The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1867-02-16
Negro Suffrage.

tennessee JseylsluIu'e H"'o
assed the bill comforting upon negroes
he privilege of voting. The bill has
llso passed its second reading in the
We may safely calculate that
t will soon become a law, perhaps be-
fore this article will be put in type, and
Tennessee, and one ortwo States North,
where the negroes constitute but n small
portion ofthc population, will be the
only ones in which such privilege can
he enjoyed by the freedmen.
Now, As is known to our readers, we
have opposed this reckless deed for Sew
eral reasons apparent to any man OF
sense, unbiased by party or sinister
motives. First, we regard the negro
as removed to a third degree from the
highest grade of humanity, and not suf-
iciently capacitated by nature for the
exercise ofthe privilege just thrust up
on him. But admit him to be in his
present destitute mental condition on
account of past servltude-admit this
argument of the moral-idea men-and
still the net comforting upon him the
elective franchise is hasty, impolltIc
and ridiculous-and done, we honestly
believe, for no other purpose than 10
benefit party, and make perpetual the
Grip which the Radicals have upon the
liberties and the will Of the people OF
this most down. trodden and pitiablt
State-no, not State, but conquered
territory.
Second, we did not, and do not, be,
licvc the negro can vote intelligently
and The case with which his vote will
be controlled will prove the correctness
of our opinion. Yet, for this very rea'
son there are some men, otherwise op
posed to the Radicals, who have advo'
Gated Negro Suffrage, believing tina
the vote Of the negro could be made tc
operate against in stead Of for the mer
who have thurst the voting privilege
upon him, and against the wish ano
common sense of niine-tenhs OF oul
peoplc. This reason for advocating
Negro Suffrage savorcd of policy, not
principle, and is wrong. But as a mat
ter of policy we could see no charm III
it. The ballot box is to be guarded by
bayonets and that is what the Radicals
want to do with the 10000 loyal, half
blacA-and-h half white militia to be rails
ed under the bill to be passed soon by
means rs foul as the ones through which
the present shameful outrage has beer
thrust upon us. With bayonets' t.
Guard the ballot box, two-thirds Of GU
people disrranchised, ana the negro ex
cluled from the privilege Of holding
Office, but made to vote, the Radical
hope to, and will, obtain lease o fpow
or which opens up aprospccto of bound
less oppression and endless duration
But without discussing the infam
of forcing II measure upon us, in vic
lation of the will of nine-tenths or tn
people and without giving them avoic
in so m%omentous a question; acceptln
the outrage as law, let us see what ca
be made Of it.
First, We must let the negro kno
the policy of the Radicals in giving hi
f the privilege to vote and coupling wit
that privilege the denial of a right
hold office, or sit in the jury, for we a
; told by eminent men that if the negl
is a free man, entitled to vote, there
no law for, and no justice in keepiI
him from holding office. The object
the Radicals in giving the elective fra
" chise to the negro is simply to obta
his vote while they vote themselves
@ the only ones to hold Office. We thi
f the negro ought to have equal privile
. with them, else all their clamor t
10 equality amounts rs do all their pl
LESSONS, to inconsistent claptrap. A
II we want to know how they a reft
to recognize the claim of a negro to
q place in the Legislature or Congress
"a he be elected by his constituents.
a may want to send 4 delegation
10 blacks to Congress, we want the sp
40 ker to hear the gentleman from Il
h' ~nessee, when cuffee speaks. The h
of the dog is good for the bite. l
" Radicals have harped upon the neg
until they have well nigh brought
another revolution; they have for
4, upon him a privilege denied to int
DIS gent " rebels" who have surrender
IS and promised to bear true allegiance
=. the government, and now when tn
is a prospect Of CutFee getting on apl
form Of powe- co-cqual with the r.
icals, they kick him off and say. y
Ct may vote for us but you shall not h
cd office. Alas! poor negroes! All
l.. poor Tennessee. You arc governed
q small number of the most wicked d
'o' lis, and nil decent Tennesseeans
Int ashamed of the State they live in.
there is work for the poor disfranchis
More anon.