The Montana post., 1869-03-12
The Montana Post
WHITES AND PEOPLE.

rarE, the Udzttte, ,seml-occaslOnally gives
q spasmodic aud wonderful Democratic
wuggle and then elapses. eel-like, into
comfortable torpidity. Ii had conyul-
sion of that kind yesterday, in throwing
off its fumes on the word white. and
gracefully folds itself up again. sub
timely thanking heaven" for having
wriggled itself through few contor-
tions to gratify the yearnings of those
who believe in "the divine institution
of slavery" We propose to expose its
tricks.
\ few days since it avoided publish
ing the text of the proposed fifteenth
amendment and substituted the word
people" for citizens" claiming that
negroes were not citizens-they were
only people. Taking il upon that asser-
Iion, we submitted extracts from the
Constitution when the word people is
used, and il forthwith attempted TO
sguirm out by saying, that in the Dec
laration of Independence and the Con-
stitution the terms used, 10 be explicit
and convey the exact idea intended,
should be white people" The Gazette
is getting rapidly back TO the old slough
from which Democracy spouted anathe-
mas against any one who asserted the
negro was not animal If the term
people" did not apply to the negro as
well as white in 1916. what authority
have you for substituting il in the
amendment
Again: Ii triumphantly asserts that
Thomas Jefferson wrote the first sen
tence of the Declaration, and that he
Now, il has never before been certainly
tabIished that jefferson wrote the sen,
tence, and his heirs, assigns and descend
ants are under quite an obligation for
the decision of the Gdzette. The fact as
to who wrote it however. or who
amended il, has no direct bearing on
the case. 1t was voted for by fifty six
persons, who appended their names
thereto, including such men as Benja.
min Franklin, Roger Sherman and John
Adams. who were on the committee
with Mr. jefferson, and a number of
other anti-slavery men, and Yankees.
IL meant meH-all men-and they knew
it, when to its support they pledged
their lives, their fortunes and their sa-
cred hOnOrs."
The Gazette further asserts that
when the Posi- attempts to sanction its
course by the sentiments of the great
a \ n.
country il wrongs their memories. and
shoulders load il cannot carry We
have no hesitation in attempting it. JEFF
ferson. the father of the Declaration,
and Washington, the father of the coun>
Try. were both radically opposed TO hu~
man slavery. jefferson in 1888 drew
and secured the passage of the act of
Virginia iorbidding the importation of
slaves, and drew up and procured the
passage of the organic act of the Terri
tory of Ohio. when it was ceded from
Virginia in 1850. providing that after
1900 there should be no slavery nor in
voluntary servitude in the States north
west of the Ohio, other than as punish
ment for crime"
Washington in 1856 wrote 10 Mr..
Morris of Philadelphia: There is not n
man living wno wishes more sincerely
than do 10 see plan adopted for the
abolition of slavery. But there is only
one proper and effectual mode BY which
il can be accomplished, and that is by
Legislative authority, and this, as far as
my suffrage will 60, will never be want
ing
They were each radical on the negro
question in their day, and in view of
the expressions and after deeds of JEFF
ferson there can be no doubt of the in
lent and meaning of the term in the
Declaration, if we assume that lie wrote
II, that ''all men are created equal"
Taxation without representation is
tyranny Then it follows that repre>
sentation should not be denied to citi-
zens whatever their color or, we lapse
INTO tyranny. Mr.. jefferson certainly
believed the two races equally free for
his pen drew up a bill of freedom
tor ali the then. Northwest. He may
lIave believed il impossible for 1.-TWO ra~
ces equally tree To live in the same gov
ernment. but he was fallible. and that
was not the only error of his life. and he
lived To repent OF many. No statesman
OF America has more inconsistent rec>
ord than Mr.. Jefferson. The Constitu-
tion at the United States did not meet
his approval. and he overstepped il in
the purchase of Louisiana He venerat-I
ell Christ and died an infidel. He be-
iieved in individual Independence, yet
when Burr sianed he was relentlessly
severe, and threw the weight of the
Presidential office against him. He
thought thirteen States should have a
rebellion at least every eleven years,
and believed in State sovereignty, yet
when be succeed TO the Presidency, il
was an example of thoroughly used CEN
tralized power. He was a true friend 10
freedom and great statesman. but one
of the most violent partizans the couns
try mas produced, so violent in his party
views that his judgment was sometimes
warped by prejudice in the contests of
lis daN 20 be radically chanoed ufter-