Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-11-24

| mouArcnlh anu eise'~
liable to be oppressive, they have been
equally hostile to pure aud unlimited
democracy, as impractioable for good,
and likely TO degenerate into utter law
lessness and anarchy. Yet, now il is,for
the first time in the annals Of our coun-
ry-now that violence, outrage aud law
lsssness have become so universal and
confirmed upon us as to seem to be rather
our normal than an abnormal condition
il is proposed to extend the franchise
not to all intelligent white foreign
ers who may settle among us, nor
even to Indians, who have, at least, been
educated TO freedom, but to African
blacks, who are naturally inferior TO our
race. who are incapable Of high culiivs-
ton, and are without all education; and
who are depraved, degraded, dangerous
and who have been educated to
vice, aud to obey, without reason,
or reflection, the brutal aud the animal
instincts II it can be reasonably pre-
tended that such a measure as this could,
under such circumstances, be founded in
wisdom, then we confess we must unlearn
the lessons of history and experience
and the teachings Of the sages, who in the
past have unfolded the science of govern.
ment, as adapted to races Of men gov
erned BY antagonist interests, influences
and motives. We must acknowledge,
what we are not yet certain is true, that
in the "march Of mind " and in this
"age of progress we have outstripped
the wisdom Of the founders of our Constr
tuition, and that Of all the ancients. We
must claim to be superior to all ether
peoples, even with our negroes included.
And we must venture on the verge OF
rashness in the consciousness of our self
sufficiency and in the imprudeat attempt
to take on ourselves burden and risk
in our experiment for liberty, in which
no great nation has ever yet reached any
certain and permanent success without it.
We confess that we feel how impotent
may be the Democratic press for the
decision of this question. And we are
aware that to favor negro suffrage might
have even more force againstit than any
antagonist argument which we might be
capable of urging. Probably the most
efficient opposition to policy which we
deem SO deleterious which we could by
possibility make, as at present situated,
would be to support it. But this it is
impossible for us in good faith to do. We
are not willing to gain present advan-
tage, even if we're reasonable to expect
one, by any advocacy of q system, which,
if it is ever fastened on this country,
will fix on us an endless chain and sue
cession of evils, and make an end of the
very possibility of any good and safe
government resulting in prosperity to
the people. The laws will become good
or evil by chance, verdict of the
American people be about as worthy of
respect az the toss up of white or the
verdict of negro petty jury, and instead
of personal security, and an orderly,
peaceful and happy people, we
shall have such protection as can be
secured by irresponsible vigilance COM
mittees, and such prosperity as can be
wrung from the bayonet, from laws i'm
possible of execution, from a condition
of persistent outlawry, vagrancy and
crime, from condition of anarchy |
worse than that of no law, wherein no |
law is respected except by the good who |
need no law, and wherein such law as
exists is insignificant alike for the pro-
lection Of good men and for punishment
Of the evil.
That we do not over-estimate the dan
ger of Incorporating such an element as
a governing power into our body polite
is sufficiently manifest from the charac-
ter of that element itself. 1t is inferior,
and therefore incapacitated by nature to
participate in the work of sovereignty |
and government, and in nation of soye-
reigns can only weaken by dilutisn the
strength of the more capable and wise.
1t is indolent, and therefore vagrant. 1t
has low instincts and is degraded in
caste, and is therefore naturally antsg-
onst to the social superior and inclined
to outlawry, and obedient only on COM
pulsion of physical necessity. Moral
law, with this class, now proposed to be
invested with sovereign power, and it
may be with the balance of power, in
governing States and this nation, is
wholly powerless, little understood, and
utterly ineficacious. And surely this is
not strange, since. as we have before said,
it has been educated to vice. Education
is not all Of the schools, nor yet all
matter Of volition, either in teacher or
pupil. II was for the interest of the mas
ter to walk upright before his slave, in
order that the slave might lead en- honest
life before him. And so we have OBJ,
served that men habitually unpriucipled,
untruthful, and dishonest toward their
own race, were, as a rule and as masters,
governed by the most elevated principles
in their dealings with their slaves, I'M
swerving<in veraeity, and exacting in
example as well as precepi, as to all that
pertains to common honesty and duty.