The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-03
"Universal Suffrage and Universal An
nesty."

From the Nation.
The question what is to be done in case the
South persists, during the coming winter, in
rejecting the Constitutional amendment, derives
additional importance from the results of the
elections in Delaware and Maryland, rendering
the passage of the amendment by the Northern
States, properly so-called, Tor the present tmpos
sible. Are we to wait for the admission of new
States, governing the South meanwhile as a
dependency, and leaving the controversy as 10
its re reorganization to rage, as 1T now RACES, for
an indefinite period? Not if there be any other
possible road out of the difficulty. Are we,
then, to give up the amendment and propose
something else which the South may find less
hard to swallow? To this the Tribune and
several other journals seem ready TO answer
yes, and the something they propose is what
they call universal amnesty IN return for uni
velsal suffrage" that is, an act of general par
don and oblivion in exchange for a general
bestowal of The suffrage on the blacks.
The objections to this which suggest them
selves at first blush are, that it would leave us
without any guarantee for the acquiescence of
the South in the payment OF the Union debt and
the repudiation of the Confederate debt; that it
would permit the return to Congress and to
office OF every man, still alive and WELL who
figured prominently in the Rebellion, not eY-
cepting Wade Hampton and scores of others
who never lose an opportunity of declaring that
the allegiance they owe TO the United States is
OF the same nature and binding on their con.
sciences TO the same degree, as that which
traveller owes 10 band of brgands who have
carried him of, and are holding him for ransom;
that not only would the public credit be thus
seriously shaken, but the immediate re turn to
Congress of the old Southern set would pave the
way Tor Il renewal OF the alliance between the
Secessionists and the Northern Democrats who,
as the late elections have shown, have not aban.
doned any principle or pretenston they ever put
forward.
To these arguments the Tribune replies by the
assurance that If we give the negro the ballot,
he will not only take care of himself, but take
care of the Union; will not only see that the
public debt is respected, but that the enemies
OF the Union are not returned to Congress; aud
will, in fact, display such intelligent and effeo-
tive devotion to our Government as will enable
us at once to leave the South to itself.
1t Is hardly necessary for us to repeat here
the opinion we have 80 often expressed, that,
taking the lowest possible view OF the question
the Federal government is bound by every con-
sideration of justice, honor, and decency either
to see that the freedmen enjoy complete secu-
Iity, or to furnish them with the means Of pro-
tecting themselves. In other words, we are
bound either to give the freedmen police-to
glance can eat or sleep in peace-or we are
bound to see that he enjoys a fair share in the
laws and the selection of the officers who are
| to execute them. There is no way of escaping
from this dilemma. The plan which Mr..
Beecher and the Eoening Post have been pro-
pounding, of leaving the fate of the blacks to
DS uOSiuOu pJ VIC PiOSISsS vi ClfulLdJlOu anu
| the flaws of political economy" is to speak
| plainly, glittering absurdity.
| No civilized government can dare TO look in
| the face man OF whom IL claims allegiance,
taxes, and military service, and tell him he must
trust for the safety of his life and limbs and OF
the fruits OF bis industry to the general Law OF
| human progress. II might as well tell him TO
trust to the attraction of gravitation Spencers
| law OF evolution. If the Union be nation, and
| not a confederation, as the blacks have helped
| TO prove by the most conclusive of all argu-
ments, our Government owes to those who can
| get IL in no other way that one thing for which
| all governments exist and for which no national
government in ChristendOm has ever yet deniel