The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1869-04-02

ence OF the past has proved that theIf
rights, as race, are quite as safe with
those who now seek to make of them
political power. 1t is for this pur-
pose, and this alone, they are now
sought to be vested with the right of
suffrage.
In every right that belongs to the ne
gro, as man, he is entitled to and has
always found protection in this Com
monwealth. The declaration of rights
of the constitution is his ample shield
and defence. Life, liberty and prop
erty, trial by jury, ha6eas corpus, edu-
cation and all the other great privi-
leges won by the Saxon and perpetu-
ated in our institutions are freely ac-
corded to the negro. Beyond this the
/ people of this Commonwealth have
never gone, and | believe, are unwil-
ling now to go. The political power
OF the State has always vested in the
white race, and it should remain there.
/ The Creator has distinctly marked
! the line of difference between the two
races. The elevation of the one to the
privileges and society of the other is
the degradation of the superior. The
attempt to alter the order of nature
will bring upon the negro the resent
ment of the white. Prejudices found
ed upon nature are ineradicable in
| their character. The attempt of the
negro to 60 to the polls with the white
man will produce difficulties between
them, and the law will be invoked to
enable the negro to exercise the right
you give him. This will but serve to
increase the prejudice and arouse still
more keenly the feelings of passion.
The interests and we'll being of the
white man in this CommonW aalth are
more important than are those of the
negro, for if suffrage be the great test
of happiness and of progress, how
much more important that four mil
lions of whites shall be protected there
by than seVenty-fve thousand negroes.
In what respect do we benefit the
white race by this amendment, and in
what is the negro so largely benefited?
Will the votes of the negroes add to
our prosperity, our happiness, or our
national progress? Can the admix-
ture of the inferior add to the value of
the superior, or will it deteriorate and
reduce its quality? Tie benefit to be
attained is purely partisan. The pro-
position is born of the necessities of
the republican party. Nine thousand
majority at the polls in October last,
with all the prestige and popularity of
a military ehieftain to aid you, demon
strated the necessity for more votes,
and in this you hope to obtain them.
/ The right of voting and of being voted
for have always gone together in Penn
/ sylvania, but this proposition is a
negation of that principle, 1t says to
the negro, "help 4a to power and
| place, but you shall have mono of it -
The practical workingof this amend
mcnt will be preJudicial to the best in
terests of the State. Many of the best
class of white citizens now refrain
/ from voting because of the difficulty of
access to the polls and the waste of
time consequent thereon, aud if the
secret workings of the minds of many
of these were discoverable, it would be
/ found that contempt for the system
/ and the character Of the means used in
| political struggles largely enter into
the motives of these citizens. VIII
/ this be improved or rendered worse by
/ the further debasement of suffrage? |
do not pretend to justify such Senti-
ments, but we would be foolish to ig-
more their existence, especially in the
large cities and more populous locali-
| ties. There, too, often are found lines
of voters a square in length, in which
| each must take his turn, and every
artihoe and trick is resorted to to en-
barrass the right and delay its exer-
else, and citizens must remain for
/ hours in order to vote. These are
some of the reasons why many of cur
| best citizens refuse to vote. Will we
increase the number of this class who
visit the polls by sandwiching them
on a warm October afternoon between
/ two stalwart negroes?
1t is our duty to protect the interests
of the whole people and not sacrifice
the settled policy ofthe State for the
/ benefit Of a few, Negroes never were
electors in Pennsylvania, and l take
distinct issue with the Senator from
Erie Mr.. Lowry upon that point
Judge Agnew, of the Supreme Court,
in the Pennsylvania convention OF
1888 said: "The history of Pennsyl-
vania proves that the African race
never were considered part of the
sovereignty of Pennsylvania. They
were not looked upon as being part
of the community at all, and conse-
quently they could have no right to
vote"
Mr.. Fisher. Does the Senator deny
that the Africans did vote in this State? :?
Mr.. Wallace. do not deny that In
some counties of the State they were
permitted occasionally to vote, but
that they had right to do so is ex-
pressly denied by Judge Agnew; and
Chief Justice Gibson in Hobbs VS.
Fogg, 9Th Watts, expressly decided they
had no such rights. The law of Penn's
and the policy of its people, have al
ways created them as an inferior race
and as such they are recognized to this
day. This position is fully re-assertet
in the case of the West Chester anC