The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-10-07
Negro Suffrage.

The moral paralysis which for some time ha
threatened TO destroy tue yigor and break dow
the supremacy of the Republican party is begin
ming to make itself felt in manner which ina
well excite the alarm and stimulate the -ins seiluit
OF it's leaders. 1t has already in Mdin6'and Cali
forria crept over tho extremities, and there ar
signs which rarely presage falsely that indicat
tdanger to the middle and vital parts OF the part
organization. The excuses which the Republican
organs think proper to setfogth as reasons for de
feat are of character that beaays both weakness
and surprise; while the recriGinations OF the diff
crent wings Of the party give token of fatal differ
ences hereafter. The excuses, indeed, have them
selves been the subjects Of controversy; one sid
claiming as the essential, calse of disaster tha
which the other insists wonl sf pushed still fur
ther, have constituted 4 sure means OF victory
Alleged reasons for failure are common enough
| after the event, but instances arc rare when 81
duty to account for the Republican discomftures
The problem has been to find such an explanation
as should not seem logically Incompatible
with coincident assurances of future sue.
cess. The nature OF The case, how
ever is such as to make the solution
story of the French mayors apology to Che princes
marshal for the omission ofasalute when the Lat.
ter dignitary entered the town Of the former. eve
failed to fire the salute, your Nghness." explained
the mayor ''for seventeen reasons. The first was
we had no cannon; the second 'sYour pardon,
| Monsieur the mayor,' interrupted the prince
'tyour first reason isso very exceent that we can
| dispense with the other siXteeh'! There may be
other weaknesses in the Repqblican platform OF
spots upon its escutcheon. such as the unconsttu,
| tfonal encroachments Of OongIsss, the maadmin,
isration of the public fiances the oppressive and
silly tariff: but each and oil OF these may readily
be left among the sixteen reasons not enumerated.
The single and sufficient rock which has shat
| tered and threatens to sink tha Republican ship is
| Negro Suffrage; the otherss1pay make assurance
doubly sure perhaps but are supertuous as ac-
counting for the late misfortune. Revolutions do
not 90 backward, and tho great republic rushes
on very fast and we march to tie ba te-cry OF fee
dom and all the rest OF it; but it is clear that the
American people are not yet prepared to accept
even the partial rule Of the race they have justet
free 1t was possible to make them-coherc- may,
Ito mould them into solid, compaeted masS
whose weight and velocity gave momentum suffi-
ciont to hllrl down slavery; but the constituents
which asssnted to and fought for5 emancipation
| cannot be got to assent tos EVENT. they do NOT
practically fight against, black e1franchisement.
The distinction between an inherent right and
conceded privilege is here apprehended by the
popular mind in a very decided dmanner. It s per
ceiyed that while the negro had right to his kfee
dom he has bs no means the same right totbe
suffrage. !
| There is no escape from two momentous facts
first that the character of our representation has
become low and dlscreditable;s and secondly, that
| to introduce more ignorance into our CONSTITUENT
cies must make it more low and adscreditable.
We may dodge and twist and look the otl er way,
but from these plain propositions there IS abso-
| lutev no escape. The black man may be cducaf
| ted-peyhUps- although we are utterly wfehout
precedents, or rather, the precedents We have,
make against the assumption. But, if We suppose
him to be educated, it will necessarily have boon
work of time, and in the interim his employ
ment of the suffrage may have superseded the edI.
