The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-09-08

anu JuelF cause lOSGI yet Will 10 leelluS
of dishonor, because unconvinced of
their error. With the States control of
the suffrage as one cause of that error I
now propose to deal, though can do so
but briefly.
When the federal union superseded
the confederacy of States, those who
were dissatisfied with the change, to-
gether with a class who accepted Thos.
Paine's postulate in favor of "a weak
government and a strong people,"
formed the State Rights party. To
both of these classes this Section 2, of
Article /, which apparently gives the
State control of the voting privilege,
was satisfactory. This satisfaction was
enhanced to those entertaining strong
proslavery sentiments by the three fifths
rule in this same section, giving slave
owners property representation in
Congress. The effect was to keep polit-
/ ical power in the hands of a compare
lively few of the slave-holding class in
the Southern communities. They hon
estly believing in estate Rights" per-
sistently cultivated that sentiment.
They were themselves men who inher-
tied strong tendencies of attachment to
birthplace; so that all the forces of hon
est love of their native States, natural
regard for their property interests as
connected with slavery, and the still
stronger love of power their dominant
position gave them, impelled them in
keeping before the minds of the less in
formed of their fellow-citizens, the er-
rors of Estate Rights" "slave rights"
''love of the South" and kindred senti-
ments which were so many instrument
talities in deluding the public mind of
the slave States and keeping out of
sight the idea that it was a greater
thing to be citizen of the United
States than of Alabama, Georgia, or
South Carolina.
Southern orators were greatly aided
in this from the fact that the citizen ap-
parently received his right to vote from
the State. Such an influence cannot be
measured; but let any one interested
cast their mind about amongst their ac-
quaintances and they will not fail to
find amongst them, even here in Ore
gon, men very far above the average,
who were true lovers of the national
government, yet could never give their
hearty approval of the war for the
g. -
can be imagined but that they were
born in "Old Kaintuck," the ''Old Do
miniOn," or some Southern State.
These are of the mparatively intelli-
gent, energetic class of Southern men
who left their native State to get away
from slavery. How much stronger
must the influence of nativity have
been on those who could barely come
up to the privilege of electors under
their State law, and had just perception
enough to perceive that to vote was all
that raised them above the "poor white
trash" that even the slaves held in con-
tempt. His partisan leader did not fail
to place his native State and her inter-
ests before and above those of the
United States. The speech of Hon. A.
H. Stephens before the convention oil
|. Georgia is an illustration. Address.
|. ing the convention of that State in
: order to dissuade them from the
fatal act they were even then resolved
, upon, he said to his fellow-citizens
, weighing well his words and anxious
they should not be misunderstood
Next to Georgia, the land of my birth
| 1 hold the honor and glory of our com
; mon country" If such a man, at suct
/ time, could rise no higher toward the
/ true standpoint of an American citi
zen, can we wonder that the State pride
of an average Georgian or the blinC
, zeal of an unlettered man did not looI
beyond the State power that seemed t.
, confer the highest attribute of citizen
f ship and perceive the vastly create
/ privilege of United States citizenship
= We have also the evidence of the grea
2 number of men who were under oath Il
2 support the government of the UniteC
States who, regardless of that, JOINED
the confederacy, influenced thereto b!
3 this otherwise praiseworthy sentimen
]. thus perverted. Its common manifesto
= tion was source of great perplexity t.
e Union commanders during the late wal
S when State pride, love of the South, an,
: even family pride were advanced alik
e by honorable soldier and murderou
J, bushwhacker, by high-bred city mat
= rons, by simple country girls, by me-
: and women of all ages and grades, tn
d same plea was offered, and was pitiful
t as provoking as it was made by the wei
e or ill-disposed.
S In this brief outline of the infiu
b ence of nativity combined with tn
8 influence of allowing the States t
'f control the elective franchise, in fos
n tering the error of State Rights,
8 hardly expect to be followed or full
= endorsed by citizens born in wha
e was once denominated free States, tn
n large majority of whom habitually er
e tertain correct views IF their relation
y to the national Government, an
e amongst whom affection for a particu
l. lar lOoalitv ia ovarshodOwad hu tb