Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-11-16
IMPARTIAL SUFFRAGE AND DE
Na0GHAGV.

MOCRACY.
The Chicago Times one of the most pow
erlni and influential Democratic newspapers
in the West, has boldly come out in favor of
negro suffrage and "He situation" as the
people and Congress haze decyecd il, as a
matter of absolute necessity and expediency,
aud as the only real hope of salvation to the
Democratic party in the future. We here
with annex the article of the Times
The present is crisis in the Democratic
party which has no precedent in its history,
rs y lsh crisis in the progress of the country,
Whlcll Is also without precedent. Never be
Tore has the Democratic party encountered
events 50 seriously affecting its future vitality
US now Not that ii beholds itself diminished
III the magnitude of its numbers-fOr il is nu
mereally stronger than il has ever been be
lore-but that, having been beaten ON great
national issue, as to which il believed itselftO
be wholly right and the opposition wholly
wrong, and still sobelieyes, il must neverthe-
less abandon that issue--ior the decision of il
is final-and either sit down in helpless and
decaylng inactivity, or strike boldly out upon
new line, selected with peculiar reference
not TO things ms we would hnve them, but to
thlngs as they actually are, and in pursuing
which line ii shall cease to be u hold back or
conservative party, and become, what it
was IN It's palmy days, a progressive and an
aggressive party These are the alternatives
IL VIII not sit down in helpless and decay
ing inactivity.
W hat, then, shall the new line beq In the
lrsi place, must we not cut loose from the
administration of Andrew johnson and
ieaNe llat hybrid concern to float ON the sea
OF public contempt into which il some time
since entered, and from which no power can
rescue ltf Is not the late defeat attributable
more largely TO this Administration than Ia
all olher causes cOmbnedY What is there
~ lis composition to command popular conf
dence2 Who, belonging to il, is entitled hy
reason oI ms anlecedens or OF his statesman
snip, to the confidence or the respect OF the
Democratic paity2 Certainly not Andrew
Johnson nor William II. Seward, nor Ed
wln NJ stanton. True, this Administration
liau Il flghl policy, and the Democratic party
III overlooking the chief men comprising il
anu thlnklng only of the rightfuness OF the
pollcy, uispl"yed n patriotism whose purity
was never excelled; but the policy having fail
eti, 100, through the ieebleness and folly, and
offences against public propriety OF the Ad-
slralion-why should not the Demo
cratic party abandon the dead body, longer
adherence To which is death also 10 itself?
What next Can the Democratic party
succeed until tho negro question shall he
gotten out of the way II cannot. What
heNlY Is moi negro suffrage inevitable, and
Is not the quickest way To get The neg. -
question out OF the way 10 at once eoncede
the suffrage making issue only on the dc.
gree to which il shall be conceded We
kno" that many Democrats have not reach
ed this advanced view of the ease, and that
such still feel greatly inclined to revolt ut
the proposition OF negro suffrage in any de
gree; but let us tell them thai it is always
wise to accept the inevitable when the IN
evitable comes. Negro suffrage, We say, is
| inevitable, and whether il Shall be qualified
or universal depends upon the promptncss
or otherwise with which the Democratic
party shall move with reference to il. The
South will speedily yield qualified negro
| suffrage upon the motion of the Democratic
party; because, if for no other reason, she
will soon see, ii she does not already see.
that If she do not yield it, she will ultimate
ly be compelled to accept universal negro
suffrage.
Qualified negro suffrage yielded by The
Southland by this we mean IMPARTIAL
SUFFRAGE, or suffrage dependent upon th,
Intelligence OF the man, irrespective of color
as is ron The case in MaSsachusetis--Tml
NEGRO QUESTION WILL. HAVE BEEN Dls
POSED or, AND THE OCCUPATION OF TIN
NORTHERN REPUBLICAN RADICAL Party
| WILL bh huNE flRtNE ER MOI one lnCl O
ground will it have to stand upon; and tn,
country can once more turn 10 those matcra
questions of public policy the right disposi
tion of which is so essential to the public
prosperity Ii will he upon these ques
lions that the Democratic party will triumph
and it will be by this triumph that constitu
tional government and our federal systen
will be preserved
II the south be wise, il will not wait, Oh
this suffrage question, even for the motion o
the Democratic party, If il be wise, ii viii
lose no time in putting in motion the neces
sary machinery by which it will at the sam,
time save itself from humiliation, prescrv,
its own sell-respect, rid the country of til,
most yexatious question that ever distracted
any country, kill the worst political party
That ever existed on the globe, and put til,
Union in the way of speedy restoration
This machinery consists, OF course, in con
yentiOnst TO revise the Stale constitutions
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