cational necessity. The notion that voting helps
| to educate, has, OF course, some dem
foundation, but not enough tojusify the enormous
1 4
this case entail We dislike and drsprobate the cur
frent slang about niger worshippihg, nigger
rule. and the like cheap phrases mr catching the
eur and lattering the blind prejudIces of the mpl
ttude as heartily as any men can; but as matter
Of solemn earnestness we fsarSthey express what
NAV prove to be literal truthsS when universal o,
manhood suffrage shall come. The, ,blaeks WILL GER
tainy then have the balance OF power and can rule
| the country more absolutely than their former
masters ruled it in the oldeh -tlme. 1t .ls easy
enough to offer consolation in tho persons OF eS-
ceptional individuals and to promise chronological
development which shall bring wonderful and lit
tle-expected results. The fact romans that where
ever IN the world the negro has poSer-that is to
say control over himself or -others--he is bar
barian, cannibal, seller Of ms own race into
slavery. The british elements which are dorpant
| or suppressed under bondage may he seradicated
forms ot cruelty, es9 deyeops INTO mesitles
produce, moving in mass, mourniqS fantastic
and. m national sense, most Degrading results
The friends OF the negro aye very sangulne, ano
Del haps their hopes Of retaining long lease OF his
gratitude are well founded but even entirely Iut
filled, we can scarcely admit that the Jest interests
| of the country would be thereby exclusively Sub
| served. 'f-A-' -. ~ -
| A paper which ranks among the most ratocina
/ tive OF the Radical organs, and which IN this re:
spect Chords contrast the frbthy and untrainet
rketorlc of the Tribune; attributes the late Repu6
ican losses TO the obtrusiye prominence OF what y
lcalls the .'Purtan idea" which it defines ass =
feeling of impatience at sin in others and dispo
siton to repress it by the strong arm" III this
idea reienlent, cali be eliminated, future Repubit
can success may be confidently anticipated. Bu
is not this idea the tsat tho central dogma, TIL
very lRe-blood OF The party It represents and witt
which it is identified? There's ia notxthe leas
doubt that the people at .lcrge are weaSy Of thu
feeling Of impaience at an IN others and a,, y
the feeling aud the disposition which, canted non
| the pulpit, roared from the rostrum, and cease
lessiy tnculcated BY Jealous press, have gaipet
| the Republican party itspast suceess and brough
lions. To strike out the aPurfar idea" for tat
sake Of mere success, would be, as it seems to us
an act Of political .telo-de-se which, dictated
only by selfish, eonsideratiops, would no
even win glory by the sacrifice. The Re
publican party without the 'tPuritan idea" woulS
| be like Hamlet without its hero, or the New Yorl
Herald without Mr.. Bennett. 1t is the soul tht
roison d'ctre, Of that party t0fnpose by fcrco ac
ton or abstinence on otherse without regard ts
contrariety Of conviction or interest which resisti
| the change. The feeling is the true and legiti
mate spirit OF tho Pilgrims, who, persecutet
themselves. persecuted in, tnm to settle the &C
| count; with this difference, that New England o
to-day seeks to subject others 70 the severe dis
| cplne she recognizes aa Fught" without eye
going through anything in the shape Of prepara
tory or complementary ohastening herselfq- IL
the civil war New England wssSt the mistress ant
inspifer' of the Situation. The rest of the coun
try or such of it as fayorednationsl unity and th
extinction Of slavery, accepted her guidapce and
temporarily, drank in her inspiration Z In ths ex
citement OF tho combat the Purtansidee waA para
mount and was probably essential to uotorYsg Blu
very natural and very widespread 8usffo
that idea has succeeded as reaction to the edees
Of too large dose Of it, We think our letgtbo
quite right in its opinion that thisidea must b
stricken out as condition to the success OF it
party; we think it wrong in supposing that it
party can healthiiy survive the eeperatiensxsr-E'
The great mistake which the Republican leader
have made,.the mistake from which they are moi
suffering and from which they Till'sutfer moro, ha
consisted in their suppoaiton that thesngne
what they call healthful progress,and whatthei
j opponents call unconstitutional revolution, cou
be kept at full speed for an Indefinite lime afte
the fires of war had been extinguished which fol
merty generated the requisite steam for their pun
pose. But the mass OF the Northerners, Will
arm in their defence of national unity, ands afte
given period, in thers resolve, to overthrow sla
very ,,wentn their adhesion 10 those principles
the extrome length that they were prepared to &c
The Union preserved and slavery overtllrown tn
great desire of that mass has been to restore th
| stQhl GnO ante 6ei.1mt in every respect which
compatible with obviously irreyocable changes
IThe Republican party might have been, probebl
would have been, sustained some time longer ha
the war continued sustained, thateis, until il
close. But from the termination of hostilites IN
Republican party, through causes, perhaps, iur
av5idable, and in spite of its efforts to :yoi
such a'contingehcy, has slowly but surely drifte
into position which is Ffslt to be hostile !
the best interests of the united nation. Itmigh
be more accurately SAID that, slavery abolishe
and unity secured, there remained no principles i
the Republican creed OF measures in the Republ
can practice which the aggregate intelligence {
the country could accept as sagacios or patriotic
and that Their further usefulness was prevente
rather by Che DRIFT of events than By Their r., ow
no Ion0.r required to be saved and thev hGv