The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-09-27

ing fought gallantly to uphold gov
ernment avowedly based on the In.
alienable Rights of Man; they mean
to stay here and share the blessings
they have worked and fought to
achieve. He who, having desired the
triumph of the Union in our late
struggle, would now exile them to
Africa or elsewhere, is at once q vii
lain and q fool.
1t is happy circumstance that
the white Republicans cannot afford
to betray the blacks or deny them
the right of manhood. We do not
believe those of Maryland or of
Kentucky really meant to do So
they only said to each other. "ThereI
is strong prejudice against negro
suffrage, which we cannot afford to
brave just yet; let us rest on eman
.cipation for the present, and advance
to enfranchisement by. and by, when
it will be easy and safe to do So"
Pope's expression-"binding Nature
last In Fate"-hits their case very
closely. They considered Only when
they could afford to be just TO the
negro; not suspecting that such JUS
tice was as necessary to themselves
as to him. When they awoke toI
the actual condition, they were fet-
tered and completely in the power
of their adversaries. They waited
for more favorable time to enfran-
chise the blacks; the Democrats did
not delay for an hour the enfranchise-
ment of the rebels; and now their
States are ruled as with rod of iron
by the paroled soldiers of Lees,
Bragg's, and 10. Johnston's armies. |
Tennessee was warned in time by
their fate; Missouri is preparing to
follow her example; West Virginia
seems inclined to hold off !; and, if !
20, will soon be where Maryland
and Kentucky now are. A party
which dare not be true to itself has
no right to endure.
Two years age, one quarter Of the
Republicans of Connecticut fancied
that they could afford to deny the
Right OF Suffrage to the two thousand
colored men who reside in their
State. Last Spring, their State tick
ct and two Members of Congress
were beaten for want of those two
thousand votes. That was a right ,
eous retribution, SO far as the Repub-
licans who voted against Manhood
Suffrage were concerned. And like
results may be confidently expected
in every State which evinces like
spirit. --s....-. -- --.u |
''But good many Republicans
are hostile to Negro Suffrage"
Certainly. There were q good
many Republicans hostile to Eman-
cipatlon. They condemned the pub
lie requirement of it at Presidentl
Lineoln's hands as untimely, unwise,
perilous. Again, when the blacks
were summoned to bear 4 manly part
in the War for the. Union, they
eroaked that Kentucky would follow
her. and the Nation would be no
more Their prophecies were de-
fed, and thus the Republic was
saved
The party which saved the Uuionl
by daring to be just and faithful,
may lose few State elections by
persistent fidelity to the vital, yivI-
flying principle of Equal Rights Cor
all men. Ii may even fail to elect
the next President. But, while any
cause has its perils, and the results
of great political struggles are sell |
dom obvious from the outset, We
shall any how verify the Irlshman's
axiom that 1.-The best way to avoid
danger is to meet it half way" II we
triumph on our most advanced line,
our victory is conclusive; if we fail
there, we shall soon recover; but if
we seek to ignore manhood suffrage
and are still beaten, we shall probably
go to pieces
Whether az act of Congress could
operate to establish manhood suff-
rage throughout the whole country,i
we will consider in its order; bat
whether in one way or another, the
right of each citizen TO q voice in
making and modifying the laws
under which he lives must be affirm
ed in our platform and maintained in
In struggle for that
we should have at our
command the whole armory of Dem
ocracy as it is understood by publici-
sts and defined by photographers; we
should have hopes and prayers of four
million whose rights were at stake;
We should have the active sympathy
of the Republicans of Europe, the
of our own conscience, and
the respect of our adversaries. Better
even defeat on such platform than
success won by paltering and trim
ming. But as emancipation and
arming the blacks, though each was
at first an offense to weak brethren, |
led to victory and safety,so manhood
suffrage, heartily accepted, frankly |
avowed, and fearlessly defended, will
bear us on to a grand, enduring.
beneficent triumph, not for our par
ty alone, but for all hum anity.