The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-10-03


Judging from the tone oftho paper
} advocating my policy" and from
!; the speeches its candidates, the Cop
per. johnson party depends for success
at the polls moro on a prejudice agains
tho negro that is supposed to exist u
). the minds of a certain class Of voters
than uron any other circumstance
They cry" Niger Bureau, Nigge'
Suffrage" "Niggcr equality" &c.
hoping thereby to excite that class
against the Union party and thus
obtain their votes for its candidates
The mcanness Of this appeal consists
in The fact that tho GLASS to be affected
by it is but little, if any, better. pre-
pared for a judicious exercise OF the
elective franchise than is tho negro
himself. Outside Of Rebellion it is
the ignorant, unpriucipled man, and
he alone, that can DO affected BY such
an appeal. All intelligent persons,
who have access to the news Of the
day, know that the destitute white
population Of the Southern States re.
ceive much more assistance from the
Freedmcu's Bureau, in proportion to
their numbers, than do the negroes.
Evidence is abundant that had it not
been for the relief granted to destitute
white persons by the Frecdman's Blu.
reau many Of them must have perish.
ed; yet all the politicians Of the Cop.
per-Johnson persuasion, from Andy
himself, as he is swinging round the
circle, to the pettiest Postmaster eat.
ing his piece of bread and butter, all
cry ont "nigger bureau! "nigger bu-
reau!" "Behold what Congress has
done for the nigger!" Congress has
voted six millions dollars for the mig.
ger!"! the same time knowing that
moro than two-thirds of this appro.
priation goes to the support Of white
people made destitute by the rebel.
lion. How despicably mean! What
safety for our government ifundcr the
control of men so void Of righteous
principle3
AS for negro suffrage, all intelligent
persons know that question is not at
Issue in this canvass. lift were, the
Union party Of West Virginia would
oppose it. AS party VIC base our
success on the rectitude Of our princi-
Piles, not on the ignorance of our men,
bers. There arc some Intelligent COL
ored men in West Virginia who could
vote understandingly, but the great
mass of colored citizens have too re-
Gently emerged from q condition
wherein they were not permitted to
use their own volition, to be made in
dependent voters Of; and it is only on
intelligent, Independent voters that
republic can rely for safety. Were We
disposed to retort on the Copper-John.
sonites we might cite them to Andy
himself and say that he was for negro
satfrage. We might refer them to his
letter to Gov. Sharkey Of Mississippi,
dated August Is, 1865, in which he
said:
u" II you could ertend the elective franchise 10 all
persons of COLOR who can read the Constitution
Of the United &ates in English and aVrTte their
names, and to aN persons Of color who own reai
estate val',ed at not les, than t,co hundred and
JRy dollars, anl pay tares thereon, y0u ,roua
set an example tie OTHER States wiN jollov. This
you can do with perfect safety, and you thus
place the Southern States, in reference to free
persons Of color upon the same basis with the
free States"
This was Andy's sentiment on Ne.
gro Suaiagc in August, 1865, and he
says he has not changed his views. Are
not the Coppcr.Johusonites then in
favor ofnegro suffrage? We have NO
doubt but that the Coppcrheads in
Ohio, where the colored man who is
more than half whito is allowed to
vote, aud in New York, where he votes
on a property qualification, aud in
Massachusetts, where he has the came
political rights with the white man,
orc soliciting the votes Of the negroes
and citing this Same letter of Audy's
to show that they, the Copper.J John.
n