East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1866-11-29
The Now National Raid.


raid is made on tho negro. 1t is not
this time, negro slavery-that has de-
parted,
"GOno-glimsring like dream Of things that
A sehool-boy's talo-the wonder Of an hour
1t is not Freedmen's Bureau Bills
Congress has already secured them
secured them in spite of Executive
vetoes-in spite of common sense. It
is not African education, for Massa-
chusetts is attending to that. In fact,
that good and pious State monopolizes
that whole matter, and she rather en-
joys it, for it furnishes splendid field
of labor wherein to employ her super
abundant female population. 1t is
mono of these things. Of course not.
1t is Moro SUFFRAGE. This is the
National raid Of to-day-a raid that
is being pushed forward with an en-
ergy, zest and confidence that beto-
ken splendid and brilliant results.
In former times, when the Consti-
tuition was regarded as the fundamen-
tai law of the land, and its mandates
were considered as obligatory both
upon Legislators and people, such a
raid could not have been conceived of
except by such astute and patriotic ci-
items as Wendall Phillips, Frederick
Douglass and their confreres. Then
the question Of suffrage was regarded
as exclusively under the control of the
people of the several States,-that it
was for them to prescribe the qualifi-
cations of electors and the eligibility
Of persons to office. Such ideas were
Of course very stupid. To be sure the
Constitution sanctioned them-and it
does to-day, but what of that ? Has
that instrument any force against a
revolution endorsed by the Republi-
can majority? Can it BIO supposed to
have power enough to Withstand a
Republican decree? No sane person,
could for asmoment, entertain so fool
ish an idea. Is not the Republican
majority the people, and are not the
people greater than Constitutions? OF
course. Then if that majority desire
to secure Negro Suffrage through
Congressional Legislation, isn't it non
sense to say that they are estopped by
the CunstituUiJu IA Oni dvi"o 80 O.,
what hinders this new raid from
achieving success ? Certainly no rights
of the minority, no principles of the
Constitution, no considerations of rea-
son, no hopes of benefit to the negro;
for it is pushed forward in entire and
absolute disregard Of all these. The
only question for consideration is, will
it benefit the great Republican party?
Answer that in the affirmative, and
success is certain.
Now, while this is the Radical view OF
this question of Negro Suffrage, we
are disposed to adhere to the old time
doctrine of the Constitution regard
ing it. We believe in National legis-
lation only upon such subjects as Con-
gress has clear Constitutional right
to legislate upon. This matter of suf-
frage is exclusively under the control
of the States. We believe it should
be kept there. If any State desires
to confer upon Her negroes the cleo
tive franchise, it is her undoubted
right to do so. And whether it is de-
sirable or not, none but the citizens
of such State have right to deter
mine. If to-day Michigan is disposed
to act upon the question, we haven't
the slightest objection to her doing 80,
We know personally of some Demo-
Gratis who are in favor of extending
suffrage to our negro population, and
we know of some Republicans who
are opposed to it. Beyond all doubt,
men of both parties, looking simply
to the result of their action upon the
interests Of this State will act so as,
in their Judgment, most effectually to
promote those interests. And the CT
tizens here are entirely competent to
decide intelligently upon the.question.
But whether the elective franchise
should be extended to the negroes of
South Carolina, or any other South
ern State, we don't think the people
of Michigan are either competent or
have any right to determine. There
fore we don't believe in this new
threatened raid to secure Negro Suf-
frage by Congressional legislation
There no warrant for it in the Con-
stitution and there is no demand for
it in the necessities of the nation
and we don't know Of but one party
willing to espouse it simply on the
grounds Of party expediency and that
is the party Of the Radicals. Ger
tainly, the Democracy can be guilty
&C .,,ot, ..-J..~l