Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-11-21
CLEARFIELD, PA, NOV. 81, 1866.
Striking out on a New Line.


organs in he land It's sympathy with the
Rebels was as undisguise1. as its opposition
10 the emancipation policy was unmeasured
and persistent; indeed, mo paper in the u
nited States has been more hostile, in gen
eral sense, to the colored race, nor TO the le
gislation that became necessary by reason of
the changed relations in which the results
of the war has placed the slave population
to the General Government Yet, strange
TO say, the Times has struck out boldly on
a new line, and in its issue of Nov 18th ad-
vocates the adoption of negro suffrage, lin
tied by intelligence, ''as is now the rule In
Massachusetts," Itinsists that the quick
est way to get the negro question out of the
way Is to coneede the suffrage, making issue
only on the degree to which it shall be con-
ceded 1t does not admit that the course
heretofore pursued by the Democracy was
wrong, nor that the one it now advocates is
right. just and benefcent. 1t simply insists
that as it has been beaten on a great ma
tionsl issue, the only hope of restoring vi
tality to its party is ito abandon that issue"
and to adopt one in its stead that it admits is
inevitable
Whilst there are no indications of sincere
repentance on the part of the Trnes-ex-
pediency being alone observable in its arti-
cle-it deserves credit for it's discernment
and for the independent lead it has taken in
the right direction To what extent its
views will be adopted by the Democracy, we
do not undertake to predict But as the
Boston Post, also an organ of that party,
has for some time maintained this doctrine.
it is not Improbable that others will soon be
found expressing similar opinions Besides
this, we see If stated that leading Southern
men, who have visited Washington since
the elections, are satisfied that restoration is
impossible without some concession to the
dominant loyal sentiment of the country,
and as their States, prompted by the posi-
tion of the President, have been so strongly
committed against the Constitutional A
mendment as to preclude its adoption by
them in any contingency, there is no alter
native for them but to admit negroes to
qualified participation in the elective fran
chise. preferring that to the disqualification
which the ratification of the amendment
would infiict upon the leaders of the Re
belion. If the people of the South find
themselves compelled to move in this drec-
tion, and the leaders of the Democratic par
ty feel convinced that they can thus have
reasonable chance of getting back into pow
er, the latter will scarcely hesitate to follow
the suggestions of the Times
In the event of the Democratic party be-
coming Africanized, Copperhead newspa-
pers will doubtless be curiosities worth see
ing. Their editors will no longer regale
their readers with fierce diatribes against
the black race, but will probably fill their
columns with learned chronological and NOR
al treatises on the equality and brotherhood
of all men. Sambo will at once lose that
pungent o4or which is so offensive to refined
Democratic nostrils, and viii be accounted
quite as fragrant as the ottar of roses. On
the other hand, if the preiudices of the
faithful should fail to give way, and the
managers of the party cannot be satisfied that
the adoption of the course proposed will
once more place the control of the Govern
ment in their hands, then it may te contend
ed that the suggestion of the Times was
made only in ''Pickwickian sense'-that
it was bit of pleasantly designed to draw
attention from, and soften the bitterness of
their defeat.
The article Of the Times will be found Ell
tire on our outside. Attracting, as it does,
no little attention in political circles every
where, it will be perused with more than or
dinary interest by our readers.
Since the above was put in type we see it
announced that the Nuttonal IateVigeacer.
the organ of President johnson at Wash
ington city, in its issue of Nov. 10th. saws
s'there never can be stable peace in this
country until the colored race is made en-
''tirely equal before the law in regard to civ
''il rights. 1t is desirable that after long
land injurious agitation, the South should
spontaneously do this. 1t is also stated
that the President is favorable to granting
general amnesty for impartial suffrage, and
that ne may recommend something of this
nature in his annual message. It looks now
as if this question would soon agitate the
whole country, North and South.
The national debt has been reduced two