Litchfield enquirer., 1866-08-02
&ittb6tlb Gnqnirtr.
 GEORGE A. HICKOx, Editor. Conn. Thursday. Aug ?, ls6e
Universal Suffrage

Universal Suffrage
 Upon Universal Suffrage and Universal Ed ucation rest our Lopes of success in the great Democratic experiment now being tried in the United States. Without the former n representative government lacks the requisite strength; without the latter it lacks the re- quisite wisdom.
 For proof of our first position short con- palison between the war Of the Revolution and the war of Secession wilt. we think. snf- fee. When our Revolutionary war commenc ed, the majority of Englishmen who opposed our independence was. beyond doubt. as great, proportionably. as the majority which opposed Southern secession with us. We are apt not to realize the weight of the blow England then received. By it she has not only lest control over half of our common race. but her real strength has been confined withi the British Islands. Cuttings ct the Anglo Saxon plant are, it is true, aourishing in many soils but they are distinct from, and add no strength to, the parent stock =
 Foreseeing these results Chatham died de nouncing American independence. playing the same part in England which Edward Everett took with us. t .,..
 Yet when the Revolutionary war commenc- ed there was no arousing the English masses as the attack on Sumter, the battle of Bull Run and the defeat of Mcclellan before Richmond. aroused the people of the North. Here, the rauk and file of the nation hastened to become the rank and file of it's army because they participated in it's government. And it was precisely becau Sc the rank and file of the British nation had no part in the government that they refused to come forward in it's sup port, ... ...... -,...s.... . .. forced levy, for white Englisbmen are not free enough to govern themselves, they are too free to bear conscription. In raising, therefore, the very first army fitted out against us, Lord North was forced to depend on the made quate expedent of hiring foreign mercena- ries, suffering the British Empire to be dis membered rather than resort to a measure which saved democratic France in I794 and democratic America in 1864. Nor do we think he miajudged his position. for all men who mo- ted the signs of the times will join us in say ing that even here without universal suffrage draft would have been impossible. ' '''
 Though believers therefore, in the ultimate necessity of universal suffrage we think thai universal education is equally essential Of score of Republics attempted within the last century ours has been the only sue cess everywhere else they have fallen int anarchy or into despotism Even in NeV -I York city, with three ffths of it's voting popu bs a6fA 6efAin is hfh,h pn,yersal suffrage ma! those, however, who fear the results O immigration the evils are but temporary soon to be removed by American education and association, while the advantages ar, permanent. And we firmly believe that noth ing so soon converts a foreigner into al American as the right of suffrage absurd.! as he abuses it at first, he prizes it highly, ant will eventually deserve it. There seems, how lever, as tho example of New York city shows ? to be a limit to the amolnt of ignorance whicl a free government can digest at one time, ant hence we consider it preferable that education should precede the ballot at the South. Soul Carolina with a large majority of it's popula. ton just emerged from slavery would, we think be certain of misgoyernment. under universa suffrage. We can, indeed imagine cases in whicl the General Government would even now b' justified in forcing this measure on the South Should the temper of the whites there agair seriously threaten revolution, we must glv' } the negro the ballot that he may protect him self and protect fhe Union. Or should thu South. consistently deny him his rights as I freeman, then the National Legislature nigh perhaps constitationally grant him that mighty bulwark against oppression, as the final act Q legislation necessary to carry into ful effac the Great Amendment. But we do not anti cipats that either of these emergencies wi. arise, and shall far more gladly welcome the sight of race unlearning the habits of servility ) learning those of self respect, and gradn ally becoming educated to the point where even so conservative journal as. the N. Y World admits they will deserve and must hay. the suffrage. f.'# !.,s .s.l.
 In the meantime we must see to it that their freedom is something more than name
 that they have chance for education, that ) their journals. new starting up all over the South, are allowed full freedom of speech, and that :hey have justice from Southern Tribu. nals We are we'll aware that no settlement of the negro question short of universal sui, frage will be final and that we may be post poning that settlement to another generation but we think that sometimes the cause ot progress gains by waiting! and that in the meantime not only the African race and the South, but iliberality at the North, has much to learn. stJq ai girssa1aH 8 ,tL i !,s.: s,fii II e4 'iiseiY ----77----~ >>------, s,..4 ,,.I