Year: 1859




There are Republicans who complain that in
justice is done their organization in attributin9
to it the principle Of negro equality. Yet what
DO we see? Republican, States like Massachu-
sets and Maine conerring upon tho negro all
the political and civil rights of the native-boTn
whites, giving them considerable higher priviiii-
ges than is given to the foreign-bOra citizens
Their organs do rot hesitate to sustain, in the
strongest terms the justice Of those enactments.
Take the following specimen from the Boston
Atlas a'aa Bee Of the llth inst, which is edited
by Colonel Schouler, formerly Of the Cincinnati
Gazette and the Columbus co. Jasnal That
he is orthodox in his political faith, and has
right to speak for the Republicans, none wi :
know him will question. In his issue of the
llth, combating the position that the negro
can never be equal to the white in this country
he says;


as is proved or even rendered probable III;
the ceorcd race if emancipated, could not take
care of themselves? We say it is not and to
assert it as the Times does is simply begging
the whole question, Is it proved or rendered
probable that the Africans cannot live in this
country on an equality with whites? We say
/ 1t is not an5 That no man who asserts it has ey-
er vet demonstrated the truth OF his assertion
by any conclusive reasoning.


at is not at all pertinent to instance the con-
dition Of the black man, or the laws made ex-
| pressy to oppress him. either in the slave or
free States because we do not in either of Il eis
cases find the black man in a position to admit
Of testing the question. Because Wisconsin,
is mean and narrow minded enough to raflse
TO allow negro however intelligent to vote,
it by no means proves that the negro does not
deserve the privilege, nor, because Wisconsin,
at the same time permits raw Irishman and
an ignorant Dutchman to vote, when he neither
knows his own politics nor that Of his candi-
date, does it prove that Wisconsin, was either
just or wise in moking this arbitrary discrimi-
nation. Let US be Just and sensible, as we'll as
critical and patriotic, Mr. Doolittle. The only
fair test Of the capacity and disposition of the
black man to dwell side by side, on terms Of
equality with the white, is to take him where
he does enjoy that equality. Unfortunately
there is no place where this is the case to the
fall extent, for prediudice does much even in
the most favored localities, to oppress the color
ed man.


But suppose Se take the free colorod men Of
Massachusetts,, where they are respected and
treated ga citizens, and what is the RESULT
Why, we venture the assertion without fear Of
successful contradiction, that you may take tho
first thousand negroes as they come, and thou
sand lriShmen in the same way, and you will
find the negroes surpass the Irishmen Of Bos-
ton in intelligence, morality and industry and
good citizenship; they are more thrifty, mors
orderly, and every way superior; it is the same
in the city Of Philadelphia, as facts will abun-
dainty prove. Now what right have we to say
with such preliminary lesson, that the black
man could not prove himself worthy Of free
dom and citizenship?'


Here we ind the position decidedly and EN- =
Iphatically taken that the negro is better quail
fed to vote than the 'raw Irishman or the g-
norant Dutchmau'-that they surpBss the lat
ter every way as good and respectable citizens.


Massachusetts, Maine, and other Republican
States have incorporated this idea into their
statute books. Ii the Republicans of Ohio and
the West were as supreme here as they are in
New England; they would pursue tie same poi.
icy, Their principles necessarily lead to the
c'rying out Of the doctrine Of negro equality;
Con Epqtlilcr