Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-08-28
Color and Rights.

The resolutions of the Alabama Demo
cratic Convention undoubtedly express
the real feeling of the Democratic party
toward the cOlored citizens-a feeling
which is strongly expressed in the plat.
form of the Indiana Democracy, and
which constantly appears in Democratic
speeches and newspapers. 1t deserves
careful consideration amidst the general
chorus that the past is past, that old is
sues are dead, and that he is a madman
and no patriot who tries to re-kindle ex-
hausted fires The Alabama Democratic
platform asserts the essential superiority
of the white race, denounces the colored
citizens as an ignorant and barbarous
race, which is Justly excluded from social
intercourse with the higher, offers the
right hand of fellowship to whites every
where, and invites them cordially to set
tie in the State. Politically this is a sub
stantially revolutionary declaration. Log
ically carried out, it would end in civil
war. 1t is as uni justifiable as a similar
assertion upon religious grounds would
be. 1t is as intolerable in American pol
itics as wholesale denunciation of citi-
zens of foreign birth. So far as it is
resolution of opposition to the Civil
Rights bill it is based upon wholly ille-
gitimate grounds, as il party should re-
solve against the election of Gen.
Grant because he is a Methodist. The
Constitution which defines citizenship,
makes all citizens equal, and knows moth
ing of their color, their religious faith or
their place of birth.
The Alabama resolutions, indeed, state
that "the rights of all classes of men"
under the Constitution must be MAIN
tanned, but protest that no law can con-
otit oil al
What does a Democratic or any other
American convention mean by classes
of men under the Constitutions" There
is but one class known to the Constitu-
tion-the class of perfectly equal citi-
zens. 1t recognizes no Ignorant or bar
barous, or rich or poor, or white or black
class. And upon all citizens it confers
equal rights, and those rights of all citi-
zens the Government under the Constitu-
tion is equally and expressly bound to
protect. The Alabama and Indiana
Democratic Conventions declare that
they regard with adherence the attempt
of the Federal Government to take
control of the schools, colleges, church
es, hotels, railroads, steamboats,, the
aters and yards for the purpose
of establishing negro equality" The
words are the same in both plat
forms. Upon no other point is
there more hearty Democratic ac-
cord. But the Federal Government is
making no attempt to take such control.
1t has it already, under the Constitution.
1t is proposing to assert its power be-
cause equal rights are not protected.
Nor does it propose to establish "socia1'
equality in the sense of forcing negroes
or anybody else to what the Alabama
resolutions call "equal participation
with our families in our social ins .itu-
tions." The Civil-Rights bill provides
that no institution" which exists by
authority of law made by the citizens
shall recognize any distinction among
those citizens founded upon color.
1t proposes that there shall not be
a legal class of pariahs among
equal American citizens. The declara-
ton of the Alabama resolutions that the
common law of the State provides for the
protection of civil rights is simple
mockery. Even political rights, which
the resolutions declare must be kept in
violate, are notoriously denied. Mr.. King,
in late number of Scribner's Magazine,
says that of the 10000 colored voters in
Georgia scarcely 10000 vote, and that
the most honorable Georgian Republi-
cans state that the negroes are still grossly
inundated.
We are not discussing the wisdom of
negro suffrage, nor denying the terrible
ignorance and consequent wretchedness
of the voting population of many of the
Southern States. Nor is it necessary TO
revert to the general question of recon
struction. 1t is the duty of every good
citizen in Alabama, as in every other
State, to acquiesce honorably and CO
operatively in the new provisions of
the Constitution, or to attempt honor
ably their repeal. So long as all citi-
Zens, black and white, are equal under
the law, the true policy of Ala
bama Is to maintain and defend that
equality. 1t is not defended, however,
if defensive law is dead letter upon
the statute-book. Laws, indeed, which
are hostile to public sentiment, whether
sentiment founded upon prejudice or
moral conviction, cannot readily,
sometimes cannot at al, be enforced.
| That is good reason for considering the
wisdom of change in the law. But
while a Just statute, like that of main
tanning the equality of citizens before
the law, remains, no constitutional ef-
fort should be omitted to enforce 1t.
Those who oppose it really oppose equal
! ity, and their attempt should be to abol'
| ish it.
A party which seeks power to make
the laws under declaration that an i'm
mense body of its political equals are ig
norant, barbarous, and unfit for associa
ton with the rest, when that party is
composed of late slave masters, and the
denounced class of their late slaves, will
certainly not make or enforce equal laws
In this country it is that party, and tina
alone, which blows amidst the ashes Il
revive smoldering embers. 1t is reso
lutions like those of the Democratic Con
ventions of Alabama and Indiana whicl
postpone indefinitely real recon
struction For while no reasonable mai
in the Northern States denies the unhap
by situation in which so many of th'
Southern States are plunged, and is read.
with the utmost sympathy TO do what h
can to remove the difficulties, nothing i
palmer than that a party which plant
itself upon the single plank of whit
mans government is party which woul'
reopen a controversy that may introduc
prolonged bitterness and trouble, but ca
have but one result.-HaTper's Weekly.