The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-12-01
From the Mobile (Als.) Register, Nov. rs.
THAT QUESTION.

Underlying the suggestion OF inc CnicaRo
Times that the south should by us voluntary
action dispose OF the negro question, and thus
forever take from radical nostrils its breath
Of vitality. is a broad and catholic state
rights and democratic principle, set up to an.
taeonize with the Howard amendment of the
rump congress- Those who can see in the
late move of the Chicago paper nothing but
the question of negro suffrage, do but fret
and fums on the surface OF the great question
and those-and there seems to be great
many of this olass-who confound the propo-
sition of the Chicago Times with the consti
tutionsl amendment, grossly mistake its put
port, for tbs former is srrayed in direct en-
tagonism to the latter, ana for the express
purpose of preventing congress from mbin
ing to force upon any state OF states q rule of
suffrage, which by constitutional right be-
longs exclusively to the states. To under
stand this, one must have the sagsoity to sac
at least an inch in advance of his own nose,
and not treat ID with the populur nostrums
of prejudice and passion lying within the mar
row boundaries of a noses length. The late
elections have left the country in what the N.
Z. World aptly terms ga political deadlock"
on the subject of the constitutional amend
ment. The radical vote, determining the
complexion of congress, has decreed the
amendment; but the old status of the south
north have pronounced against it. The ten
excluded states refusing to ratify it, suffice
now to defeat the amendment. Yet the cleo
tons have reinforced the ten by the three OF
Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware. Thlr-
teen is enefourth of ffty-two, and the thir-
teen can always defeat amendment to the
constitution. Thus the radicals are bsffled
and have failed to secure the object which
they fought for In the late elections. Hence
the implorations and threats to the south, in
the hope of breaking down the one-fourth
strength which stands an lmpregnabie barrl-
er in their tampsrings with the constitution.
Here is, then, the dead lock, which neither
the north nor the republican party is strong
enough to terminate. Taking advantage of
this happy check upon the radical design to
transfer from the states to the constitution
the right of suffrage regulation, the Chicago
4imes, with fsr-rsaching sagaoity, seizes ths
moment TO re-asseFt this great state right,
and to plant the democratic party of the
country firmly upon it. Hear 1t:
will the people in the several states pre-
serve TO themselves their constitutional rig ht
to prescribe the qualification of electors and
the eligibility of persons to hold Office, both
proposed TO be taken away from the people
OF the several states and given to congress by
the rump amendments, "a power they have
righttully exercised from the origin of the
government to the present time, OF will they
yield up that power to the possession Of
centralized oligarohy in the national capitol?
These the opposing propositions from
which there is no escape. There Is no other
alternative.
"The people of Massachusetts have ever
s.sadfsstly refused to allow the southern and
western states to regulate, or to any way in
tsrfere with their local Institutions and poll
cies. They established impartial suffrage
when the people in every other state were al
most universally opposed to it. They had
the right to do SO, and in exercising that right,
neither the people in any other state nor the
general government had any right to inter
fer. This right the people OF Massachusetts
will never peacefully yield. 1t is right
which belongs equally 80 the people of Illi
nois, of South Carolina, and of every other
state of the republic. It is this right which
the radical advocates of GENERALIZATION pro-
pose to take away from the people of the
states and transfer to the central government,
in that respect changing our government sys-
tenn from republic of states to 8 centralized
dsspotism."
No one can dispute that this is sound, con-
stitutioDal, democratic and southern doe.
trine. And that paper goes on TO make 1t
practical mot here in Alabama and the
south, for it leaves that to u.s. but in it's own
state, by recommending state convention in
Illinois for the establishment of impartial
suffrage there "by the highest and only au-
thority which has q right to establish it
the people of the state" The Times be-
lsves that is the best method by which the
people Of the several states can svert the
blow aimed at their dearest rights. The
Boston Post, too, which has perceived the
benefit of impartial suffrage In Msssachu-
sets, based Oh citizenship, taxation and
certain degree of intelligence" would be
glad to see it adopted in other STATES. But
shs Post, like the Times. protests against It's
being enforced by congress. Ii says:
''But adoption is another matter from en-
forcement. We ere at perfect liberty to dis
cuss this matter within those limits by which
our political power is bounded and We may
set forth as noble illustration of cur conyic.
tions as local example will admit but 1t Is
not allowed us TO combine in congress to
compel other states TO follow that example
though it were the perfection of reason in 1T
self and the ne plus ultra of Justice and mo-
rality."
The reader can now understand the aim
of another Chicago paper-the Jon9nGt-a
full-blooded radical, when 1t becomes the
champion of southern interests and argues to
show how bslsful would be the effects Of Elm
partial suffrage" st the south. When the
for cheat and so when an abolition paper
breaches southern rights, we may well re-
member the maxim of the "Greeks bringing
gifts" Illinois proposes to act for herself
alone, claiming that, like Massachusetts, she
alone has the power. The same liberty Is
left to the southern states, and it is q matter
Of sound discretion, interest and policy how
the latter will treat it. There is no compul-
sion-oniy an effort 80 defeat congressional
compulsiou. of which, certainly, no man can
say there is no danger. The south may act
or not, as she pleases, and we have already
stated the great difficulty in the way of afir-
NATIVE action. But surely there is neither
crime no infidelity to the south in consider
ing so important question, fairly and Judi
cously on its sober merits, without hustling
it out Of sight and burying it under q cloud
of traditional opinions.
The Boston Pilot, the great catholic news.
paner of this country, speaking of the adyo