Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-07-12
Not for Color but for Manhood.

The following from the St, Louis Democrat,
one of the leading Radical papers of the West,
is far more honorable and out>spoken than
anything we have ever seen expressed in a
West Virginia Radical sheet -
When the St. Louis Democrat took up the
cause of the ensaved black man, that cause
was far more unpopular than the enfranchise-
ment of white men is now. To human eyes
it seemed the struggle of life time of obloquy
and defeat We enlisted in that cause, never
theless, not because we loved the black man,
not because we cared for one race rather than
another. and surely from no hope of reward or
advantage to ourselves, but simply because we
believed that the denial of rights to any class
of men is dangerous to the State and unjust
to those DISTINGUISHED. We believed then, as
we believe now, that all men ought to share
in the blessings of freedom and equality, of
civil and political rights, and that "taxation
without representation is tyranny"
We cared nothing for the negro then, as
such, and we care nothing for the rebel now
we care only for the citizen and the State
Obloquy met us then it is no stranger now.
We learned long ago to fight for our convic-
tions, and trust to the result for vindication.
We believe that the disfranchisement of those
who participated in rebellion, when continued
one moment longer than public necessity re-
quires it, is dangerous to the State, dangerous
to the party that attempts it, fatal to peace
and order, gross injustice, and species of
slavery not more or less offensive because the
men subjected to their fellows happened to be
white For what else but slavery is it to sub
iect men to a government in which they have
no share, without necessity, and compel them
to pay taxes without voice in the disposal of
their money? Prolonged one hour after the
necessity for it has ceased, this is slavery,
tyranny We should be false to those Re-
publican principles which babe us battle for
negro emancipation and enfranchisement, if
we failed to do our utmost to prevent such a
wrong. Shall we be silent because the dis
franchised happened to be white men Not
more than we were silent when the disfran-
chised were black. Justice is not matter of
color. Shall We cringe before deep feeling,
amounting, in some cases, to lasting hatred
Not one bit more than we yielded to the pre-.
judiee of color! One is as unjust and un-
reasoning as the other We believe in a Re-
publican government and in the justice and
wisdom of equality of rights. Men who
fought for negro suffrage not knowing what
they were about may oppose us. But he who
was moved by principle to give suffrage to the
blacks must abandon that principle to-day, or
give suffrage also to disfranchised whites:
*
The Democrat fights for no race, but for
mankind for no prejudice, but for justice
for no class, but for equal rights. let those
who think opposition will dismay US or abuse
deter, remember the gloomy years before the
war. Our friends-who are they? Those only
who believe in giving to all men "equal and
exact Justice" That is old Democracy and
moderan Republicauism. IF the band of
friends is sometimes small, we remember
that one, with the right on his side, is ma
jority. Our foes are all men who deny "equal
and exact justice" aud we care not by what
name they may be called. Talk not of the
enormties of rebellion great nation cannot
afford to spend more than five years in kicking
corpse.