The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-07-19
Negro Suffrage.

Ne8EV SuAAE"SCs
Mr. Pendls lston, editor of the Raleigh
Progress, is a candidate for delegate to the S.
c. state Convention just called. Some Of the
>outhern crazy.heads object to him because he
is too liberal on the Negro.su1frage question
Mr.. P. had conversed with Judge Chase and
reports obtained that the conversation between
them was damaging to the aspirations Of MIR.
P. Here is what he says about it:
"Relative to negro suffrage, We said to Chief
Justice Chase substantially what we haYe said
dozen times in the Progress; We told him that
our people would be opposed to giSing che right
OF suffrage to the freed negro. asd that should
the General Government attempt to force it
upon them, they would feel aggrieved ard NOR.
tiie5-that should We be forced to accept it,
we should have the Union of >tates,g without
union Of hearts. We told him that, if left
alone, We thought the people Of North Carolina
would be generous to the colored man, an;
that ii hereafter he should show himself worthy
Of an extension Of privileges, they would not
be withheld-that while the present generation
might deny them the right to vote, we could
not bind or shape the action of future genera
tons. We expressed before Judge Chase, as
We do on all occasions, kindly feeling for the
negro. and advanced the opinion that in educa.
ting. christainizing and elevating him, the peo.
pie of the Southern States would elevate
themselves.
"The free negroes voted in North Carolina
up to 1886. and we shall no more abuse our
fathers for allowing them that privilege than
we shall censure them for withdrawing it. and
they may vote again, but il they do so in the
election recognizing loyal State Govern
ment, or in the next Presidential election, it
shall not be with our consent. Freedom may,
and We hope viii, prove blessing to the negro,
but it will be for coming generations, and not
the present, 10 enjoy the fruits of it. We
we're much pleased with Judge Chase, but IN
Justice TO him, as well as to ourself, We will say
that no understanding was 'entered into be.
tween US relative to the matter Of negro suf.
frage, or anything else. We suppose that the
Chief Justice hardly felt that he had the Gen.
eral Government in his breeches pocket; and
We are sure We had no idea that North Caro-.
lima was in ours The next Presidency was
not alluded to, and nothing fell from the lips
of the Chief Justice calculated to induce the
belief on our part that he was an aspirunt, or,
ii 90. that he was calculating on the negro
vote.
"When the negroes of any Southern State
shall satisfy majority Of the loyal white peO-
the right of suffrage, and that majority so de-.
cides, then we will say, let them have it, but
not until then. And the coming generation Of
negroes may be able to do this, but we have but
little idea that the present ever will.
"Judge Chase will not charge or insinuate
that ws held up any hope to him that the peo.
pie Of North Carolina would consent to the
negro 70 ing, now or in the next Presidential
election. and if others % charge they do US in
justice. When We appealed to Judge Chase to
know how the matter Of negro suffrage stood
in Ohio, he answered that the negro was only
allowed to vote when it could be shown that he
had more white than black blood in him. We
said to him. Then you give it to the white man
and deny it to the African, after allT and he
admitted that it was SO; but he thought the
State would soon allow all freedmen 10 vote,
regardless Of color. We replied, Very we'll;
not Of the General Government; and if you
will leave the matter to the people Of North
Carolina, when they think the negro worthy "f
suffrage they will extend it. and not before
Nov, as to whether he will ever show himself
worthy Of it, Is y problem yet to be solved
among Us. Many Of the Northern States. in.
cluding Ohio, do not consider the African
worthy Of the rights Of suffrage, and they deny
it: and it would be unjust in them not TO allow
Us to manage this thing for ourselves. as they
do ..... . ..-..
1--WE told Judge Chase, also, that It was our
conviction, that II the negroes we're allowed 70
vote, the bulk Of them would be Influenced By
leading secessionists. to cast their suffrage
against the Government. and that for years to
cone they would be largely .s1der their indu.
encs. - they would have - I'D oa and cul.
tivate their lands. We gave h3I y understand,
as We have all with whom W have conversed
on the subject. that Ne thoad dht Il would be bad
in policy, ss we'll % wrong 10 principle, TO open
the ballot box 70 the ignorant, unintormed and
depraved slaves Of the Southern cotton, rice
and sugar fields. g. aaa zyass .as saa