Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1866-11-30

q
few in the Union party who would de-
ny it. Since, then, ali parties demand
it there is the more reason why justice
should be done. Fiat j,.stiria ruqt
eoelaa.
THE REBEL OUTRAGE swINDLE.
The proposition to eofrauchise the
rebels provided they win enfraneblse
the blacks is the latest Democratic
trick for catching Uuiouist. ofCou-
servative tendencies. It's based upon
the false presumption that the di-loyal
population is the rightful controlling
element IN the South while the loyal
element Is to be utterly ignored, that,
in short, diSloyat men are to have. the
front and loyal ones the back seat IN
the work of reconstruction. But by
the act Of rebellion the rebels have ut
terly forfeited all right to a share in
our national policy. Having lost all
their rights and none of their ohliga-
tions they are mere pensioners upon
our mercy The loyal masses Of the
South are alone, dc jase, the reposito-
ries Of civil power, and they only have
a right TO be consulted in reference to
the proper basis of reconstruction.
But il Is proposed to utterly disregard
their wishes end to consult Only those
t Of rebels. The loyal men Of the South
have already demanded negro suffrage
and have solemnly protested against an
indiscrimiuate amnesty to rebels
They would gladly enfraUebi~e the
blacks not only because it Is right to
/ do so. but because it's q measure ne
cessary Tor their own protection. Yet
we are asked to turn a deafoar to these
peope and commence dickering with
rebels about scandalous trade of
amnesty for suffrage That which is
offered to as freely by those to whom
only il properly belongs We are asked
to buy of those who have no proper
control over ia whatever And this
too at the expense Of the honor and
safety Of the nation
/ The manifest object of the scheme
| is to secure enfranchisement for the
rebels aud not suffrage for the negro.
That Democratic politicians have no
| regard tur ne amelloration of the black
race is a fact uO less notorious than is
the earnest desire Of the whole Demo-
er8te party to have the rebels, its
natural allies, released from political
disquaiihcahOns az soou as possible.
Democratic parry leaders imagine that
with the aid Of rebel votes they can
carry the elections 10 spite of che ne
gro votes They are there fore will
ing to allow the latter for the sake of
getting the former They hope TO pre-
sent in negro suffrage a sufficient tenn
ptation to the Union party to allow the
success oftheir pet scheme of restoring
rebels to power At the same time it
is attempted to blind us with the pre-
sumption that We are reconstructing
the South on-the basis of the rebellious
and not the loyal element, and that
impartial suffrage is a thing to be
bought Of the rebels aud not u thing
already gratuitously offered US By the
loyal people.
i But Democrats condemn themselves
by telling US that negro suffrage Is in
evitable. IF this is SO why need we
I purchase it by pardoning rebels? Z? Why
not patiently wait until it comes. for
then We may be certain of carrying the
Constitutional Amendment in nearly
every Southern State by the aid of the
negro vote, and of disfranchising re-
bells at all events. Negro suffrage will
then have cost US nothing and we will
besides have succeeded in carrying out
all our party measures. Let US there
fore wait until the inevitable comes,
and if the South is unwilling to accept
the Amendment let her wait also. The
Union party need be In no hurry about
the work of reconstruction. 1t can
afford to wait until the grass gets green
on the graves of its soldiers, and until
/ its flag can be permitted to wave unin
suited in the southern atmosphere.
Until that time we can very patiently
submit to the task of managing the
Government Of the Country ourselves,
provided Southern rebels are unwilling
to accept the mild and just terms of
/ restoration offered them.
But granting that the rebels have
de facto the control of the South and
the matter of suffrage at their disposal,
would it be just to pardon them for
| their treason to induce them to enfran-
ehise the freedmen That all men
are created equal is an abstract truth
as old as the Declura ton of Indepeud-
ence and one which if granted allows
the blacks an equality Of political as
we'll as civil rights. IF therefore it is
abs.raetly right to give them the ballot
it ought by all means to be granted
them freely aud unhesitatingly. The
rebels are as much bound to do them
this act of natural justice as we are and
therefore ought not to be rewarded for
doing what is simply their duty They
are doing wrong in Withholding the
ballot from the black man a single mo-
ment and tits not our place to tempt
them by political bribes to do their
duty Much less ought we to do so
when it would be compounding the
worst Of felonies and turning the shafts
Of tempered justice from the most
guilty felons. Nor is it in the order of
nature to do wrong that right may pre-
vail. Treason and rebellion are the
greatest Of wrongs, and it is our duty