The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-08
Daily LEADER
SATURDAY, July 3, 1896.
NEGRO SUFFRAGE. ,
Its .IrrepressIbIe OonaIet..-Judgc Car
ter and II. Winter Davis.

tecteda and 6Gus ase4ight to protect htnsetf
5y the BALLOT9H
From what trSzspised on the 4Eh inst I
am led 10 call your attention again to this
great question I say great question, for
it is the question of questions now and will
be till the doctrine of the quotation at the
head of this communication shall become
the settled and conceded policy of the whole
country, and the practice of every State in
this Union. fHf-1
1 know the cry is Peaes, PeSce, but there
can not possibly be spy peace while good
faith is not kept with the trle friends Of
the Union, and they5sre denied all right Of
participation or voice in the reorganization
of the rebel States but wheni on the con-
trary, the whole power and authority to re-
construct is 70 be put into the hands OF
those who have been the enemies OF the
Union, and who are more than enemies OF
the colored race. A policy such as this
must SO violate our sense of justice that we
cannot Withhold entetfhg our disspproval OF
it.
There may be an attempt to set the
question aside and Hinality" measures
may be adopted for little time, but the
''Grest Question" win be up again and will
be the aIrrepressible Conflict" until night
and justice shall prevail all over this
Union.
But my attention has been noiO psrticu-
larly called to this subject from reading
the following extracts, which desire you
will publish, that the principles contended
for in each may be examined that we
may say with which our convictions are
most in harmony. In short, which ISSUE
tanned by the great moral serse"Of the
country, and slso which is legal and Con-
stitutional and which is not. t- -
Extract from the Address Of Judge D. K Oar-ter,
st Cleveland, July 4, 1851 .s..s .-l
HAnother question engrOsses the atten-
tiou of political aspirants. The revolution
is not completed yet. The fight is over
the enemy are beaten; the armies are dis
solved and the artillery is returning; and
there is no more sounds of conflict. But
the contest is not over yet. The talk now
is about reconstruction. 1 have q sugges1
ton or two on that subject. In the first
place negro suffrage is veXed question.
/ consider that the National Government
has nothing TO do with that. The quslif-
cation of electors reside with the states,
and il was an assumption of power that
reduced the States to mere dependencies
on the National Government, I don't
think bowaver. fhaH tho Gtates ere SOW
ereign; the whole doctrine is an idiosyn-
crssv. Nevertheless, these States must be
maintained in their integrity. If
we should obliteraIe the geogrsph-
icsI distinction of the South
and resolve sll into one mass, with the GEN.
ire at Washington, with its corruption, the.
nation would rot ia less than ten years,
The Federal Government has the supreme
power now, and it's her duty TO maintain
that power till the last pAng Of treason ls
extracted, and anarchy is at an end. Then
every State is entitled TO her integrity IS
State. The rebellion extingulshed no
State. 1t was an enactment Jf malice
with no constitutional authority, and IN
fagrsnt opposition thereto. The original
State laws and constitutions were parsly zed
onIy 80 far as the rebel armies held sway.
When rebellion and anarchy cease, the
laws and constitutions of the rebel States
revert to them. Rut slavery was al an
and. While the rebellion lasted, the slaves,
as well as other rebel property, were amen
able TO the United States. Thus the latter
could burn their bans, and they did II"
(E1rtrsot from the address Of Henry Winter Davis
ct Chicago, July 4th.l "-
| npany1rk Of
disloyalty in the South, and in the 1poilcy
of reconstruction our Government should
carefully guard against its usurpstionsi and
40 distribute the rights Of citizens IS that
| lovsl man. Of Whatever color, should have
| al lesst an equal chance with the disloysl
II would not do to trust the whole matter
of reorganization to men of doubtful loyal
tv and strong secession prOelivlties.-,
Pesce and its blessings had been purchased
AT too great price to be bartered away oy
a hind confidence in those who were no'
trustworthy. There are to-day but very
fauJ genuine white Union men In the South
! If can. Robert Z. Lee were TO become
candidate for President of the Unite,
states tomorrow, he would receive ever.
oIocIoraI vote of the Southern States, ant
nossibly of one or two in the North.
There mas a numerous class OF men
the South who were always Loyal snG trq
the colored population. They shoul
have the privilege of throwing their VOC
into the scale; and, if; this were alioWe
them. no fears need be entertained oI IN
result. We had made successful soldiers
The blacks. If they were fit to ngnt 1or u
, thew we're fit to vote with us. They wei
eonsl TO white rebels on -LhA battle e-aleso .s
t6ev sbouId be equal 10 them st the psllo
box. Whether we looked at this questlGS
IN the hum n tartan light or other wise, u
, s.fatv and perpetuity of our free lnstlt
lions REQUIRED thst thes-eleetiVe 4rane1 !,
should be- extended 10 az men, rsgsfdle
of color, Who were loyal TO the Cover
ment and the great principles o. huih'
:. liberty.
!. Here are two principles avowed-ti
Y first is clearly and unmiitakably in fAy
l. Of State rights on the .'vexed question"
J. negro sutfrsgs, and the other is jast'
s. clesr that it is the duty of the nation
lie government TO see that the real friends
lg the Union, in its struggle for life are p
- tected in the final Reorganization OF !
d. rebel state governments Which H1fi
ne and ,0hieh Is wrong and what is our au ~
is reserved for future consideration. -. :.
10 - ''1'a J.P. B
v,,..,, rive ThOusand Union TrOs