The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-10-06
Connecticut against Equal SW-
fr.s1e.

tied to the right OF SUFFRAGE Ahls 10 eieat-
ly to be regretted and yet, from the course
some leading republican men and journals
have taken, might have been anticipated.
Connecticut is pretty evenly balanced, po-
litically, and while the republican party
have been divided on this suffrage ques-
ton, the democracy have been a unit
against it. Of course then in a such
state, with the party divided, democracy
and slavery would triumph.
But the friends of progress and humani-
ty must not lose heart The question Of
intelligence, not color, is not lost, only
deferred. This nation will not 90 back
to barbarism, but eventually the inalien-
BILE right of its colored people will be &C
knowledged, North, East, South and West.
Below we copy from the Springfield Re-
publican:
"Connecticut has spoken on the suf-
frage question, and spoken decidedly wrong
She has said that she does not accept the
doctrine of equal rights, and that good cit
liens shall be prescribed solely on account
Of color. We are disappointed and NOR
titled at such a decision by a New Eng
land state, state where the republican
party is dominant and likely to be for
some time to come. The majority against
the amendment is not large, but it might
have been the other way if the republican
leaders in the state had been honest and
earnest for it. They have made capital
mistake both as to duty and policy, as we
think events will teach them.
There are but few colored men in Con-
necticut, and the decision of the state
against their right to the suffrage is not of
so much consequence locally as for its
moral effect 1t renders it impossible at
present to make equal suffrage doctrine
of the republican party. 1t will be earn
estly advocated by few, but public opin-
ion must be educated up to it before it can
be made a test question. We are thus
left without vital issue as against the de-
mocracy They are bold and united against
equal suffrage; the republicans are not for
it, but are divided in opinion and counsels.
And yet the doctrine is true, is of vital
Importance, and must ultimately prevail.
And it will not be strange, when the cur
rent sets that way, as it must in course of
time, if the agile democracy shall be in 4
position to repudiate its record and lead
off in the suffrage reform.
If there had been any doubt before az to
what Congress might OF might not do in
the matter, the decision of Connecticut
settles it. There will be no attempt to
force negro suffrage on the Southern states
by federal authority, or to exclude repre-
sentatves and senator's from states that
have not granted this II ght to their freed
men. 1t would be too absurd to pretend
that their state governments are not re-
publican, in the sense of the constitution,
because colored citizens are excluded from
the suffrage, when a New England state
has ust voted that negro suffrage is not
republican either in that or the party
sense. and fve-siXrhs of the free states
agree with her Nor would it be less pre-
posterous to say to the southern men that
we cannot trust them to do justice to the
freed negroes unless they can protect them
selves bv the ballot, while we can trust
ourselves to do Justice to our own colored
citizens without that protection. In fact
the decision of Connecticut postpones the
whole question, as a national one, making
it necessary to argue the case for years tc
come, for it is one of the things that will
be agitated till it is settled
Connecticut having given us pause OF
the subject, the friends OF equal sutirag,
may well reconsider the matter and tax,
a fresh start. The whole question ha:
been needlessly muddled and complicated
sometimes perversely. Those who max,
high professions of radicalism and ear
nestness began to crusade by persistent
misrepresentation of the President; the,
ignored his true reasons for not rcquirin!
it in the reoreanizing states, and denounc
ed him as if hostile to the thing itself
And even since it has been evident tina
he personally favors negro suffrage, Will,
believing it the constitutional right of eacl
state to decide for itself, they keep up thu
first false assumption, and seem desermin
ed to fight it out on that line. They thu
needlessly and perversely put themselve
in an attitude of hostility to the President
and some of them have been exceedingly
bitter and INSCRIPTIONS in their attack
upon him. 1t was matter of course tha
the democrats should attempt to take ad
vantage of this situation of affairs. ant
volunteer to protect the administration
against the party that elected it. Som'
of the republican papers of Connection
have been fighting the President with ont
hand and the democracy with the other
They should have advocated equal an,
intelligent suffrage in Connecticut ON it
own merits, and not mixed it up with thu
wholly distinct question of the right ant
duty of the President to establish Negro
suffrage in the South. They gave ever,
moral advantage to the enemies of impair
tial suffrage by their laundering, and thu
they have lost the battle. But the efior
for equal suffrage must not be abandoned
Let all who are for it unite in demandin!
it as a natural and inalienable right every
where, waving the question Of its en-
forcement in the South, which is now