Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-12-19
A SIGNIFICANT ARTICLE.
Black Franchise as n Basis of Recon
sfruefiOn
From ,hs cincinnati Gazette Dec n.

bAfuctAOns
From the Cincinnati Gazette, Dec Il.
Negro suffrage was invented as a patch
upon an unWise and premature recOnstruc-
ton scheme, which restored to political
power in the Rebel States the same class OF
persons who led them into the rebellion.
1t was a proposition TO bring in a new class
of voters, whose loyalty was Of unmistaka-
BILE color, who, added to the loyal whites OF
the South, Wonld form loyal popular ma
iority.
This was the theory. We have from the
beginning opposed policy that would re-
store the Rebel class to power in the Con-
| federate States, and therefore we have de-
MED that we were subject TO any necessity
for bringing in anew voting class toenterinto
conflict with them for the control of
affairs; and we hold that they who put ne
gro suffrage on this ground, reduce a mat
ter of principle and Of human rights to a
make-shift for difficulty which has no
right to exist, and for which the remedy
will be found delusion and a snare.
The question Of enfranchising the negroes
is thing to be Judged by the principles of
the rights Of man. Or if the question of
its effect upon the general welfare enters
into the consideration, it should be the
welfare for all time, and not its availabili-
ty for temporary expediency. If We do it
to Bring in voters to overbalance a party,
we subject our action to the charge of al
tering the franchise by our party necessity.
And TO this we shall add the folly of de-
grading principle of human rights to our
party purposes, and falling in the object /,
&, Il, - L.,
and that will still remain dependent in a
great degree for subsistence on the land
holding class, can be relied upon to unite
against them in political affairs And do
people really reflect upon what is compre-
hended in such a class conflict between
property and labor, that they look to it to
restore tranquility?
There is only one ground upon which
the enfranchisement of the blacks can be
rightly considered, and that is on the
ground Of right; not ofright for this time,
or because some Of them fought for coun-
try, or because they are better than Rebels,
but of eternal right IL the measure can
not stand upon that ground, it is unworthy
of consideration. 1t would not have served:
any purpose as q patch upon Johnson's
policy of restoring Rebels to political power;
and it would not be reliable now as basis
for a new reconstruction upon universal
suffrage, or upon the Impartial partial
suffrage, or any other suffrage.
The loyal class of whites who we're to
coalesce with the blacks, and thus form a
dominant loyal party, has not been found.
As a general thing, they would sooner Goa
lesce with the Rebels than the blacks.
Thus the project, if carried out, Woald d.
vide the people into two parties by the line
of color and the blacks would be the
weaker, and would be exposed to all the
luminosity that would be created in the
dominant class by political jealousy aided
10 the other caste hostilities. g
But it never would be carried out AS
soon as the reimbursement has been done,
the political elements would settle intotheir
usual arrangement Although the rela-
ton Of slavery is abolished, property re-
tains its ancient power The condition of
property and of the laborers in the South
Is apt for placing the political control in
the property class. And there will be the
hostility Of the white laboring class toward
the blacks to divide the power of the mass,
and play into the hands of the land-hold-
ing aristocracy.. And We have no reason
to suppose that the aristocfatic leaders Of
the Democratic party have lost their cum
ming in subjecting the ignorant elements of
society t. that party. -
As a measure to fit the reconstruction
emergency, negro suffrage is deception. It
will create a great voting ignorant class, of
the kind which naturally drifts into the
Democratic party-s party equivalent TO
which will exist under some name SO long
as there are ignorant and vicious elements
TO be used by demagogues for their politi-
cal ambition. As 70 its being q measure
for the general improvement Of the gov
eminent, we open a wide range when We
consider il upon that ground for it allows
the governing class to limit itself, and to
disfranchise the masses at its own discre-
ton, snbiecting the franchise Of the minori-
ty to the power of the majority And
there are not a few who think that enfran-
chisement has already gone much too far.
1t is only on the principle of the inherent
and inalienable right Of the man to q voice
in the government to which he is subject,
that the measure of enfranchising the
blacks can stand and on this ground alone
Il should be Judged. If it is not right for
every place and for all times, it il not right
for the Confederate States not for this time.
We do not extend the franchise to bring
more wisdom into the government, for few
IN any country are wise in affairs of State.
If the franchise were restricted to an intel
Iigent governing class, it would be much
narrower than now. Nor can We rely upon
The black franchise for establishing loyal
control in the South. We extend the suf-
frage, not for the good of the government,
but because it is q needed protection to
him. Upon any other ground than this it
iessends to schemes Of temporary expedi-
ancy and partisan domination, which are
Of confederation, and in which
negro suffrage viii prove false reliance.