Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-11-21

A Democratic Organ Favors Negro Suffrage.


From the Chicago Times of Nov IL
sHALLTHE DEMOCRATIC PARTY DIE OR LIVE?
| The present is a crisis in the Democratic
party which has no precedent in its history,
as it is a crisis in the progress of the coun-
try which is also without precedent. New
er before has the Democratic party epcoun-
tered events so seriously affecting its future
vitality as now. Not that it beholds itself
diminished in the magnitude of its mum
bers,- for it Is numerically stronger than it
has ever been before,-but that having
| been beaten on great national issue. as to
which it believed itself to be wholly right
and the opposition wholly wrong, and still so
believes, it must nevertheless abandon that
issue-for the decision Of it is final-and Ell
ther sit down in helpless and decaying inac-
tivity, or strike boldly out upon new line.
selected with peculiar reference, not TO
things as we would have them, bat TO
things as they actually are, and in pursuing
which line it shall cease to be a hold back CT
conservative" party, and become, what it
was in its paimy days, progressive and ag-
gressive party These are the alternatives.
1t will not sit down in helpless and decay
ing inactivitg.
What, then, shall the new line be? Ia
the first place, must W not cut loose from
| the administration of Andrew johnson, and
leave that hybrid concern to float on the
sea of public contempt into which lt-sone
| time since entered, and from which no pow
er cal rescue it? Is not the late defeat at
tributable more largely to this adminisi
ton than to all other causes combined
| What is there in its composition to COM
mand popular confidence? Who, belonging
| to it, is entitled, 10y reason of his antece
dents or of his craftsmanship, to the conf
| Ia,ca of tho DpnnnoratIa Y I
| Certainly it is not Andrew johnson, nor w.
| Ii. Seward, nor Edwin Nj. Stanton True,
| this administration had right policy, and
the Democratic party, In overlooking the
chief men comprising 1t, and thinking only
of the rightfulness OF the policy, displayed
a patriotism whose purity was never excell-
ed but the party having failed,-and hav
ing failed too, through the feebleness of
the administration, why should not the
Democratic party abandon the dead body,
longer adherence to which would be death
| only to itself?
SYnaU ut,xea Gun 1l,t.s DeinocI a. 10 tsar O.,
succeed until the negro question shall be got
out of the way? 1t cannot. What next?
Is not negro suffrage inevitable, and is not
the quickest way to get the negro question
out Of the way to at once concede the sut-
frage, making issue only on the degree to
which it shall be conceded? We know that
many Democrats have not reached this ad.
vanced view of the case, and such still feel
greatly inclined to revolt at the proposition
of negro suffrage in any degree; but let US
tell them that it is always wise to accept the
inevitable when the inevitable comes. Ne
gro suffrage, we say. is inevitable, and
whether it be qualified or universal depends
upon the promptness or otherwise with
which the Democratic party shall move with
reference to it. The South will speedily
yieldqualiednegro suffrage upon the motion
of the Democratic party; because, if for no
other reason, she will soon see, if she does
not already seq, that if she do not. yield 1t,
she will ultimately be compelled to accept
| universal negro suffrage.
Qualified negro suffrage yielded by the
Southland by this we mean impartial suE
frage, or suffrage dependent upon the intel
ligence Of the man, irrespective Of color, as
is now the rule in Massachusetts, ne
gro question will have been disposed of, and
the occupation of the Northern Radical par
ty will be gone forever. Not one Inch Of
ground will it have 70 stand upon; and the
country can once more turn to those mate
rial questions of public policy, the right dis
position of which is so essential to the pub
lie prosperity. 1t will be upon these ques-
tions that the Democratic party will triumph,
and it will be by this triumph that Constr
tut10nal government arl6 our feueTal System
will be preserved.
If the South be wise, it viii not wait on
this suffrage question, even for the motion
of the Democratic party If it be wise, 1t
will lose no time in putting in motion the
necessary machinery by which it will at the
same time save itself from humiliation, pre-
serve its own self-respect, rid the country
of the most vexatious question that ever
distracted any country, kill the worst politl,
/! cal party that ever existed on the globe, and
| put the Union in the way Of speedy restora-
ton. The machinery consists, of course, in
conventions to revise the State Constitution.
/ An Irish boy trying hard to get place,
denied that he was Irish. Il don't know
what you mean by not being an Irishman,
said the gentleman vino was about to hire
| him ..hIt this L do knnm that Won were