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

TVom the Round 1abte.l (.
The moral paralysis which for sonfe t;mo ha.
threatened to destroy the vigor and bronx dow
the supremacy OF tho Republican party is hao;m,
M ws1f e 70 make Re itself felt in n manner which mmay
OF ITS leaders. 1t has alroady, Ia Maine ana Cal;
forEia. crept over tho e~xtremities, and there nrG
S ~ %nloh rarely presage falsely that Indicate
organization. The excuses which the Rcn,blicoi
organs think proper to set forth as reasons for do
n omI are OF a character that betrays both weakness
ences hereafter. The excuses, indeed. have th heo
selves been tho subjects Of controversy; one side
claiming as the essential cause OF disaster that
which the other insists woull, il pushed still Tf nr'
Their, have constituted n sure means or victorv
Aneged reasons for failure ere common enough
after Inc event, but instances are rare when 80
many have boon thrust forward as have lately done
duty to account for the Republican discomHturos
inc problem has been to find such an explanation
with coincidcnt assurances Of future Sue
cess. The nature of tho case, how
e exeeedin is s s"h;o,s as u to make, make the solution
story, OF the French mayors apology to the prince
marshal for the omission of a salute when he Int
ssr d1gnltary entered the town OF tho former. eve
!alleo 10 IRE the salute, your highness," explained
the mayor, for seventeen reasons. The first was
We had no cannon; tho secdsd-" sYour pardon,
'yonr first 1es %a Z s. ve iStsss soeg(1snt the h prince 3 n
dispense with the other sixteen" There may be
other weaknesses in. tho FRepublican PLATFORM or
spots upon lts escutcheon, such as the uncOnstitu-
tlonal encroachments Of Congress, tho m%aladmin-
%istration OF tho public finances, the oppressive and
silly tariff; but zach and oil OF those NAV readily
be left among the sixteen reasons not enumerated.
The single and sufficient rock which has shat
tered and threatens to sink the Republican slip is
Negro Suffrage; the others may mako assurance
a do~ht|yns sure r., tR Rsrih nsa ;n! ngt are supesraaoas IS ae-
not go backward, and the great republic rushes
on very fast, and we march to the ba,tle-cry Of free
dom and all the rest OF it; but it is clear that the
naQnIa Afa not vol ropo,o1 IT, cooo-l
even the partial rule OF the race thoy have Just set
free. It was possible to make them-cohere-nay,
to mould them into q solid, completed mass.
whose weight and velocity gave momentum suff.
cient to hurl down slavery; but the constituents
which assented to and fought for emancipation
practically fight against, black acknowledgements
The distinction between on inherent right and a
conceded privilege is hero apprehendcd by the
ceived that while the negro had a right to his FREQ
dom he has by no means the same right to the
suffrage.
There is no escape from two momento,s facts.
first, that the character Of our Representation has
become low and dlscreditable; and, secondly, that
to Introduce more ignorance into our constituent
We may dodge and twist and look the otter wav'
but from these plain propositions there il abso-
iutely no escape. The black man may be cduca-
procedents. or rather' tb we n aee %s5erly = without hana
make against the ~assumptio6. But, if we suppose
him to be educated, it will necessarily have been n
Woih " uuet hnu III Cne interim hl6 0mplOy-
ment Of tho suffrage may have superseded the edu-
%cational necessity. The notion that voting helps
to educate, has, Of course, some demonstrable
foundation, but not enough 10 Justify the enormous
risk which implicit Dependence. upon it would in
this case entail. We dislike and reprobate the our
rent slang about ,sniger.worshipping," niger
rule" and the Hike cheap phrases Tor CATCHING fhe
ear and catering the blind prejudlces of the null
tltude as heartily as any men can; but Us a meter
OF solemn earnestness we. fear they express what
may prove to be literal truths when universal or
manhood suffrage shall come. The blacks Will GER
tainly then have the balance or power and can rule
the country more absolutely than their former
masters ruled it in the oldeo time. It is easy
to offer consolation In the persons of ey-
ceptional- individuals and to promise Chronological
development which shall bring wonderful and It-.
Unexpected results. The fact remains that where.
ever in the world the negro has power--that is to
say, control over himself or others-he is n bar
balian. a cannibal, a seller Of his own race into
slavery. The british elements which are dormant
or suppressed under bondage may he cradicated
in freedom; they may, also, develope into modified
forms otscruelty, unreasou, and faulty such as will
produce, moving in masss mournful, fantastic,
and, IN 6 national sense must degrading results.
The friends Of tho negro are very sanguine. and
perhaps their hopes Of retaining a long lease of his
hted,, We can scarcely admYfsSsssr-ss f e aaaaEe.xa 49, na.
of the country would be thereby exclusively sub
served.