Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1867-11-16
The Voice of the Press.

suffrage-we have been berated in the col
umns of local paper by a fossilated "Old
Liner" and our course has excited some
unfavorable comment from men who had
sought to understand the situation of affairs
better than they do. During the two years
we have controlled the columns of this paper,
we have labored necessarily and to the best
of our ability, for the success of the Union
cause. While frankly admitting that our
scholastic attainments, literary abilities and
journalistic talents are inferior to those of all
our brethren of the press, we have labored as
earnestly and striven as constantly, in our
humble way, for the maintenance of those
principles which We consider correct, as
those who are the favored possessors of much
greater ability. Having stood by the party
in the days of its incipiency and joined in
the songs of praise in its hour of triumph,
now that its fortunes are momentarily dark
ened by defeat, we are not going to desert it.
We have nailed its colors to the mast, and
while we stand at the helm, there they shall
float, win or lose, sink or swim. Should
defeat still await the party, and the old
CHRONICLE, riddled by the enemy's shot and
wrecked on the bleak reefs of impecuniosity.
sink beneath the waves of the sea of journal
ism, our banner, upon which is inscribed
Liberty and Justice, the Rights of all Man.
kind" shall faunt defiance in the face of our
foes as the dark waters obscure it from
sight. Having allied our fortunes with
| those of the Union party, we are anxious for
its success. Although negro suffrage in the
loyal States Is not plank in its platform.
the party has winked at it and sustained
defeat in consequence. For the benefit of
those who think we are going to flop be-
cause we say indiscriminate suffrage de-
feated the party, we give below some ex-
tracts from the leading daily Union papers
of the State on the subject. and invite their
perusal. The trouble is, we were about the
first to attribute our defeat to the right
cause. We had ought to have waited for
the "big fish," The following we take from
a very excellent article in the Sacramento
Bee:
1t is noticeable, that wherever the question of ex
tending the franchise was before the people, wheth-
er The community was Democratic or Republican, it
was voted down. And as In all these the
proposition a separate one, this act mu t be
taken the fairly expressed will of the people
Negro suffrage in the south, measure, or
reconstruction measure. is not Objectionable to
the Northern eorle, for the South brought it upon
herself by her obstinacy, just she brought eman
cipa;ion upon herself. 1t would seem that the Lord
still keeps hardening the hearts of the Southern
Pharoahs, that they will not let the
until they shall have been endowed with all the
rights and privileges of American citizenship and
the loyal people indorse the action of Congress in
the premises merely matter of necessity. 1t is
not because they in favor of negro suffrage as
principle, but because the recusant States must
be reconstructed and with loyalty only, and the bal
lot in the hands of the colored man is a to
that end Doubtless a principle, the Northern
people would by vote confer the right of suffrage
upon all coored men who have borne in the
cause of the Republic, but beyond this do not
think they would go on principle. What they have
done in addition is forced on them by necessity.
IT, them this be 1t ot be expected that they
will confer the franchise upon men of color among
themselves. The principle is not and has not been
recognized, and all that has been assented to is
from policy only.
The public mind is not prepared for this extern
sion in the loyal States-and it is not pre- ssing
question, one that the country stands i'll need of
solving now 1t Is unwise for Union men to attempt
to force it the patry. In truth and in fact it is
not party question. and should never be made one
1t is great social question-higher than party.
Let it rest and be dscussed-or whenever a maior-
ity in any Legislature thinks proper submit it to
the people, let vote be taken upon it without
party favor or party opposition. Let it stand upon
its own merits, and not be pulled down or built up
by party.
The Republican party has never declared for it.
and although there are many in its ranks who wish
to see it made party measure. and some who,
believe would rather the party defeated than
not be pledged to this policy there is enough
wisdom in it to keep clear of all ertangling ALI
ances, and to fight the Presidential battle of 1868
the questions of Reconstruction and Finance.
The San Francisco Times, good authority
with Union men, in relation to this subject,
says:
| And as to the issues make, they must be the
| broad, general ones upon which all who love the
| Union can stand. Let the extreme Radicals, for
| the present, refrain from pushing their peculiar
doctrines. Let the question of suffrage in the Sta
already in the Union be left for them settle. We
| cannot afford to drive away from those who be-
eve only in impartial suffrage, and do not believe
| in universal suffrage and cannot afford to
| drive away from us those who, agreeing with
to the settlement of the questions growing out of
the war, are as yet far unweane from their old
preudces as not to favor any change in the suffrage
qualifications in tn ir own States. The next Pres
ldental election will be, perhaps, the most impor
tant ever held in the country, and cannot afford
to take any risk on losing it.
| If these precautions taken, the Republican
|
as the day of election If we unite whole
strength upon a few broad issues, and take from
the Democracy all opportunity of making capital
out of popular dissatisfaction with taxation ETC.,
we shall be of the result, without the aid
of the reconstructed Southern States.
The Alta, speaking of the losses sustained
by the Union party, says:
1t is evident from this statement of the sssitua-
ton'' that it is not the Republican party that has
been defeated, but negro suffrage. If it had been
impartial instead of universal suffrage, we believe
the result would have been different. The project
however is gone, at least for the present. If it
could not succeed in Kansas, it would be foolish
to look for its acceptance anywhere else We have
no idea that the men who have brought it forward
will, because of this reverse, abandon it altogeth-
| they will keep up the fight. They have learned
the value of agitation from the experience of the
old aboitionists. In season and out of they
will press their doctrine till great party dis
ruption enables them step in and carry off the
prize. In the meantime, however, the proposition
for universal suffrage without qualification is dead
and being dead very curious problem is presented
! for consideration Either the people have
| changed front on the question, the leaders of
the Republican party have Numbered in relation to
! them. This IS certain that day follows night.
MIR. Bingham of Otto, and the moderate
Republicans not willing to go any further than
to hold the South under military rule till it adopt ed
the Constitutional Amendment. They forced
onward, however, by the singular method of loco
motion which we have above set forth. They
sisted for time, but the combination too
strong, and they were finally forced to succumb
DEFAULTER.-Norward, Democratic Treas
urer of the neighboring county of Tuolumne,