The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1866-02-13
Our Washington Correspondence.

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gress and will, no doubt, at no distant day
pass the Senate, bids fair to be popular. The
measure will find many friends at the South.
The Amendment simply makes it the duty
of ALL the States to extend the right of suf-
frage to all men without distinction of race
or color, by basng representation upon the
entire population of the voting caste, race,
color, or whatever else you may please to
call it,
The words of the Amendment, are almost
literally taken from some remarks of Hon.
Jas. G.. Blaine of Maine, in the House on the
9Th Of January.
This Amendment say will find many
friends at the South. base that opinion
upon letters | have seen and remarks have
heard from eminent Southern men. These
men dread, or profess to dread the conse.
uuences of immediate and universal suffrage,
but prefer to dole out civil rights to the ne
Cro as his condition would seem to require
or to fit him for the exercise of them, the
State themselves being the sole judges. Tn
der the policy of the Amendment they could
do this as gradually and with as much eau
ton as they should see fit, without prejudice
to their own political importance provided
they were sufficiently careful to make their
conditions equally binding upon both races.
the question 'what shall the future con-
dtion of the black race among us De, is past
all denial the great question now before Con-
gress aud the Country. That question must
be settled beyond all cavil previous to . re-
union of the States. That the South will
eventually and Of necessity accede 10 the will
Of the loyal masses, is as certain as any future
event can be.
The course of the disloyal Democratic
party in opposing this extension of political
and civil privileges to the negro, as that party
has consistently opposed ali measures for the
suppression of the ate rebellion, and all
movements made in the interest of the conn
try and of human liberty, has had the effect
to open the eyes of the loyal masses to the
Importance and justice of the measure. The
question has thus become political issue
a strict party matter-and it is pretty well
known which party is strongest.
am sorry to notice some denunciation of
the President in Congress Of late, which in
my humble judgment is uncalled for. 1t
proceeds upon the belief, no doubt, that the
! National Latalligencer, and other papers of
that sort who assume to speak for the Presi-
dent, are authorized so to do. This is great
mistake It's to be doubted whether Andrew
these splenetic platitudes, misnamed Editori-
ais. Did'.t ever see one Of those long-winded
concerns? Let me describe one briefly, and
as they are all alike one description will do
/ for all.
Commencing with ''Sclf Respect" (modern,
equivalent to chiyalry, obsolete) goes thro'
two columns of the "Presidents Policy"
eviscerates (whateyer that may be) the
! Southern people Of their manhood in case
negro suffrage is forced upon them-plunges
into ''sullen despair" and winds up with a
"rigid adherence to we'll ascertained princi-
Piles" and determination not to lose sight of
/ Constitutional landmarks"
| This is all we'll enough for once or twice,
but on the twentieth daily appearance the
attentive reader Will not fail 70 observe a
strong desire for change.
A man Of some uote-or rather notoriety-
one Mr.. L. c. Baker, a detective formerly,
and in fact quite recently employed by the
War Department, has himself been detected
in falsely imprisoning pretty female of the
genus pardon broker, and a trial IN the Grim
| inal Court here has resulted in his conviction
1t serves him right. He was doubtless driv-
/ ing the business of his Internal trade, long
after the necessity for such "war measures
had passed. 1t is shrewdly suspected that
he "hawked" at higher game, as he claims tc
have had supervision of all matters in the
detective line, about the War Department
and the White House. Whatever may have
been his designs it seems to have failed, and
the President is at liberty to grant pardons
to whomsoeyer be pleases.
1t is currently rumored here that JEFF. Davis
is to be brought to trial before a Military
Commission. This rumor takes color from
the fact that great many Major Generals
have congr"gated here.
Let US hope that the question will be met
in one way or the other very soon.
! Mr. Davis seems to stand TO all the world
as the representative man of Southern Treason.
The disposition made of him will determine
whether or not treason is to be considered a
crime. Two things seems certain; trial IN
Virginia, before Virginia jury, cannot result
in conviction, whatever the proof; and a tr al
before Military Commission will not be
likely to lead to acquittal.
RS3S~ Do you not think it is your duty to
haLa e