The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1865-08-08

1
mcmbrance.
GENERAL cox ON THE QUESTION
OF NEGRO SUFFRAGE
General Coz has written letter in repl,
10 the following questions propouuded tc
him by some parties in 0bcrlin:
| lst. Are you IN favor of modifying our
| Constitution 80 Rs TO give the elective fran.
! chIse to colOrod meu
2l. In the reorganization Of the South.
ern States should the elective franchise be
given to the colored pe0pleH
Ills views, briefly stated are, that the
white and colored people Of the South can
not live together as equals, politically and
he therefore favOrs poaceable separation
of the two races, on Southern soil, the blacks
in their separate condition, to enjoy full po.
litical rights. In our opinion both the que
ries and the reply were alike uncalled for
at this time. General Cox in accepting the
nomination indorsed tho platform Of the
convention that nominated him, and the
question Of negro suffrage not being incor-
porated therein, atproscnt II ia a side issue,
with which tho opposition is far moro
troubled about than the Union party. Like
General Cox, we likewise have our own prI
vate opinioHs--one Of whlcn Ia that the
position ho takos is entirely ,tntonablc, and
another that he will not he elected by as
largo majority as he would have done had
he left unoAprcssod tho views made public
IN his letter. He and all others will un-
derstaud sooner Or later that the hands that
have so mobIy and faithfully welded the
bayonei, are, by every rule of honor, Jus.
ticc aud right equally entitled TO WELD the
power Of the ballot. We give tho material
portions of tho Generals letter;
HIS VIEWS ON REcoNsrRucTroN.
=, ! presume we shall agree in regarding
the four general principles asserted in the
should guide the determination of our rcla.
tions to both whites and blacks in tho rebel
States. That there may DO no mistake m
rciorenco 10 this, | quote them :
fIra-Thc principle must be boyond all question.
tina! the Republic has a direct claim upon The allie,
glance OF every citizen, from which no State can
absolrC him, and to his obedience 10 the lnws of
the Republic, anything in the constitution or laws
oil amy State 10 the contrary notwithstanding.
Scond-Ihe public faith is pledged TO every
person Of color IN the rebel States, 10 secure 10
thoni and TO their postorily forever, a complete
and Variable freedom. Having provided them
this freedom, secured their aid on the faith Of this
promise, and by successful war and actual mill
tAry occupation of the country having obtained the
power to secure the result we ara dishonored If
we fail TO mako II good to them.
Ihrd-The system Of slavery must be abolished
and prohibited by paramount and irrcvursible law
Throughout the rebel States there must be- in tho
words of Webster, impressed upon the soil itself
an Inability 70 bear up any but free men"
fowh-The systems Of the States must bo truly
Republican. ''
The application made of the last principle
~ tho address, do not regard as sound
but shall perhaps agree more fully with
you, than you do with the address, when
assert that in a republican community DO.
Iitical privileges of any kind can never be
rightly or safely based upon hereditary
caste.
How then, 1t will he naturally asked, can
there he any practical difference between
us as TO the mode of carrying out these
principles 1t is found in the views we
tako of the mutual relations of the two races
in the South. You, Judging from this dis.
lance, say, Deliver tho four millions of
freed people into the hands Of their former
oppressors, now embittered by their defeat,
and they will ma,o their condition worse
than before" |, starting from the same
principles, and after four years of close and
thoughtful observation Of tho races whore
they are, say ain uuwilhngly forced TO the
conviction that the effect OF the war has
not been simply to enlbitter" their rela,
tons, but TO develop rooted autagonism
which makes their permanent fusion in one
political community an absolute impCssi-
billty, The sole difference between us
then, is i'll the Degree of hostility wo find
existing between tho races, and its proha.
bio permanence. You assume that the ex
tension OF tho right of suffrage to the
blacks, iedpiRg them inte,mired nth Me
'chteS, will euro all tho trouble. believe
thatit would rather be like the decisions in
that outer darkness ofwhich Milton speaks,
where
"Chaos umpire sits,
And by decision more embroils the fray"
Yet as believe with you, that the right
to life aud liberty are inalionablc, and more
han admit the danger ol leaving u l,boring
class at tho entire mercy of those who for.
nerly owned them as slaves, you will say
am bound to fnrniJh sonlo solution of the
problem which shall not deny the right or
Incur the porll, So am, and tho only real
solution which can see IL the peaceable |
separation Of the races, But YOU will re. |
ply, foreign colonization will break down
hopelessly under toe very vastnesa Of the |
labor, even il il We're not tyrannical enough |
to eApei these unfortunate people from the |
land OF .heir birth. grant the fun weight
Of the objection, aud therefore say the So |
luton is thus narrowed down to a psdcea
BE separation Of The races on Ms sol rhere
they HOU are,
The essential point IN tho discussion thus
appears to be the actual relations of The
two races in the Southern States as a uues.
lion Of fact, and the probable future conse.
lnenees OF those relations as question of
theory.
Upon the question Of fact think may /
with all modcSty claim tha, my antecedemts
md my opportunities of observation cnti.
lie my testimony TO have some weight, even
with the most radical anti-Slavery men of
no North
TIE ANrA0oNIsN OF RACE.
.he autagonism Of which have spoken
8 not entirely oue-Sided. On the part Of
he former master it takes the form of an
udouitable pride, which utterly refuses to
niertaiu the idea of political or social
quail y, lumgled with hatred intensified
" the circumstances aud the results of the
var This teeliug is not confined TO the
lavs'owners alone. hut the poor whites
hare il fully, aud often show il more com.
las3onately.