Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-11-05
The Fifteenth Amendment.

NoTuING of recent date, IN connection
with our politics, is, or can be, of more
importance 60 all parties of the Republic
than the pending or Fifteenth Amend.
mcnt 60 the National Constitution, where
by II is proposed to put final cxtinguish
Cr upon all further negro questions in
American politics. The purpose in nam.
ing this amendment was TO establish
standard OF American citizenship rather
higher than anything Of previous date
for while, by the Fourteenth Amt ndment,
all persons born or naturalized in the
United States are declared citizens of the
Republic and of the several States thereof,
1t allowed Of Acknowledgement on account
OF race, color, or previous condition of
servitude, which, though unavoidable at
the time OF its adoption, cannot now be
regarded by rejecting men as anything
less than moneirous, placing, MS il did, the
suffrage in the attitude of distinguishing
hldcous system of caste, and making
badges of servitude where none should
exist.
Under the new, or Fifteenth Amend.
ment, no such distinction can be tolerated
any longer in this land of freedom, since
they are and can be nothing more than
remnants of that fearful bondage called
ehattcl slavery, that we have cxterminat.
eel at the cost OF so much blood and treas.
ure. whether, having gone 81 far and
done SO much, and paid such an awful
price To rid ourselves of this monstrous
creation of cruelty, cupidity and avarice,
we should now allow this romnisconcc
ot II To blacken our statutes and cast dis
grace and reproach upon the nation is n
question for every man TO solve for him
SELL II we do SO allow il to remain, we
may rest assured that, like slavery, il will
constitute an endless source OF agitation
pollllcal trouble, intornecine strife and dis.
cord throughout the Republic What
that state of things is we know from sad
experience, and the sutlerinrs endured Inv
the whole country from II should, by this
time, have warned all sufficiently agains,
it,
Yet We find these Rourhons Of the Re.
public, the patient Democrats, all rallvinp
to man against all attempts. to change
the statute, and determined, AT all hazards
IN every way legal and irregular, and {,
the last degree, to resist the ratification q,
the Fifteenth Amendment, which i
destined to be u new charter of Freedom
to he an example shining from ahr unit,
the nations of the earth, as to the copacity
oi humanity for sellgOyemmont Thes,
desperate lovers ~ agiMtion and caste
hung on To the last Nosiigc of that system
which has Tor so many years been thoil
very meat and drink, politically. n,
though IL tore their very hcartSlrinCs I,
separate FROM IT, They see that IL mus
come eventually. There is hardly a mal
OF them but willprivatcly admit It In al
unguarded moment
Men say: "Those poor blacks are Ia,
Ignorant and degraded to be alow,l I,
vote" But II seems they know thci
friends from their enemies; that tho,
know free institutions from aristocrniic
that they know those who will slstain an,
protect from those who oppose them
Tho purpose of mans vote is TO cpabl
him ia defend his own rights. Uenc
those blacks are quite rs intelligent to tina
end as most other people, and may lreel,
be allowed to vote.
We do not take the ground that In
right to vote is an inherent one, all o Igl
Jtlltrsons doctrine of the right of sell
government seems 90 bear u at ntcrpreu
ton Jefferson doubtless meant that IN
people, as body, have the right of sell
government, subject, of course, 10 rcstric
tlon indispensable, in orlcr Ga guard IN
purity OF the ballnt-box and to distinguish
me permanent resident and the lawahdiu
clilen from the shifting mass of adver
turerS ana unsettled people, aud the hOrl
OF YagabondS and thieves. Butthnt ever
pcrmanent resident should he subject ,
the same equal rights, we domaintam an
always have The cOlored citizen is, mn,
ourselves, native, lie has never know
any other land or flag lie never expect
TO know any other. He has his record q
the hattle-ticlds and in the army rolls ,
the Republic He lives here subject TO N
same condition of life as the rest, and ash
nothing more than 10 take his chances.
This amendment is one OF peace an
harmony II will put the negro upon IA
same level North and South, and max
hln no longer proicgc of the nation b,
cause ot his emancipation, but nm ei
innchised citizen Ike the rest, to take n
chances as best he may. 1t will fnrev,
pun an end TO agitation on the subject
the cgr0-P,l tdolplta Norh 1I,Srie1