Year: 1867

Dor but this, that large class of men
in interest, directly or indirectly, have
been excluded from determination of
policies7 Everybody feels his own
want. Each sort or class know their
own interests as nobody else can know


them, and no legislation can be equita-
Bile in which the whole citizenship has
not chance to make its wants and its
interests knoVn. We have an exagger-
ated instance Of this in the South at the
present time. The laws there were
made by white men, and were made for
white men. Yet it is said that in many
of the Southern States all are admitted
to equal rights under its laws, yet these
laws do not effect alike the black and
the white in the South The laws res
pecting vagrants were made for white
yagrants and not for black. The laws
respesting orphans and orphanage, as
they were made exclusively in the in


terest of one class, do not affect all
alike. To admit the blacks, therefore,


to an equality before laws, is not a pro-
lection, for they bear unequally upon


one or the other class, SO that though
you give equal administration to these
laws, 1t is necessary that if class have


voice in the administration, they
should have voice in the representa-


ton also. To.limit suffrage is TO con-
stitute class interest in society No
class can be more surely informed than
to put the whole question of suffrage
into its projections That which isin
the crown and scepter in England, is in
the vote in America. The class that
melds the vote wieIds everything, Be-
cause tits majority ofthe people, it Is
not the less class. In America, /
think, not one-fourth Of the people vote.
Ifyou exclude the foreign population
and that part Of the adult population
which the laws exclude, and all the chill
dren and women, it viii be found that
the whole political power is in the hands
of about one-fourth part of its popula-
ton, and of this part not more than one
half, upon the average ever vote, and
it may be said that the great questions
of our land are settled by less than one
eighth part of thepopulation of the land


Is not this to constitute a class2 If it
is by. default, it still makes those who
attend to the political duties class, and
if it is by law, then it is a class consti-
tuted 10y legal enactment, and oughtt to
be as odious here, aud more odious than
it is in England or upon the Continent,
But it is asked me, in reply, would
not impartial suffrage be better than
universal suffrage 7adNo, not if man
hood suffrage is alright, and / claim
that it is right, and not a permission.
Certainly that suffrage cannot be Impair
tial that excludes one-half of the adult
population upon the ground of sex.
We have advanced SO far into the fire
and stimulus of war that we have got
over our prejudice against color, wehave
got over our prejudice against woman,
But as yet, half of theioaf is betterthan
no part, SO Iiw0uld accept impartial in-
stead of universal suffrage, Ii i could
get nothing better. l would accept it,
however, as an advance-as vantage
ground upon which to plant batteries
with which to sweep away, by and by


theremaining restrictions. ( Applause.


But. would you admit, without any edu-
cation, all men to a.vote? Would you
admit Africans that could not read OF
write? l would. Would you 60 so far,
then, as to admit the Cbinamau of Cali
fornia toa yote2 / would. Would you
admit Indians to vote! Just as soon
as they were brought within the bounds
of regularly organized political society,
would. Would you admit foreigners
to a vote? No they are not citizens; but
the moment they come with their bona
fide intention to become citizens, and
take upon themselves our formalities, by
which they are cut off from the old
stock and grated on the new, ] would
permit them to have it! But do you
not think, forIthe sake of maintaining
consistency in that principle, you are
liable to deluge the country with vast
hoarde Of incompetent men7 Is there
not vast danger. Yes, there Is danger,
| do not know of any part Of human
life that is not submerged with danger.
The most dangerous thing a man car
do is to beborn! And after that, it il
but a mere choice Of danger all the way
through life CLaughter.l, 1t is dan
gerOas to admit!every niau to the vote
and it is dangerous TO- exclude ever!
man from the vote. Tbedanger, how
ever, is but spur to duty. Education
not restriction. is the awatch-word Q
safety from the ballot-box. Applause.
.a1.'7. [ro BE ooNrISuED.] H. ,,l;..... a;la3.