Year: 1869

that black is the fashionable color in
your country, and that you do not want
to degrade it by any mixture with the
white trash" What more have they
the right to ask?


To understand this subject Alright, we
should consider that our government is
founded on the principle of perfect
equality Of all our citizens, and the be-


lief 10 their capacity for self govern
ment To make such a government
possible the people should not only be
of the highest order of men, but no.
mogeneous people, having the same
characteristics of body and mind, and
the same interests. In mon1rchical
countries heterogeneous mass of diff.
ferent races may get along better to.
gether, but in this country where each
voter is one of the sovereign rulers Of
the land it requires us to be very care
ful not to extend the right too far. We
are bound 10 assume that all of the
white race are fit to exercise this gov.
erning power-and though this may not
be true Of all, it Is true in the main.
Now, if the experiment Of Republican
Government here is still in doubt, will
it not ensure its overthrow to introduce
a mass of ignorant aud inexperienced
blacks suddenly among the governing
class No wonder the white people of
the South would rather be continued
under the government of a military
despot, than to share in a Republican
government with race which has shown
so little capacity heretofore to govern
themselves; whose interests are hostile
to those of the white people, and whose
color must forever debar them from full
association with the whites. From the
peculiar character of our Government
we should be Just as jealous of its purity
as we are of the sacred purity of our
blood and race. We have the right to
choose our company, aud to deny to
incongruous races the right to share
with US our political inheritance. We
may say to them that they are welcome
to remain with us as long as they please;
but that they have no more right to ex-
pect Us to share our Government with
them, than they have a right to ask us
to give them our daughters in marriage.


We have no less than four distinct
races of people in our land, to all Of
which the folly of Radicalism would
extend the right of suffrage. First, we
have the black race, introduced here as
slaves. Hundreds Of years ago SO de-
graded was that race in their native
land that by common consent il was
agreed that to hold them iu slavery
would be an advantage to them. Con.
tact with superior race has somewhat
improved them; but il has not surely
fitted them to become equal partners
with the white race in conducting
form Of government which requires tn.
highest type of civilized men. In Africa
they never have, and if left to them.
selves, never would have instituted a
form Of government suited for civilized
people. II admitted to the right of
suffrage here they must necessarily de-
grade the ballot box, and jeopardize the
experiment Of free government. Then
why admit themS If they were i'm
properly torn away from their country,
that would only entitle them to ask to
be returned there, with interest, TO that
benighted land-a civilized aud christ.
ian people, to spread those blessings
among their brethren. They had no
share in laying the foundation of our
Government +; it was established by our
white forefathers for themselves and
their posterity' When it was being
done they passively looked on, as strau.
gers in a strange land, totally unable TO
comprehend the spirit which actuated
our foreathers in their struggle for in
dependence and free Government.


Their services in the late civil war,
of which they were made the innocent
cause by the folly Of Northern political
fanaticism, by no means entitle them to
political privileges. 1t is at least doubt
full whether their introduction into the
army did not DO more harm than good
to the cause of the Union. At all
events the freedom Of their entire race
in this country, which became involved
in the issues Of the war, was a sufficient
boon to repay them for all ther services.
Never were any people better repaid,
when we consider that the war itself
was undertaken on their account, and
that they reaped all the advantage. To
obtain their freedom the blood Of the