The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-09-07
VOL. IL.
From Wapcllo Forest.

Editors Gate City So much has been said
about universal suffrage, within few weeks,
that the citizens of our State, notwithstanding
our reputation for bravery, are on ''big
scare" Among the old hickories and an.
cient oaks which surround our cabin, the DO
litical breezes come freighted with
"Shrieking and hushing,
Entreating and struggling"
All is indicative of as
"Hoping and fearing"
A neighbor of mine, whose nature has be-
come less impressible to disturbing influences
than is the case of most of us, invited the
whole body of citizens living here in our
forest community to meet him at given time
and place for a friendly talk. This neighbor
is an old man, sustaining good reputation
for bravery and good sense. Everybody was
on the q,ti rire to know what was to be said
at the gathering. All were expecting some
thing with reference to the ''big scare In
this they were not disappointed. On the eve
ming of the assembly, the talk was something
like the following
Gentlemen-when was boy, read in
an old book the EXPLANATORY sentence-"Be-
hold how great matter little fire kim
dleth -
When the courier rode through our quiet
neighborhood few mornings ago, distribu-
ting his circulars about universal suffrage"
he uttered the cry and the warning, as he
left my premises on his galloping charger,
Every man on guard, or we are all to be
taken by niggers" The circular explained
all. And so thought / would sit down and
count the probabilities respecting, not the
danger of our country, but only, and simply,
the danger of our own State, the State Of
Iowa. provided universal suffrage should here
be granted, and thereby the negroes be per
mitted to vote.
Friends and neighbors, how many negroes
are there in this State of our adoption? The
The census of 1860, which friend Of mine
has lent me, informs us that in the whole
State Of about 675 600 people, there are ,069
negroes. Of these colored people sos are
females, and $50 are males OF the latter
many are infants some are children and some
youngsters under twenty-one years of age.
Possibly, the whole number of negro voters
in the 566 colored males NAV amount I'd the
aggregate of $50. Ought that courier to have
been so frightened at the voting of $50 color
ed men, in State Of more than 67b.0oO
whites The horse, which that frightened
man rode, was more of a man than his rider.
Yes, friends, the rags of which the paper of
those circulars was made, had in them more
sense, infinitely more, than either the writer's
or the friends of those circulars could ever
appreciate.
am told that some of you have trembled
in view of the responsibility which our State
may incur should she permit $50 coIored men
to vote. You have believed that our future
prosperity depends on the preventing of this
negro vote. More than this, you have be-
lieved should 250 votes be cast in our State
by colored hands, that not only would our
prosperity be prevented, but the ruin of the
State would thoeby be secured. Friends, is
it SO? If it be so, then it is true that 'large
matters are kindled by little fire.
The old man said mo-, but the above was
the substance of the "talk.'
| went home to my cabin that night feeling
a good degree of certainty that there must be
sense enough in our State, both among sol
ders and civilians, to quell the ''big scare
also thoughtthe remarks to which had Just
listened had an application to both political
parties of the State. So much so as to in
clude Copperheads and soldiers who have
affiliated with the snakes, on the one hand,
and on the other, those Republicans who pre-
fer Copperhead rule to the rule of loyal men,
when the question of government turns on
the vote of 25o negroes.
Queyy-Why have not those States which
now permit negro suffrage, and which have
heretofore permitted it, sunk into the mire of
their own foolishness by their permission of
so improper thing? Isit not wonderful that
hey ''still live!'i A FoREsT Boy.