The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-03-25
Is white Government a FaiIuree

Is White Goyernment Failure?
For eighty geaIs orko, We managed
10 get On very GomfortabIy under a
/ p o L ifie a ! system which permitted
whites, md vhites alone, to vote. We
eeffainlH enjoyed 4 very far measure
of prosperity. But suddenly it is pro-
posed TO change the whole pro-
gramme. In the opinion of many
there exists most pressing necessity
for inviting the negroes, North and
South, to share the responsibilities of
the hegoNeEnmeatzWith Gheyzinsist
that we shall hare the benefit of the
immense, amount of knowledge and
political experience possessed by our
lately made American citizens of ,Af--
rican consent a.,s,a.. ~ e,.f i.
ld The question now before the people
is whether this latter view of the mat
ter is coTeet-whether the Govern
ment, upon the part of the whites, has
been such. a failure that we must seek
the negroes as new partners in it, or
consent that it shall perish That Of
late the whites have made very bad
bungle of the business of government
we freely concede. That those whites
who have been the cause of this bung-
ling should doubt their own capacity
as rulers, is, perhaps, not to be won
dered at. That they should think that
even the negro would be an improve
ment upon them, is, by no means,
strange. We find no fault that they
should look to the negro for his adj
vice, that they should turn away in
order to secure it. If we had never
had any other specimen of white
government than such as they have
given. us, the argument against its con-
tinuances, involved in our question at
the head of this article, would be an
swered in the aft affirmative. r1nf I,slIa,s4 vol
50 The negro might not do us any good,
might make confusion worse con-
! founded, but still a nevertheless, il
fwould not alter the fact that those whe
are at present managing our affairs are
not competent to the task. But, for
tunately, their late administrations in
pour Union have been exeeptionable in
lGharacter. They. have been elevated
to power when the mind of the public
was in badly diseased and miserably
impaired; condition. .,;1 N al f,..bsile
70 There are fools in all families who
Twill sometimes getthe lead, and the.
have been doing SC, fora few years il
the United States But this does no
I prove that the whites, as q. genera
thing, are not capable of government
and they are under the necessity Q
appealing an alien or lately enslayet
race for assistance. .,,f.,,.l.,I. ,,..s.,,,
I The negro has no natural right to b.
I a voter, or to be member, in any re
lspect, of our political society. He dit
, not found it, Those who did have
7 perfect right, to admit to it, or rejec
I fom it, all whom they please. Suffrage
is never a natural, but is always a con
ferred, right. If it was natural, the
not only women but /. children an.
aliens would have as much right to i
as any body. But the founders of th
4 society require tests. They requir
sex, age, residence, society, and the
| have always hitherto made colora sin
: qua non of citizenship. If the negr
is called to vote, as one of the exclude
; classes, it is but an act Of grace an
favor. -, -.
r. Why should this favor be extende
e to him T. would simply add to ou
present political dissensions that Of
strife between different races and CO.
= 'ors, always the, most embittered {
4 any antagonisms. Itwould soon be
contest, in a-Iarge portion Of our cour
try, of two races for the, ascendenc
on the same soil. 1t would be, an in
} mense reinforcement to the. stolid is
Z france and incapacity Of the country :
I 1T would be clothing the descendan,
d "a race that never could maintai
amy regularly organized goyernm Ell
! at all, with the highest functions of
! Republican ruler. The idea, is too al
, surd to be entertained for a ,momen
: If our politics are degraded 1o'
y enough now, they would be, sunk ii
I fillitefy below it by this negro additio
2 to the bal1ot-box. SiA. - b9''e :"
y The truth, is, that those il in, this Icoui
b try who are opposed to any republ
y can government at all, who desire
. break the whole system down. Al ii
I Eieuri-,,ttiiing Eieuri-s,ttiiing this policy of 80 eniargfn
= the elective franchise that, to use
u vulgar expression, the, whole thin
$ win be g run into the, ground, and
S entirely abandoned. The reign of
= ridiculous anarchy " would be suppian
J ed by a military force.-C Csact,,alia a
e E,,o,,sre,.i 'tA9i fGSmitH9s hsi& 3ui1e
d .z4g ali te Mal .Ing blIa .lgeodgs
i N More Blunldsri ns. 9Fiis7sqa
u 1t seems that Thomas II. Foulds
J Ineligible to the position Of Pc
Il Master at Cincinnati, under section
= of the post Office act of July I'd, 1ss
ri which contains the following claus
j.; = .s And no person shall hold the Off
j of Postmaster who shall not be, ],
a actual resident of the city or ton
N wherein the office is situated, or di