The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-12

Governor Hawley is right. The Republ-
can managers of Connecticut have been emil
nently cowardly; and some of them eminently
treacherous. Two years ago, after Repub-
lican Legislature bad submitted to the people
of that state Just and honorable proposition
to enfranchise about two thousand negroes,
the Republican leaders, with Senator Dixon at
their head, conspired to defeat this measure at
the polls. A State in which parties are so
equally divided that the majority whether one
way or another, has latterly been less than a
thousand nevertheless decided against negro
suffrage by majority of more than 5000. An
analysis of the vote showed that 5000
Republican voters were recreant to their
duty-mainly by Withholding their ballots
from proposition which they themselves had
submitted to the ballot. box. This mingled
cowardice and treachery of two years ago was
the sole cause of the defeat of April the first.
For every body knows that not all the money
in the purses of the rich Democratic candidates
could have purchased the election of Mr..
English, if the negroes of Connecticut had been
allowed to vote for Governor Hawley. At the
close of Governor Buokingham's term the Re-
publican party of Connecticut, had 1t chosen
to exercise its strength, was abundantly
strong enough to secure impartial suffrage.
But it chose instead to insult its black-faoed
brethren, and refuse their alliance.
A party therefore, that thus deliberately
cripples itself by cutting off its own right arm
deserves after it overthrow but little sympathy.
A party that betrays its allies is Justly defeated
by its enemies. A party that brushes the
negro deserves to be trampled on by the
Democracy.
Henceforth, let cowardly Republican State
committees who flount the watchwords of free
dom on their banners, and yet at the same
time commit outrages upon their own fellow.
citizens, take notice that the Republican
party can no longer smite the negro without
wounding itself.
The true men in Connecticut who did Their
duty in 1865 have reason to be proud of theil
stand in 1S67-even though they were too few
in numbers to win the day. A man like Gov
Hawley counts it more honor to bear the
banner of Justice, even though he be beater
under it, than to have borne any less noble
! standard, even though he had won a victory
With never-failing plainness of speech, tn,
| Governor always demanded the right of suf
frage for the negro, and always proclaimed
| himself willing to stand or fall by this issue
! He has now been unhOrsed, but will noun
again, and renew the battle. And his party
are yet to shake Connecticut.
| | trust the whole nation will discern a les
\ son in this defeat. 1t is this-If, without tn,
negro vote, the Union party cannot prosper il
4 a Yankee State, how can it prosper withou
4 lilS ueBIO NOlS III Jll6 DOuJllGll DltJCo
| The policy of negro suffrage, therefore,
clearly seen to be the only policy for tn
national welfare. But just as clearly is
seen that the policy of negro suffrage i
needed not only on the Gulf, but also in Nev
England.
What, then, is the next step in the progres
| of reconstruction
The answer is plain We must make i'm
partial suffrage the rule and practice of tn
Northern as well as the Southern States.
Fellow countrymen of the North, give
new and kindly reconsideration to this vita
question
Meanwhile, as the railway water-boy-th
Ganymede of the train-has just brought t
my dusty fellow passengers pailful of col
water, here drop my lead-pencil end m
letter, and wait my turn at the tin-cup-t
drink to a new amendment of the Feders
Constitution, which shall secure to ever
American citizen, black and white, North an
South, the American citizens franchise.