The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1869-03-05
Impartial Suffrage.


MEssRs. EDITORS OF THE STATE GuARD:--
The pregnant events Of the Nineteenth cen.
tury have furnished additional evidence of
the progressive tendencies of revolutions -
the late rebellion. or observation-disclosures
term the future historian may accord it-has
been followed by revolutions, peaceful, it is
| true, yet as decisive in their accomplish
mcnts as though effected by the sword. The
lines which determined the political parties
are completely destroyed. The Democratic
party, stricken nervcless, failed ut the close
of the war, aud has not since succeeded IN
cOmprchpndng the necessities of the times
Protest against usurpatlons of power real
or imaginary, do not propose to discuss
turtle clamOrings about ideas which had per-
ished, and fool hardy untagonism to the de-
m1nds and march of Inevitable progress,
comp, ised the vocabulary of its orators and
writer's. Whether the eaders of that party
could have retained the sceptre, by having
adopted different policy, or whether, having
! lost power, they could have reganed it, j.
foreign to my subject. The termination of
the war succe sslully. settled finally the ques-
tions of Slavery. Notification and Secession;
the election Of Grant has rs finally settled
| the question as the Presidential or Congress
siona Reconstruction as well as the doctrine
or heresy of liquidation in any shape, how
ever specous. The only National question
| open now is Sulfra re. | say then, it Is USE
| less to speculate or thco,i2e upon the proha-
! biIty OF possibilities becoming realities; we
must take the parties Of TODAY as they stand
| not as they mi yht hay" stood; we must take
! events as they actually transp re- not as we
| may have desired them 10 come to pass -
! This grandest question of Suffrage is yet TO
| he answered. this sublime problem to be
| -. ..,, In
led in the plans, the discussions and the
vtrroRY Of the coming political contest. ]
affirm that on this question the position Of
| the Democratic arty is denied by Honor,
| Honesty and Justice. challenge any DEM
! ocrat to give M a reason ssr excluding Ne
gG0ea from tie baliOt.box, which will rot
| equally apply to many thousnnds of white
voters. 1t is nothing but prejudice; or, a.
some dsclaim prejudice, objection is made
to conierring sniirtage upon the Negro, ms
'mpolitic.' If men would only abandon
this miserable question of "pnlicv," the
question would speedily be answ"rcd aliirma-
tive piy--not Ivy act--Of Congress; not Wy Con
stitutional Amendments, but by a direct
vote nf the people Of each State Let each
man. Ajrc,rding the policy of the movement,
ask hilnsclr: Have | the right TO deny the
race of men who ate endowed with immortal
.ous; who. equally with me-. are acceptable
| to Con; who. with rn", will he Judged 10y
| Omn;poienre; who. with me, will he reward
ed for his m-riis. or punished for his SIM;
men whom Con regards not my interiors; be-
ings possessing the ssine p ys cal powers rs
! | possess; men who a'c rational, men who ate
| born live and die rs live and will die-E
nsk hav" the right to deny sQch beings
the privileges which possess? If J have
this right. whence and from whom lid | r.
rrive it? Is the mere color Of the skin a sur
! hcemt reason? Shnuld features l-ss delicate
| or manners lent refined than mino justify my
| denial? eu"crlaIive n0ncPnSe is il 10 take
such answers as reasons; and yet because a
! man j. Il ''nigger' ir sufficient reason to the
Democratic party for rhc preparation of "a
hid 'ouS wrong on fellow man! But further
the du les Of spvrrei n sad subject are recip-
ro"ai. The subject contributes an usseSsrd
quota Of the expenses Of the sovereign; The
sovereign guarantees tO the subject protrc-
ton to life. liberty and franchises. Among
the rights, or tie f famch>es guaranteed by
/ Our Commonwealth, representing the sOvrr
eigr. to tru white male taxpayer, is the
right t0 vote I'lis is an absolute right -
| No questions is asked as to his Intelligence; /;
no eyamiration made Of his understanding
of the Fundamental prin"ipa's Of the organic
laws OF tie State. or United States; he may
he brought 10 tie pOls from The iuil he may
stagger uD. rocking with the fumes OF villain
oIs liqnOr, to exercise in wOsn than brutal
condition one Of the most important rights
OF an American ctiZrn Does not the negro
contribute HIS quota Of taxes? i he not as
srsSrd? Does not the collector demand,
and failing to receive the assessed tax, lew
! upon. and di.tress the property Of the negro?
| II would seem that my proposition as to the
! relations of sovereign anil subject was not
eosnd; for while Pennsylvania the sovereign,
demands aud exacts from the negro, the sub
irct, duties and faxes. she denies Ia him priv
! leges accorded the white man, her other sub
pct The negro must bear 1.-THE heat and
hnrthcu of the day" hut may not avail him
self OF thp shadow, under which his white CO.
| lahorcr may refresh himself Is this iu,t?-
| But further: The highest right IA sovereign
poSSpsscs--but for which he is equally hound
| to the greatest recomnonSr-is the right to
! the service of the subject in the time of war;
I Did not the negro obey the call made on hin?
| Did he filter when death confronted him on
! the field of battle, and bPcGOnPd cnward?-
| Was not life as sweet, home rs cherished nd
| children beloved hy the negro as by the
white patriot? Did not hearts bow, and
| fond lips mnrmur as sorrOSfny for him rs
! for the white soldier who sealed his love of
country with his life? Is not the breath of
the same God in HIM as in me? To compel
! the negro to bear the burthen, hut not enjoy
the privileges Of citizenship, is nOtoriouslv
| inconsistent with the fundamental principles
! Of our constitutions; the discrimination;
apart from its unholy injustice, creates Il
privileged class, than which nothing was far
ther from tie designs of the PATREs PATRIA,
! know many objections are urged against
nrgro suffrage hat cannot recognize them
as deduced from slight reason or good morals
lex.