The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-08-23
DODGES THE QUESTION.

The Inquirer still refuses to answer
our question, whether it az id its party
are in favor of the estabG shment ofNe-
gro Suffrage in Pennsy' wanna, but asks
us, in return, whethe r we believe that
"a deserter, or rebe I, and traitor. one
who left loyal community to join
rebel maraude IS if you choose, and
VINO ana all d e could to destroy our
Union, muT der our friends and broth
ers ana de 5Olate our homes, has a bet
ter rlght to have voice in the making
OIL our lEtws than the loyal negro who
fought and bled for the Union" &c. &c.
we can easily answer that question !;
at any rate we will not dodge it, as the
Inquirer does ours. 4 cOnUicted muir
derer, deserter, or traitor, never had,
has not now, and never will have, a
voice in the making of our laws. A
man convicted of murder, is hanged
upon the gallows, a soldier convicted
of desertiOn, is shot by file of his COM
rades, citizen convicted of Treason, is
put 10 death, or banished. OF course,
we are not in favor of taking the mur-
derer from the galIOws, the deserter
from his coffin, or the traitor from the
gihbet, to give either of them ga voice
in the making Of our laws" nor did we
ever think of making a comparison be-
tween them and negro soldiers. But
ought negroes to vote because great
criminals ought not, and cannot? Such
logic would be simply ridiculous. But
if the Inquirer means by deserters such
men as are unlawfully disfranchiSed in
this county and State, on the ground
of desert50n, we say they are entitled
ito a voice in the making Of our laws"
rather than any negro. Let us put the
question personally to the Inquirer. Do
the editors of that paper hold that any
negro in this county, is better entitled
to vote than such men as Martin Black
burns Emanuel Smith, Francis OFT,
Joel Diehl, III. w. Lee, Nathan Lee,
John T. Foor, Shannon Hardman, Jes-
Sc Geller, S. l.. Wilhelm, Rev. David
Stuff, Westley Layton, Peter FELTON,,
Abraham Garlick, Samuel Gogley?
These a0hie men are all put down as
1eserteys in the list published by the
Adjutant General under the law dis
persons of that class. We
mention them because they are well
known as respectable citizens and yet
are disfIanchised under Radical legisla- |
ton. Now, answer us, Mr.. Inquirer,
which ought rather be allowed to vote, |
ouCI uleHs VI negroes
AS to the question of the Inquirer,
(which do you prefer, rebel white man
Or loyal negro soldier?" we answer it, |
0y saying that we prefer the ac1tite race,
It oil times and aH1der all circumstances.
We are no such miserable traitor to our
own color and blood, no such ilnpious
scOffer at the eternal decree of Almigh- |
ty God, as to place the negro above |
the white man, especially in matters
to civil government. The /
Inquirer nen can have a monopoly of |
that sort of business, so far as we are
And, now, in conclusion,
having answered the questions of the i
Inquirer, frankly and fairly, we DE
MAND a straightforward answer to
0ur question, care the Inquirer and its |
party in favor of the establishment of |
Negro Suffrage in Pennsylvania? 2"
Now, let us have no dodging, no
no shilly-shalIying, but fair
and square answer.