The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-07-10
THAT QUESTION.


We are somewhat surprised TO hear the avOwal |
Sfthis obsolete sentiment ON the Democrat edited
as it now is, BY a man who usually leads his |
party in every progressive step IL makes.
IF this sentiment is obsolete, it is be- |
cause the future has been overtaken in |
the race of years. In Oregon it is not OBJ.
solete for it is in one sense an uudeter-
mined question. In the next election
this identical question is to be distinctly
put in the election of Legislature that
is to pass upon the 18th Amendment. Ne.
gro suffrage is not satisfactory deduc-
tion to make from the proposition that
others besides white men have been great
In war, in civilization, in architecture aud
government; that it was not tho Cauca.
sian race that reared the monumental pyr-
amids of the Nile; that they were not all
white Generals who led the armies of
Rome to conquest and victory, aud that
the Chinaman was the first to introduce
the use of letters. Now what figure do
these thing cutin the proposalto distribute
great political power among negroes rep
resenting a population of four or Eve mil
ions The ballot is one of the expedients
of Society. 1t belongs to no man as nat
ural right. Ii is granted upon just such
conditions as society may prescribe. Those
conditions may be achievements in war,
In architecture, government-either of
these, all of them, or more.
1t is puerile reasoning which insists
upon an extension of suffrage as means
of elevating and civilizing and making
happier and more useful the negro. The
ballot IS not necessarily 4 blessing; il
may become curse-it is always respon-
sibility. 1t is asked for the negro that he
may protect himself Do we then con-
fess ourselves unwilling or incapable of
protecting him! Shall We invest him
with power for protection against our
selves! What people ever committed
folly comparable With this! five are ca
pable Of dealing justly by him, why shall
We arm hiu! If we are not 50 capable.
shall We expect the exercise of q greater
intelligence and virtue on his part to-
wards US, Recollect the ballot conferred
upon the negro secures him in the right
to make laws for US, as we'll as himself.
Follow the argument of the UHionist,
and observe what baseless fabric it is.
If some modern Cheops with a myriad
slaves should be found rearing q sepul-
chral pile like the first pyramid, would
1t be sensible TO regard his superstitious
work as indubitable proof that he aud his
idolatrous hordes Ough: to be voting in
the United States, even though he should
be negro, which the old Cheops of 3, 900
years ago was not! The Chinese wall is a
more stupenduous accomplishment than
the pyramids, yet shall this architec-
taral feat give the Chinaman the ballot I?
Can you admit the Negro and exclude
the Celestial9 The Generals of the Ro-
man armies we're not negroes had they
been. what achievements in politics do
their achievements in arms foreshad-
Ow! Shall We have commended to us as
sufragan patterns such names as Alaric
and Attilla, before whose impetuous and
barbarous warfare Rome was trodd:n In
the dust! Suppose capacity for enlight-
eminent is to confer the right to political
power in the o aited States-and it should
not cessarlly-has any such capacity
manifested itself in the race now asking
to help govern forty millions of white per-
sons There is no country in the world
older than Africa, and it has. no civiliza.
ton. 1t has productive soil and sub.
lime scenery; it Graded humanity and
sent from its shores the first ray of civil.
cation, yet the light within its shores
went out. and darkness settled upon the
continent that has defed the efforts Of
christianity to penetrate and dispel The
barbarous nations of the North were alb
sorbed in the civilization of Rome. But
the Ethcopians who were introduced int
the Roman armies never even imbibec
the martial spirit of that people.
If more argument is wanting, take
the miserable examples of Hayti and Sar
Domingo, and then say if a people wbt
areso utterly incapable of governing them
selves are ft to be trusted with the Gcv
ernment of white races.
A man needn't be sage to see this
Universal Suffrage in not insisted upor
as in itself desirable thing. It is want
ed as an argument for changing this form
of Government. It is intended, first t.
debase the ballot, then destroy it, to de
grade it, to make it contemplate, con
vert it into an evil, and teach people to dc
test and fear it, until at last, there will b
reYnlsion in the public mind and peopl
will avail themselves of Protectorate or
neutrality-suspicious. steps to impe
rialism-as the only way to break througl
their difficulties end provide safety from
danger. This ia exactly illustrated by tn,