New-York daily tribune., 1865-10-13
SHALL OURS BE A LAND OF
RQUAL RIGHTS

Chlsement of the Southern Blacks ls not pur-
posed by the Union party. And there is sense
wherein the assertion is true. No National
Convention or Platform of the party ever made
or declared Equal Suffrage party principle
And while u very great majority of the Union
party desire that the Blacks shall be eniran-
chised, it is nevertheless possible for the ad-
verse minority, by uniting with the Copper
heads and Rebels, TO vote us down, as we have
lately seen done in Connecticut. True, an at
tempt TO do likewise ii Iowa has just been de-
ieated, as we trust parallel effort in Minnesota
will be. In our own State, while 362, GAG voters
in 1860 supported Mr.. Lincoln, but l97 ,503 of
them-very little more than half-yoted for
Negro Suffrage: few Of the residue voting
with the Democrats against il, while the residue
failed to vote at all. Had every one voted, We
, presume about three -fourths would have sus.
tanned Justice against Prejudice; now, we
| Judge that seven-eighths would do So Still, so
! long as tenth, or even q twentieth, of the
Republicans vote with the Copperheads Oh this
point, we, who stand for Equal Rights. must
struggle in vain.
But the ease presented by the Southern
States is peculiar. In several of them, the
Blacks are a majority; so that to allow their
Whites to do as they will with the Blacks and
their Rights is 20 defy and subvert the first
principle Of popular government. Then we have
Just emerged from a terrible Civil War, wherein
the Southern Blacks were loyal to the Union,
tue southern Whites mainly disloyal. To hand
over the Blacks of the South TO the tender mer-
cies Of the Whites, is to expose the former to
suffering and loss because Of their loyalty;
which would be ingratitude and bad faith. We
must maintain good faith, whatever becomes Of
the Offices.
But, says The Times:
"No such alternative has come. The Southern
Whites, with an alnciIy that has surprised almost
every one in the North have taken the oath OF allie.
glance and are keeping It IN good faith. Thus OF
the great mOtives for giving the suffrage TO freedmen
has ceased TO exist. Patriotism longer requires IT,
either actually or seemingly"
That this is true of some ex-Rebels we joy
fully believe. We wish il were true as to more.
But we cannot shut our eyes TO the fact that
no reconstrnetng State Convention has get afforded
any substantial guaranty Of Justice to the Negro,
soen as understood by The Times. There have
been fair words, and vague promises of some
thing to be done hereafter by legislatures; but
nothing is yet secure. And Gov. Sharkey's
inference that the spirit OF tho action Of the
Mississippi Convention requires that Blacks
should be allowed to sue and testify in the
Courts ofthat State, is negatved by her Press,
by the election of Gen. Humphreys as Governor,
end by the choice Of Judge in the Vicksburg
District expressly as an opponent Of any such
concession.
Now the Northern Oopperheads, seeing that a
concession 10 the Blacks Of standing in South
ern Courts will not obstruct but rather facilitate
the said CopperheadS longed.for return to pow.
er, are urging that it be made; and 1t ia posi-.
BILE that they may succeed. still, the fact re.
mains that the dominant class at The South are
Just as loyal as they suppose they must ts to get
back into potoer, and not one whit more 30. They
concede the Abolition Of Slavery, because they
know they must; but there they stop, Consti.
tutional Conventions, candidates for Governor,
for Congress, and for this or that Legislature,
all sing one song. In spite Of The Times's Ger.
tifcate of loyalty, there is not Congress Dis
trict in the reconstructing States to-day wherein
a Southerner who had fought for the Union like
Gen. Thomas, or stood by it, like Judge Wayne,
could get elected. In most rural nejghbor-
hoods, asoldier returned from fighting for the
Union is not safe from outrage in bis own house
unless it Is within gunsho, Of Union camp or
garrison. Very few of the candidates regard
the downfall Of the Confederacy otherwise than
as they do the death Of near and dear rela.
tive. They submit to the Union as Turkish