The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1865-09-22


ble ami admirable address 10 the pcople Of Penn
sylvania. We have not r,om fJr the Whole Of
it, but make t!se iollowing selrc.iv4, rrota 1t, to
which we invite the close aiteu,;on Of the rea-
ders.
NEGRO poCALITY AND NEGRO SUFFRAGE.
Negro equality and negro suffrage are no
longer mythical issue, but are part of the
vital, practical realities of the present hour
They are demanded by the black masl; they
are advocated by white men in power III the
National Government, and we charge that they
are endorsed and sanctioned by large majori-
ty of the Republican party OF the North, in
cudlng those who govern and control that par
ty in Pennsylvania. Let Us examine some of
the evidences upon which we found this charge
The States OF Maine, New Hampshire Yer
mont, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, by
constitutional provision, give the black man
the unrestricted right ot suffrage. These States
are all under Republican control, and their
politicians lead the van in the crusade they hope
is to result in the degradation Of the white race
to the level of the black
The Senate Of the United States, on the 3lst
of March, 1864 (see Congressional Globs, p.
l39l), had before it a bill for the construction
Of the territory Of Montana. Dir. Wilkinson
moved to strike from the second line of The fifth
section (which defined the qualification Of vo-
ters) the words, ''white male iuhabtant,' and
insert the words. ''male citizen of the United
States" &c, which was agreed TO rs follows:
YEAS: Messrs. Brown, Chandler, CLARK,
Collamer, Conness, Dixon, Fessenden, Foot,
Foster, Grimes, Hale, Harlan, Harris, How
ard, Howe Morgan, Morrill,, PomeCoy, Sumner,
Wade, Wilkinson, p.
NAYS: Messrs. Buckalew, Carlile, Cowan,
Davis, Harding, Henderson, Johnson, Lane,
Nesrnlth, Powell, Riddle, Saulsbury, Sherman.
Ten Eyck, TrumbuIl, Van Wrinkle, Wiley, II.
Those who thus voted to place black men on
an equality with the white in one Of the rich
est territories of the Union, will readily be re-
cognized as the leaders of the Republican party
in the Senate.
This subject came up in the House Of Rep
sesentatives on the 18th Of April, 1864, Con
grsa10nal Glo5s, p. 1851, the motion pending
being the appointment Of Committee Of Com
ference on the disagreement between the Sen
ate and House on striking out the word ''white."
Mr Webster moved THAT said committee be
instructed to agree to no report that authori-
vote" In the question Of the adoption of
these instructions, the following named Repub-
lican Con2ressmen from Pennsylvania voted
NAY: Messrs. Broomali, Kelley, Myers, 0NclIl,
Stevens, Thayer, and Williams. No PennsyL-
vania Republican voted YEA.
The Republican State Convention of Maine,
lately in session, in the 8th resolution, declares
in favor Of negro suffrage, as follows: THAT
the emancipation proclamation Of President
Lincoln, the enlistment Of over 100000 color
ed troops, the good faith Of the coUred race A.
mid treason, and their being paid like whites
and placed in the most daugeIou places, has
pledged the national honor that these people
shall have in fact, az we'll as name, conferred
on them all the political rights of freedom, and
that the people Of the United States will redeem
this pledge"
The Republican Conventions Of the States
Of Iowa aud Vermont have emphaucally en-
dorsed the doctrines of negro equality and ne
gro suffrage, and placed their candidates square
Iy upon that platform.
H. Winter Davis of Maryland, at Chicago,
said
We need the votps Of the c0Iorsd people; II ss
numbers not Intelligence, thu counts at The
6atiof-b r-u Is the rigkt Intention, and no!
the phiIosoPhic judgmsnt TINT casts the Uofe,
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, in the IHdepsH-
dent of recent date, says:
We are pleading earnestly with the State 10
abolish the distinction Of caste by universal
suffrage. We see that this will inevitably lead
not to the end the present Governor Of Louisi-
ana declares-the surrender of that country 10
the black man,--but 10 the equality ct black
NTH the white; the occupancy Of office Withoat
regard TO color; tie eieuqtion Of the negro 10
the governorship, the senatorship, the j0dgShip
by the side of las uohiter kindred; the obiitey
alton Of all marks Of disttnctson aud seP!ra-
tion bef,reea men and men.
These are representative men of the Repub-
Iican party, and they have fully endorsed this
doctrine. Crawford county, at her convention
held at Meadyillc, June q, 1865, resolved
that
Loyalty TO the government should be the
only test Of the right Of suffrage-those who
have fought to preserve the Union on the field
of battle, whether white or black, are certain
ly worthy and fit to protect it through the
balIot-bor-it is unworthy the age in which we
live to deprive men Of voting who sustain tho
government by their treasure and blood.
The Republican County Conventions of North
ampton, Union and Allegheny haze aiso broad
ly endorsed these doctrines.
The question of the right Of the negro to go
cial equality was before the Legislature OF Penn.
sylgania at its last session. On the 9th day
of Feb, 1865, the bill to prevent any passen-
ger railway company from excluding colored
people from their cars came up in the Senate
and finally passed that body. Seventeen Re
pubEcans (all who voted) voted for the bill,
and fourteen Democrats against it. 1t was
sent to the House for concurrence; and on the
23d Of March, 1865, it came up in the House
on motion to discharge the committee. Forty
six Republicans voted yea, and twenty-eight
Democrats voted nay (Sec Leg. Rec, pages
2l 0 and 7l2)
Nearly all the prominent Republican news
papers Of the State have also avowed them
selves favorable to negro suffrage and negro