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The Vote
To the People of Iowa: . . . We ask no privi- and as those who have been true and loyal to
lege; we simply ask you to recognize our claim our government from its foundation to the pres-
to manhood by giving to us that right without ent time, and who have never deserted its inter-
which we have no power to defend ourselves est whilst even in the midst of treason and under
from unjust legislation, and no voice in the subjection to its most violent enemies. We ask,
government we have endeavored to preserve. in the honored name of 200,000 colored troops,
Being men, we claim to be of that number com- five hundred of whom were from our own Iowa,
prehended in the Declaration of Independence, who, with the first opportunity, enlisted under
and who are entitled not only to life, but to the flag of our country and the banner of our
equal rights in the pursuit and securing of hap- State, and bared their breasts to the remorseless Document Project
piness and in the choice of those who are to rule storm of treason, and by hundreds went down
over us. Deprived of this, we are forced to pay to death in the conflict, whilst the franchised
taxes without representation; to submit, with- rebels and their cowardly friends, the now bit-
out appeal, to laws however offensive, without ter enemies of our right to suffrage, remained in
a single voice in framing them; to bear arms quiet at home, safe, and fattened on the fruits
without the right to say whether against friend of our sacrifice, toil and blood. We make these
or foe — against loyalty or disloyalty. Without demands as one of right and necessity, if not
suffrage, we are forced into strict subjection to expediency, and are unwilling to believe that a
a government whose councils are to us foreign, powerful, ruling people, strengthened by new
and are called by our own countrymen to wit- victories with the aid of our hands, could be
ness a violence upon the primary principles of a less magnanimous in purpose and in action,
republican government as gross and outrageous less consistent with the true theory of a sound
as that which justly stirred patriot Americans to democracy, than to concede to us our claims. We
throw overboard the tea from English bottoms believe that with expediency even our demands
in a Boston harbor and to wage war for Inde- are not at war, but that with right does public
pendence. Let a consistent support be given to policy strike hands and unite our votes, as it did
this principle of government, founded only “on our muskets, to the maintenance of authority
the consent of the governed” — to this keystone over the disorganizing elements which attend a
in the arch of American liberty — and our full returning peace. We have too much faith in the
rights as freemen are secured. Our demands are permanency of this government to believe that
not excessive; we ask not for social equality with the extension of the elective franchise to a few
the white man, as is often claimed by the shal- loyal colored men could unsettle its foundation
low demagogue; for a law higher than human or violate a single declaration of its rights. . . . In
must forever govern social relations. We ask this can the colored men of Iowa take courage,
only that privilege which is now given to every and say to our white friends, we are Americans
white, native-born or adopted, male citizen of by birth and we assure you that we are Ameri-
our State — the privilege of the ballot-box. We cans in feeling; and in spite of all the wrongs
ask that the word “white” be stricken from the which we have long and silently endured in this
Constitution of our State; that the organic law our native country, we would yet exclaim, with
of our State shall give to suffrage irrevocable a full heart, “O, America! with all thy faults, we
guarantees that shall know of no distinction at love thee still.”
the polls on account of color. . . . We demand
this as native born citizens of the United States,
and who have never known other allegiance Source: Proceedings of the Iowa State Colored Convention,
held in the City of Des Moines, February 12th and 13th, 1868
than to its authority and the laws of our State, (Muscatine, IA, 1868).

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