Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-08-05
The Cox Letter.
For The Ohio Statesman ]

4 candor of a weak man, when you assumed
| that Cox, pupil of Oberlin, could bt
| candid, frank and manly politician, one
4 who would meet the political issues diyid-
| ing the county fairly, as would become
statesman. You did j. Dolson Cox toe
much honor. He was elected upon a
| platform only designed in its no-meaning
character to deceive, delude and detraud
the people into the support Of principles,
| which Judge Nash very properly admit
ted in his Amherst College speech they
| would vote down, if squarely presented
Cox is worthy the platform. He does not
aspire to be a statesman; but to do, as
0berlin demands of him, the work of q
small mousing trickster and hack poll
tican, for the benefit OF the inscriptions
| Negrophilists OF the Reserve. The thing is
patent in every line of his, long-labored
| production. Even the dates show collusiOn
with Fairchild & Co. (Byi the way sup
pose his friendly interlocutor, Fairchild, is
the Same Professor, in Oberlin, of that
name, who got, some twenty years ago
an Vi, unenviable, notoriety for his
brutal abuse of White student
at that dlectable institu tion. | should
expect such a man to be deeply
concerned about the kindness of Southern
Whites to their negroes. The Oberlir
letter is dated July 24th. The lengthy re-
ply of Cox, with his learned quotations
from Thierry, Guizot &C., is on the 25th
just dashed of, without premeditation, OF
course, as Cox had not had their epistle by
him to study over for month past, or no
tice of 1t, and what it would contain. The
collision is palpable., The whole letter is
a labored reply to the statement of Presi-
dent johnson, that the men of capital in
the South understood the Negro and could
control his suffrage better than the people
OF the North, and is designed principally to
show, to those in favor of Negro Suffrage
that they are safe in urging it, as he says
''there could be no real unity of people be-
tween the Southern Whites and the South
ern Blacks'-"there could be no political
unitp but rather strife fol, the mastery, in
which one or the other would go to the
wall" In this he, undoubtedly, agrees
with Chief Justice Chase, who sees in the
South only an enervated White population
and progressive Black race, destined
to control and be the aristocracy Of
the South. Cox gives in his adhe-
sion to. the T" Fanueil Hall Address " also,
Ia terms, which declares that The millions
OF people Of color in the South" "must be
either an educated, industrious, land-hold
Ing, bearing, tax-paying, VOTING,
self-protecting population, or an untanght
pbjectless, DIsFRANCHIsED, helpless aud de-
based population" and to secure their priv
ilege Of voting the address proposes to "let
no haste to restore a State, no Tear OF rebel
q. &. Southern) dissatisfaction, lead the Re-
public TO compromise its safety or its hon
or" That is, the "honor' and safety of
the country demand of the National Coy
ernment that it shall legislate to make the
Southern Negroes IAN Industrious, land
holding, arms bearing, tax-paying, Uotsng
self-protecting population" and tile Union
Is not TO be restored till this is accomplished.
Mr.. Cox assents to the Fanueil Hall address
and this is what it proposes, Besides, he
intimates that the majority in Congress, at
present composed OF the "earnest mem
the Abolitionists of the country-shall con-
troll the action of the President in regard
to the Negro. Cox: says, lit will be the
business OF Congress and the President TO
agree upon the plan to be adopted."-
This, of course, implies reconsidera-
tion by the President of the plan he
has already proceeded upon, which
Cox does not treat as yet adopted" until
Congress agrees with the President, which,
if Abolitionism can help it, will not be done
while President johnson pursues his
present policy. Cox says, speaking of his
support of the Presidents policy, that 1--WE
may trace diverse opinions as to the solu-
tion OF this knotty problem" to be discuss
ed when the time ot action arrives'-that
is, on the meeting of Congress; and hints
to his followers of the Abolition school
very plainly that they are imprudent in
urging agreement ''when the opinions OF
loyal and patriotic men" Republicans of
both thinkings) "had not yet fully ripen-
ed,'' so far as TO be ready to refuse the re-
union of the country till the Abolition pro-
gramme could becarried out.
Cox, too, in answer to the question, "Are
you in favor of modifying the Constitution
so as to give the elective franchise to the
colored men?" makes no reply; but he de-
nies that he authorized his home organ, The
Chronicle, in the language of his interlocu-
tors, to publish his views on the subject that
he "was opposed to giving the elective fran
chise to the colored people," Nor does he
anywhere reply to the interrogatory,
If, 'in the reorganization OF tile |
Southern States, should the elective fran |
chise be secured to the colored people?" 1t |
is true he does inferentially; for in his |
scheme of cutting up South Carolina, |
Georgia, Alabama an1 Florida" to make |
Negro territory, he does propose there to
give them full and exclusive political |
So that he only evades the
direct issue to assure his interlocutors that
he is willing to dsmember the Southern
States to secure Negro Suffrage and .'full
political privileges" TO the Negro race. The
principle admitted, the details can easily
be modified to suit circumstances, when
The white soldiers of the army shall pot so
1eenly feel the "pride of race" that now
makes them ready judges that the Negro is
lot fit for the equal exercise of suffrage
lights with themselves. b'
Cox's scheme of the dismemberment of
he Southern States Of "South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama and Florida" evidently,
rom glance at the map, contemplates
hat the Negro territory or State shall have
N outlet at Appalachicola in Florida and :
Sulf Coast boundary. Setting aside the
fleet this monstrOus scheme would have
pon the labor, production and commerce
4 the South, its destruction of their State
ines, and forced exile of their popu-
atoms from the territory so to be constitu-,
ed, Cox, who admits the real and impla-
able hatred of the African for the White
ace does not see that that hatred would 4
}ake the Blacks the ready instruments OF
ny foreign power, which might desire to
rray itself in hostility with us, and that
'hen in the spirit of the "Fanueil Hall Ad-
ress," which he endorses, they had been
ducated into an "arms-bearing people,"
nat these arms would most readily be
rned against their former masters, then I
educed by subjugation, dismemberment ,
nd spoliation, into quiescent members of
he American Union, not of States, but Sat-
apies. Truly, he has educed beautiful {
cheme, and labored to show himself fool, n
D. escape during the election contest, a
uestion upon which all honestand ihtelli-
ent'men must take sides, as their love for
nwer hoWpvpr iOOttpn. Or their 1--we for the