The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-05-23
Honest Sentiments of 81 leading
Radical.

Honest sentiments of 81 leading
Radical.
JAMES IIUGHEs, of Indiana, is one ofthe
ablest and most prominent Oft the Rad
ical leaders in our sister State. He is
II bold ana positive man, of very de-
clded views upon public questions
lie is the intimate friend of MORTON
and of the other Republican leaders,
and is thoroughly acquainted with
their secret views and with the objects
at which they ultimately aim. Asa
member OF the Indiana Legislature
from Monroe County he lately gave an
account Of his stewardship. at Bloom
ington.. The Indianapolis Herald had
a special reporter there, who thus re-
ports the leading portion of bis speech.
81 am opposed TO negro suffrage, not
because they arc negroes, or are black,
tor those are matters of taste and pre-
judice, but because the right of suff-
rage has already been too much extend
ed and choapened in this country.
| While am opposed TO extending the
right Of suffrage to the negroes, ] am
in favor Of DISTINGUISHING ono-half Of
the whitcpeoplo in this country. Our
fathers committed n great and fatal
mistake in extending as they did the
right of suffrage All history proves
that there is but ono interest that is
conservative, and that can be safely
intrustod with the governing power,
and that is the property interest
When man is possessed of property
he has a stake IN the country and de-
slres n strong and stable government,
and Will not cndangcr hls property by
unwise legislation or by involving the
country IN war. The great object in
our form Of government has been the
want ofstrength and power in the Fed
eral Government. twill be impossible
to govern this vast and rapidly in
crsasing country under the operation
Of universal suffrage. Our system OF
government has been materially and
radically changed during the war, and
it can never be restored to what il was
prior TO the war. The constitution is
not worth tho paper upon which it
is written. The first effect OF univer-
sal suffrage will be to make the Gov
ernment more nearly approach pure
democracy. but this can not last long
We will follow the example of Other
Governments. The strife of factions
will 80 on until, ultimately either the
Senate or the President will assume
, the controIe. when we will have q
strong and stable Government. The
British Government is the best Gov.
ernment that has ever existed on Gods
earth, and the sooner ours assimilatcs
itself to that Of the British Government
the better it will be for the country
] do not hesitate to declare, no after
how unpopular it may be, that if tho
negro race, and one half Of tho white
race, had good iiastcrs or mistresscs
they would be much better offand the
Government would be safer and strong
er."
For the truth of this report the
Herald refers 70 the leading Radicals o
Bloomington, and il adds that, whcr
he concluded hls speech, it received
with rounds Of applause. There il
little doubt that the Radical managers
agree substantially with Mr. HUGHEs
and that they are favoring negro suff
, rage in the belief and expectation that
It will tend TO bring the whole system
oc popular suffrage into disrepute anC
, odium, and thus pave the way for it'
entire abandonment and the establish
ment Of another form of government
in which the people have no agency
This latter has always been favoritt
, theory Of n strong section of the oppo
sitlon to the Democracy, and for i
they have labored assiduouslv, and
when seeming to abandon 1t, have ONLY
, changed their plan of operations, Mr.
f HUdHEs let's the cat out of the bag ant
shows what it is designed to accomplish
: and we can all sec how admirably fit
, ted negro suffrage is to attain it.-Cin
Eu1