The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-09-07

hut To defend aud maintain the supremacy oi tnc |
Constellation and preserve the Union with all the
dt nifty equality and rights of the several States
mnmbairel and ms soon as these objects arc at |
tanned the war ought 10 cease la.....t tU |
More Record on the Negro Equal
fty Question - Schenck Deep IN
the Mire. at at H
When General SCHRNCK, in two-hOur
speech, in August. attempted to explain
his conduct and votes as Il representative In
Congress the most striking feature of his
harangue was the failure to speak upon
three important topics-Ihe tariil, the ex
ira pay, and negro suffrage. The people
were on tip-toe Many innocent Repub-
licans confidently anticipated the exposure
of DemOcratic lies; and could scarcely
wait 20 hear "BOBr defend himself against
the false assertion that he had sold out to
Eastern manufacturers, or had voted for
negro suffrage, or negro equality; or had
pocketed his little extra of $4,000. This
confding class were doomed to disappoint-
menL AS on former OCCASION, wen known
to our older citizens. General SCHENOE
thought it prudent to wait until we had
put our foot in further! He talked for an
hour to explain his singular system of
equalizng bounties tn the soldiers; and
persuaded MS all that hc had never slept or
taken his meals With any regularity on ac-
toun. Of his great labor in this matter.
No one would have dreamed, hearing the
speech, that the very same lin whrh at
tempted to give the soldier the pittance of
500 for three years service, conferred
upon the laborious. hard-working self
sacrificing General ScHENcK the snug sum
of $1,000 a year extra pay for himself, in
addition to his comfortable $4,000 Il year
before!
But we do not propose to dwell on this
point to-day nor shall we say anything
further upon the tariff at present.
The great issue of the day is involved in
the various theories of reconstruction
Shall we allow the negroes to vote? or
shall we force the Southern people to al
low negroes to vote by shutting them out
from the Union, or destroying their power
in it, IL they refuse the right of suffrage to
the "Inan and brother.N
General SCHENCK failed to define his po-
sition upon this question with that "char-
acteristic bluntness" with which he jump
ed at the extra pay. No intelligent man
believed for a moment that he had forgot
ten it. His speech was carefully prepared,
and dealt in many minute matters; and he
had the whole evening to himself and an
attentive, expecting audience. Tie came
no nearer TO the question than to venture n
doubtful defense of the Constitutional
Amendment in the following language,
which We copy from the accurate report
of his speech in the Cincinnati CONNER
cial. u.. 'II.i 5.. I.r ..l.fal ....i 20
''But they are afraid that 1t may have
some concealed purpose of eleVating ne
grOes that If yOu make, us you do women
and children born here or naturalzed, citi-
ZeIls of the. United States, yOu necessarily
make them voters. 1t goes to no such
length. Ii IL did. | would prefer the black
est eoter that could walk TO the polls, If he
had loyal heart, TO any rebel of them all.''
Weregard this language as significant
and worthy OF attention; especially when
taken in connection with his vote in Com
gness upon similar questionsynn l'i ii,HH
He says that the Constitutional amendl
ment does not make voters out of negroes,
lie does not say (as be ought aud would, II
nc WhA Oppostu 10 ueSTO hultfdSe,l OnhI "
itdid make voters out Of negroes he would
have voted against and would not now ad-
vocate its adoption, His characteristic
blpntness' Jailed him here; or rather 1t
took side slant prOmptedb by his malicious
nature. and he INDUCED himself in the dis
graceful remark that he preferred the
"bidckest potter to any rebel of them all.
But every man TO his taste uJ. uiIl b..
Now, it is very gratffyingto us, and quite
complimentary TO our good citizens, that
General ScHENcK was obliged, Ia adyoea--
ting the Constitutional amendment, TO ar
que that it would not make voters out OF
negroes 1t was a tribute 20 our conserva-
tism. But was it not a little singular that
he should in the same breath declare him-
self In favor Of allowing the ~blaclSest vo-
ter to march up to the polls in preference
20 the whole mass Of the Southern people
when he is now candidate for the suf-
frages of the people of our district9 Why
did he not announce himselfas opposed to
the doctrine of negro equality? IL seems
extraordinary tOus that General ScHENcK
should stand up before tho people and press
them to adopt the amendment BECAUSE II
does not make voters out Of negroes; and