The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-05-02
RICHMOND, WAYNE CO.. L

their names began to appear in consid-
erabie numbers On the tax collectors
rolls; and at length they we're able ia
elect several of their friends to the House
of Assembly. Alarm was taken by the
planter party at this turn in affairs, and
so about ten years ago a bill was intro
duced into the Legislature, and passed
imposing more stringent conditions or
the exercise Of the franchise. Among
other things, the 10 easure provided TO,
a registration voting tax of $3.50 year
which the poorest man, equally with the
richest. was required to pay before ht
would be permitted to cast his vote
Under the operation Of this new law the
number Of black registered voters fell of
year by year, until in the year 1868 i,
hardly exceeded 1000 This, in a negro
population of $50, 900, shows that in five
or six years the law had pretty effectu
ally done it's work in disfranchising the
people But the gross injustice worked
its OWE cure. Political conflicts arose
between parties in the Assembly disso
lutions took place, and the blacks found
themselves politically powerless wher
the hour for action arrived. Then arose
an outcry against the law, so loud. and
duN ihsASh tuos euS RAoucSi
majority in the Assembly were compelled
to yield, and the voting tax was abol-
ished but resolution was at the same
lime secretly taken to destroy the AS
sembly rather than allow the people to
have fair share Of representation and
power in the government. The opportu-
nifty came with the disturbances of Oc-
tober, 1865, which was easily seized as q
pretext for carrying out the nefarious de
sign. Notwithstanding the terrible emer-
gency with which the SO called rebellion
had been "trampled OUT o "strong gov
ernment,", it was contended, was the
country's FIRST and greatest need and SO,
no sooner had the Legislature met after
those deplorable occurrences than the
Assembly fastened s'to sacrifice them
selves'-as they put it-''on the altar of
patriotism, the earnest and dignified
protests of the few Liberal members be-
ing completely drowned by the clamor
of the majority for self immolation.
That majority, however. took care to SUBJ
stitute for the old House select Legis-
lative Chamber, in which none but men
Of the planter party would have been
able to obtain seats. But just at this
time the British Government interposed
its authority, and by act of Parliament
the administration of the affairs of the
colony was vested exclusively in the
crown. The blacks lost the franchise,
but the whites were deprived of it like
wise; and the planters were foiled in
their project for re establishing an oil
garchy in the island. The necessity for
the extreme measure to which the British
Government have in this instance been
compelled to resort is the result of their
neglect to see it in the first instance that
the political rights OF the freed negroes
were properly secured to them. Read
in tue light of this brief history, the
course pursued by our Congress in the
work Of reconstruction must be pro
statesman-like and eminently
wise. Far better settle the question Of
negro suffrage at once, and forever, than
allow the seeds of future trouble to be
sown in the late rebel States.-[N. Y.
Ariouhe. ia 4s