The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-10-22
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Times, Of the 10th. has the following,
remarkable artiole, which argues that
the States, themselves should tegu7
late the question Of suffrage; and,
moreover shows the inconsistency of
the Democratic party on the ques-
ton; = s2Y ygs j. Isi 1
esWade Hampton adheres to the
opinion he expressed some time since.
that negroes in the Southern States
should be recognized as citizens, and
admitted to the suffrage He be-
lieyes that such course would con-
tribute largely to the peace and pros
perity of the whole community. He
thinks, however, that this should be
done by the State and not by Con
gress, and that suffrage for both
whites and blacks should be made to
depend upon character and intelli-
gence.
We do not doubt that the thinking
men of the South generally concur
in this opinion. There is much less
of mere prejudice against the negro
in the South than among certain
classes in the North. Even before
the abolition of slavery, negroes
were sure of better personal treat
ment from Southern people than from
Northern. The South very naturally
objects to universal negro suffrage,
because they know very we'll that the
great body of the negroes are utterly
unqualified for it-that they know
nothing whatever of the questions
which their votes may determine, and
that they will inevitably become tools
in the hands of demagogues. But
there can be very little doubt that if
Mr.. Lincoln had lived, or if the
policy of reconstruction which he
devised and favored had been carried
out, negroes would have been allowed
to vote in nearly if not quite all the
Southern States, just as fast as they
might have become qualified SO to do.
He himself recommended it, as did
also Mr.. Johnson when he succeeded
to the Office; and the general senti-
ment of the intelligent political
leaders of the South was decidedly in
favor of it. The shallow pretence
that this is the "white mans govern
ment," and that none but white men
should ever have any share in making
the laws and choosing the rulers
which all are required to obey, died
with slavery among all sensible and
rejecting men, South as we'll MS
North; and it has been reserved for
the Democratic Bourbons of the pre-
sent day to revive it and make it the
basis OF their political creed.
1t ought to be remembered, more
over, that the adoption of universal
negro suffrage, both in the District
of Columbia and throughout the
South, is due directly to the Demo
cratic representatives in the last Con-
gress. A large majority of the Re-
publican party decided in caucus
against it; and when it was proposed
in Congress to establish intelligence
as qualification for negro suffrage
in The District Of Columbia, the De-
mocrats voted with the extreme radi-
Gals against it, and thus secured its
defeat.
Universal negro suffrage, with
Acknowledgement of the great body
of the whites, forced upon the South
ern States by military power, and
leading in nearly all those States to
the absolute supremacy of the ne
groes in the Government, must of
necessity be odious and intolerable
to the white inhabitants. Even if
forced to consent to it, such q step
must implant in their minds the most
bitter resentment toward those by
whom the blow has been inflicted.
Its direct tendency, moreover, is to
array the blacks and whites against
each other-to make each feel that
the other is his enemy, and thus to
SOW the seeds of future collisions
and hatreds between the two races.
If the work had been done by the
people Of those States themselves,
the result would have been different.
That it must have been done sooner
or later is certain. The negroes in
all the Southern States are so numer-
Gus, the capital and industry of the
South are so dependent upon them,
that their admission to the suffrage
would very soon become absolutely
to the safety of South
crn society; and the Southern whites
would have consulted their own in
terests quite as much as those of the
blacks, by bringing them in as rapid
ly as possible to the exercise of politi.