Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-11-17


The Democratic Rrese ana ohe
009eoge Question.
The events Of Che last eighteen months
have been steadily tending towards negro
suffrage until now II is inevitable and al
ready determined, not by direct vote, but
by the stern logic of events and he who
does not see in "the signs Of the times'
that the result 10 inevitable, must be blind
&C by prejudice or be one Of those who
would proleng the settlement Of the ques
ton for the sake Of political cap 'tal. We
do not ask others TO sgree with Us, but
would ask every democratic paper TO leave
dead issuss. and treat this aud every other
issue now beSsse the people - II becomes
pablic Journalists 70 treat an inevitable Issue
and 90 thas must b settled. The Chica-
70 Timer 10 eosmenting upon this subject
says:
what,.should bs done with coming negro
suffrage: As . practical common-senss
proposition. should not the democratic per-
~, ceasing unsvailing cppositicn 70 Il, take
the application and ceassol Of the new sui
frage from the rsdisals, vho viii make the
worst possible use Of il, and itsslf apply and
contvol Il, end make It su6sssve the best
possible uscss Tho democsstic party
through the confidence which the South
repossa In Il, has now the power ia
make this application and exercise
this control. In other words. the Southern
States may nov themselves grant impartial
suffrage, and By % dong preserve On iden.
tity Of interests and sympathy between the
two races dwelling together a-d this they
will do on the motion Of The DemOcratie
party. By and by the sweeping radical
congressional majority, overriding all barr
rc, and reducing the South 10 the condi.
ton Of conquered provinces. will impose up
on her partial, unjust, offensive, degrad.
ing suffrage. aud, creating an antagonism
be, wecn the races, control the negro vote
against the whites and for radical uses. I'm.
partial suffrage speedily adopted by the
South, the radical congressional majority
cannot proceed 10 extremities sgaint her
for northern popular sentiment viii hav,
been satisfied aud will not sustain extrem
measures. In short, the radicals will hav
been completely 6anked, and can find N
northern public sentiment denying rep
rcssntstion In congress to the South. TIL,
negro question will have been practically
disposed Of, end disposed Of by the actor
Il the South. And Who will tell M tho
the radical party can survive year the dis
position Of tho negro question
II is the radical purpose now. ~ II has al
along been, to psolons this question. Tn
question never will b. settled - long % rad
realism can pr event It. Il Is the only groun,
i, has to stand upon. Nothing could b =,
unwclcoms u L % the action BY the SoutI
which We have indicated; and the Democrat
ie journal which Discourage such action
plays directly. In Our op nion, into the hand
Of radicalisn,, end aids, in the most clEectiv,
way, in bringing humiliation. degradation
conilscaiion, disirAnchisemcs I, and all tn
other disastcrs o. Jacobin policy upon III
Southern people. Ia this respect tcrribl
responsibility rests upon the Democrat
press. Il will BE- an awful misuse Of powc
IL the Democratic prsss shall, BY clinging 4
the dead past and ignoring the most obvious
revelations Of the living preset, bctray tn
South Into the gulf Of pcrditien whose flood
gates the rad ri leaders are waiting only III,
favorable opportunity 10 open upon her. Fo
ourselves. We wash our hands OF all part il
so cruel. 80 wicked so criminal betrayal
We tell the South that it has but one way
70 head ID the radical Vaccinations for il
degradation, and that is, to accept the incy
liable as to negro suffrage, and exercise he
right as states TO establish . fair md jus
system in accordance wi,h the deve opmcn nj,
Of public opinion. We believe the South i
moving 10 do this. She may be sure tina
soon she will not have even the choice lie
tween impartial suffrage and the constitu
tional amendment, and shc knows how in
finitcly preferable the former is to the lat
ter, and how injurious to her the latte
would be.