utter harsh word of
these poor people. We have nothing in the
world against them. We do not hold them
accountable. We insist simply on fixing the
responsibility in the right quarter-on the
shoulders of our opponents, who for their
own purposes have poisoned the sources Of
government and Of civilization in ten
States of tho Union.
NEGRO EQUALITY TEST oATHs - DIsFRAN-
oHIsElLENT OF THE WHITE PEOPLE OF THE
COUNTRY.
As you do not gather figs from thistles,
these Constitutions are just what might
have been expected. The inferior race is
the central figure Of the new body polite.
To maintain him there the most odious
means are adopted-nothing less than the
permanent Acknowledgement in those States
of nearly all the whites, and indeed of the
great majority of the whites in the other
States of the Union.
This has been denied over and over by
our opponents.
Constitution of Arkansas, adopted by the
Convention February IL, 1868:
"Sec s. All persons, before registering
cor voting, must take and subscribe the
following oath: l, -, do solemnly
"swear Tor afiirm) that 1 will support and
"maintain the Constitution and laws of the
"United States, and the constitution and
claws Of the State Of Arkansas /; that am
not excluded from registering or voting
"by any of the clauses in the 1st I'd, Sd, or
cath subdivisions of article VIII of the
it,,ti ,f tba tote nr vi
"that will never countenance or aid in
" the secession of this State from the United
Estates that ,oiN accept the CiUu and po-
"htical equality Of all men, and agreenot to
"atte,npt to deprive any person or persons,
con account OF race, color on previous con-
edition, Of any political or oiuil right priui-
Siege, or immunity enjoyed by any other
"cLass Of men; and, furthermore, that l will
"noti in any way injure, or countenrnce in
"othersany attempt toinjure, any person or
"pers0ns on account of past or present sup
sport of the Government of the United
estates, the laws of the United States, or
"the principle Of tepolitical and civitequat-
city Of aumen, or for utilization with any
"political party"
The Same provision is in the Constitu
tons of Alabama and Louisiana, and
similar provision in effect in the Constitu-
tons of Virginia and Mississippi. have
not seen the terms OF the provision III THO
other Southern States.
Here then is q test oath as to negro
equality which DISTINGUISHES the mass of the
whites in the South. Under it, not one of
the great majority of voters in the Northern
States, over two millions, opposed to negro
suffrage, could remove to one of the recon-
structed States without being disfranchised.
Not one man in ten in California could vote
under it. Almost the entire body of
adopted citizens and Of European immi-
grants are excluded by it from those States.
Your candidate for the Presidency, Horatio
Seymour, could never take that oath.
Tremendous applause, He would be as
much DISTINGUISHED as the felon who had
just been discharged from the penitentiary.
The meanness and the malice of test
oath is that it searches mans conscience
to punish him for his opinions. These
Constitutions are strange sight In FREQ
America. They carry us back to the