Year: 1867

tlcle III favor OF Impartial Suffrage IN
this State, to the careful consideration |,
of our readers. We copy it from that
excellent journal, the Sandusky Register:


There is now before the Legislature
of Ohio a resolution, introduced by |
Representative Boynton from Lorain,
proposing an amendment to the Con-
stitution of this State, the effect of
which, if ratified by the people, will be
to strike the word white from the Or
ganic law of the State and thus place
the ballot in the hand of every citizen
without regard to bis religion, nationali
ty or color. This resolution has our
most emphatic approval, and we call
upon our Legislators, of both parties, to
adopt the measure at an early day and
give the people of our great State an
opportunity to do an act of tardy justice
and make record Of their own advance
ment and growth. We have not here
tofore been disposed to urge Legislative
action regarding this needed reform be-
cause we have not believed that the
public mind was ready for the step, and
we thought it not wise to incur the dan
ger Of possible defeat, with its attend
ant evils when, with little delay, The
reform was sure of accomplishment.


.sE For, the past six years, time and the
logic of events have been doing more
for the cause Of Impartial Suffrage, in
this and every other State, than could
have been done by legion of newspa-
pers assisted by forty Legislatures. The
rude argument of war and the couvinc-
ing point of the bayonet have effected
in score of months what the eloquence
of the orator and the appeals of the phil
anthropist could not have accomplished
in score of years. Thus, while II has
almost seemed that the stars in their
courses were fighting for the Equal
Rights of Men we have not been doubt
ful or impatient regarding the result.
But We now believe that the battle is
over in Ohio at least, and that nothing
remains but to gather the fruits of vic-
tory. f o."


We believe that the people of Ohio,
who stood by the republic with unwav-
ering loyalty through the dark days of
war, who hailed with enthusiastic glad
ness and approved with singular unani-


nifty the emancipation of all slaves, who
buried home treason, in the form OF Mr.
Vallandigham, beneath an avalanche of
enc hundred thousand votes, and who
are still proud to be found in the front
rank ofreal progress and sensible reform,
are now ready to throw aside an out
worn prejudice, u relic Of the days of
slavery, and put the ballot, the freeman's
badge, in the hand Of every citizen Of
Ohio. R


The prejudice against the negro was
the natural outgrowth of slavery, could
not have existed without it, and must
die with it. 1t is simply impossible for
such an illogical, unreasoning and utter
tly defenceless sentiment to longer with
stand the spirit Of the age.


The case, briefly stated, is this: We
have in Ohio about .46, 900 colored peo-
lple, Of whom, perhaps, $500 are adult
males, or persons who would become yo-
ters by the proposed change in the
Constitution Of the State. There is not
a doubt that the average of intelligence
and morality among these &, 500 colored
men is qtiite as high as among the same
number of white men engaged in the
same occupations. These people are
taxed by the State and National govern
ments, and are required and expected
to obey all tie laws tf the land. They
are liable TO draft in time of war, and
are forced to work upon the public
Highways, and yet, by the terms of our
present Constitution, formed at time
when the shadow of slavery darkened
even the Western Reserve, they are de-
MED that first anil distinguished privi-
Iege of the American citizen-the priyi-
lege of having voice in the formation Of
the laws which shall govern bihL-


These colored men are t0red vittoM rep
rssentotion, dnd are forced to shoulder
the muskei, to fght and die IN the armed
defense of State which declares By its
fundamental lar that they are not worthy
to enjoy its citizenship. Are We not
right in saying that Ohio is prepared to


wipe out this great disgrace 2 Are not
the men who are fit to be the taxpayers
and the soldiers of the republic, fit also
to be the goters Of the republic I In the


war for the Union 5,O92 black men en-
tered the federal army from Ohio and
marched TO the front-a number, when
compared with the whole colored popu-


lation of the State, which should put to
the blush every stay-at-home opponent
of impartial suffrage in the land Every


citizen of Ohio who, during the war,
consented to have a black man enter


the army in his stead, disgraced himself
in so doing if he did not at the same
thine consent to bis enfranchisement on
Ibis return from the wars,


/ Then, as a matter of simple and ab-
4 stract justice, as fitting return for hon
orable military service, as tardy con-
cession to the spirit of the age, as final
overthrow of Slavery and Caste in our
State, as an obvious aud imperative
Christian duty, we demand IMPARTIAL
SUFFRAGE for Ohio.