The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-08-19

Lincoln's Opinion on Negro Equality.
The Radical State Convention at
Columbus, have declared by resolu-
ton in favor of the Fifteenth so-called
Amendment of the Constitution which
seeks to force negro suffrage on the
people of all the States regardless of
their wishes. The platform adopted
by that convention says that essential
justice" requires that the four millions
of negroes within the Union, should
be made the political equals of white
men. This is not the doctrine of
Abraham Lincoln whose wisdom, and
honesty the Radicals pretend to hold
in such reverence. In one of his
memorable debates with Donglas, re-
viscd by him he repelled as slanderous
the imputation, that because he wished
negroes to have acages that therefore
he desired them to have Uotes. His
language ON the subject, was SO clear
and emphatic that it is worth reprodu-
cing. We copy from the authorized
publication of the debates referred to,
the following passage. Mr.. Lincoln
said: @@5si
81 have no purpose to introduce
POLITICAL and social equality be-
tween the white and the black races.
There IS a phyical difference betreen
the t,Co 4chich IN MY JUDGEMENT eciU
probably forbid their eUe, Icing to-
gethe1' upon the footing Of perfect
equality. and inasnuch as it becomes
a necessity that there must be q diff
ference. |, as we'll as Judge Douglas,
am iii favor OF the race to which be-
long having the superior position. l
have never said anything to the con-
trary; but hold that, notwithstand-
ing all this, there is.no reason in the
world why the negro is not entitled to
all the natural rights enumerated in
the Declaration of Independence, the
right to life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness. L hold that he is as
much entitled to these as the white
man. | agree with Judge Douglas, he
| is not my equal in many respects
certainly not in color, perhaps not in
moral or intellectual endowments.
But in the right to eat the bread, with
out the leave of any body else, which
his own hand earns, he is my equal,
and the equal of Judge Douglas, and
the equal of every living man.. ys
Upon subsequentoecasion he said:
"While was at the hotel to-day,
an elderly gentleman called upon me
4 4 in 70
of producing perfect equality between
the negroes and white people. While
I had not proposed to myself on this
occasion to say much on that subject,
yet as the question was asked me
thought | would occupy perhaps five
minutes in saying something in regard
to it. will say then, that / am not
nor ece7' haze been an favoT Of bringing
about IN any aoay the social and potttt-
cal eGuality Of the aohite and black ra-
ces-that I am not nor eUel' hare been
an facor of making Uoters or jurors OF
negroes, nor Of qualifying them to. hold
i office, or intermariy with the white
people; and will say in addition to
this that THERE IS A PHYSICAL DIFFER
CNCE BETWEEN THE WHITE AND BLACK
RACES WHICH BELIEVE WILL FOREVER
4 FORBID THO TWO RACES LIVING ToGETH-
Err ON TERMS, OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL
4 EQUALITY. And inasmuch as they
cannot so live, while they do remain
together there MUST BE THE POSITION
; OF SUPERIOR AND INFERIOR. and
l. as much as any other man, am il
favor of having the superior position
assigned to the white race" g
These were the matured views held
and repeated by Mr.. Lincoln over and
. over again. They expressed his con
viction as to the character of, the negro
and the inherent obstacle to giving
i him the same political rights as white
men. The obstacle (according to, Mr.
Lincoln) existed in nature itself it ex
listed when he uttered it, and nothing
that has since occurred, has removed
it. Was Mr.. Lincoln less a friend o
! the negro than the desperate partisan
: who now madly seek to keep them
ID selves in power, by making him Yo
ter.-aStdtesmda,