The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-11-17
me Democratic Press, 111e Suffrage Guess
ton, and The South.

1
agree with the Times in respect 10 its view OF
the shortest road to the rsascendency of tho
democratic party and the paoifcation of the
| country, treat the matter Of negro suffrage as
q question yet to be determined, and assume
that the democratic party may determine ID
adversely to suffrage by maintaining it's for
meY position towards II. 1t is right here that
our cotsm poraries make a most serious mis-
take. The question of negro suffrage is al
ready determined, mot, to be sure by O.
direct vote of the country on the question, but
by events which are as certain and conclusive
as such vote would be; and he who does
not comprehend this fact-hs who does not
see in the signs Of the times the inevitability
of that results lamentably and inexcusa-
bly, blind. We have not doubt that if the
question were submitted directly to the voters
OF Illinois tomorrow, IMPARTIAL SUFFRAGE
would prevail BY very large majority, and
that thousands of democrats would contrib
ute to that conclusion. And as in Illinois, so
In every northwestern state. We do not ask
our democratic contemporaries to make them
selves happy over this fac, the fact Of the
inevitabihty of negro sufrage,-bnt we do
ask them, however Gistasteful the fact itself,
not to ignore 1T; not, Bourbon-iike, to disre-
gard il; but TO accept il, aud treat it as it is
the duty of enlightened publicists to treat
What ought this treatment to be? What
should be done with coming negro suffrage !?
AS a practical common-ssase proposition,
should not the democratic party, ceasing un-
sTailing opposition to it, take the application
and control of the new suffrage from tae rad
Gals, who will make the worst possible use Of
it, and itself apply and control it and mako
| it subservs the best possible uses? The dem
| ocratic party. through the confidence which
1
make this application and exercise this con-
| troll. In other words, the southern states may
| now themselves grant I'M partial suffrage, and
By so doing preserve an identity of interests
| and sympathy between the two races dwell
ing together; and this they will DO on the
motion OF the democratic party. BY and by
this opportunity will be gone. BY and by
the sweeping radical congressional majority,
overriding ali barriers aud reducing the south
to the condition of conquered provinces, will
impose upon her q partial, unjust, offensive,
degrading suffrage, and, creating al anita on
ism between the RACES, control the negro vote
against the whites and for radical uses I'm
partial suffrage speedily adopted by the south,
tbs radical congressional majority cannot pro
coed to extrsmities against her, for northern
popular sentiment will have been satisfied
and will not sustain extreme measures. Ia
short, tbs radicals will have been comp etely
hsnked, and can fad no tensble sxcuse--no
excuse that will satisfy northern public senti-
mentor denying representation in congress
to the south. Tue negro question will have
been practically disposed of, aud dis posed of
by the action Of the south. And who will
tell US that tho RADICAL party can survive
year the disposition of the negro question.
1t is the radical purpose now, as it has all
along been, 10 proIong this question. The
ba
calism can prevent IL. II is the only ground
it has TO stand upon. Nothing could DC so
unweloome to it as the action by the south
which we have iBdiGated and the demo
cratic journal blch discoursges euch action
plays directly, III our opinion into, the hands
of radiealsm and aids, IN the must effective
way, in bringing humiliation. degradation,
confsoaton, Acknowledgement, ana all the
other disasters of Jacobin policy upon the
southern people. In this respect terrible
res ponsibllity rests upon the democratic
press. 1t will ba an awful misuse Of power
if the democratic press shall, by olineing to
the dead psst and Ignoring the most Obvious
revelations of the living present. batrmv the
south into the CUFF of perdition whose food
gates tbs radical leaders ara waiting only the
favorable opportunity 10 ooen upon her. For
ourselves, we wash our hands Of ell part in
cruel, so wicked, so criminal betrayal
We tell the south that 10 has but one way 20
hasd off the radical Vaccinations for It's deg
ration, and that IS, to accept the ineyitable
as to negro suffrage. and exercise her right
as states 10 establish fair and Just system
IN accordance with the developments of pub
lie opinion. We believe tho south is moving
10 do this. She may be sure that soon she
will not have even the choice between impair
tial suffrage and the constitutional amend.
ment, and she knows how Infinitely prefsra-
bic the former is to the latter, and how iniu-
rions to her the latter would be- hicago
tines.