New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-30
PRESIDENTIAL PLATFORMS.

PRESIDENTIAL PLATFORMS.
A very grave question now divides the Ameri-
can People. 1t concerns the admission of that
portion of their number who have recently
emerged from bondage to the duties and re-
sponsibilties Of citizenship. The Whites are
about Twenty eight Millions; the Blacks are
not far from Four Millions, or about one
eighth of our entire population. AS a class, the
latter are VIGOROUSLY far inferior to the Whites
in intelligence, wealth, and social consideration.
They badly need education; and there are
those who say "Let them be first educated,
" then enfranchisedr But we answer-ap-
pealing to the state of facts presented
in Maryland, Kentucky, &c, under what is
called Conservative ule-"They must first be
" enfranchisedto or they will uerer be educated"
SO long as their ignorance may be successfully
pleaded in bar Of their entranchsement, those
who mean to keep them Under foot will take
care that the argument loses nothing OF Its
force. We demand for them all the rights of
citizens, in order that they may be qualified
for all the responsibilities and duties.
We readily admit that ours is the uphill
fight on this questOn-that Prejudice and Caste
are against us, and have hitherto proved too
strong for Equality and Right But we insist
that Truth and Justice steadily gain by dis
cussion-that the States which already accord
the same rights to Blacks as to Whites Gas
several have done for many years. are nowise
worse governed than the rest; and we demand
that manifest Justice shall no longer recoil be-
fore a bugbear which has no longer even plau-
sbiity for its support.
And il is quite obvious that, if the Blacks
are erer to be enfranchised nor is the time.
Ten States wherein three -fourths of them re-
side are now in process of Reconstruction. 1t
is impossible TO dodge, or even to postpone, the
Main Question. II those States shall now be
reconstructed and readmtted on the assumption
that "This is a White Mans Government in
which Blacks have no rights but such as Whites
NAV see fit 10 accord them, there Is no rational
ground of hope that the former will be enfran-
chised within this century. True, we shall light
con. fight ever for genuine against sham
Democracy, as We have done in our own State
for the last quarter of a century; but, II the
Blacks are not now accorded the full rights of
citizens, il is not probable that they will be in
the course of the present century.
This question is overshadowing. No other of
comparable importance now divides our country
men Beside it, all questions of preference for
A., b. or c. as next President seem frivolous
puerile. And it is clear that the great majority
80 think and feel.
Now we can easily comprehend that those
who are agreed in principle should differ as
to men, and that good politicians should
select their most popular man wherewith to
secure the triumph of their principle. We
can even see why they should say, :" Let us
fight the battle on our candidate, who is pOpu-
liar, rather than on our principle, which, how
lever just, is violently opposed, and is odious
"to many who favor our candidate" So far
all is Ineligible But how and why those who
seem friendly to Gen. Grant as the Republican
candidate for next President should insdously,
persistently assail Impartial Suffrage, we can
not conceive. Yet here are extracts from
Characteristic leader on "What the South
Needs in The n. J. Times of Saturday:
We have States and communities wherein very large
per cent Of the governing people Is made up OF the gnO
rant and inexperienced bat we have never YET made any
trial OF such experiment. as Is involved IN suddenly
political power Of any state 10 a class OF just
leased from emhruting binding. and degrading slavery
not only aliens Ia race but OF that race which more than
any other the earth Is repugnantt 10 AngosaNon sent
ment aud prejudice utterly without experience IN cyil
~
smallest matters OF daily life and certain for long time
10 come 90 be tools in the hands OF SELFISH unscr
pulOus and irresponsible politicians on one SIDE or the
What the South needs-ke all other great communl.
tieS-nrst OF all and the condition Sie qua OF all
industrial prosperity and all material deyeopment-ls
sctled Government IN the practical WORKING OF which
all who live there and al who THINK OF investing money
tbere, and oil whose welfare III any way depends upon
eouthen prosperity shan have strong and abiding con
fdehce. The South has no such governments now. IL
has governments which Command the respect ana con
ndence OF ia own people IL Ia trying very hard TO get
them and Congress trying to help them But CONGRESS
NOT only does not sympathze but which encounter It's
resolute and rooted hostility" &c. &c.
Here the ex-Rebel majority of Whites is
coony assumed TO be "The South THE Blacks
being counted as ciphers. 4" The South Is
set forth as opposing Congress, in defiance OF
the heavy votes of her people whereby Con-
ventions are called and delegates elected to
frame Constitutions on the basis of Equal Rights
for men of diverse colors. And the Rebel as
sumption of Black stupidity incapacity, igno-
rance and lack of discernment, is coolly pro-
pounded as unquestioned truth And that
decided majority of the Whites of North Caro-
lima who have voted for Reconstruction under
the acts of Congress is treated rs if composed
of selfish, INSCRIPTIONS aud irresponsible poll
"ticans." intent on clutching power by any
disreputable means.
There are those who deem it practicable, and
oven desirable, to elect Gen. Grant on what we
may distinguish as the Dry Goods platform,
which ignores politics and seeks to prosecute q
canvass exclusively of a business character"
That, perhaps, might be, prOrided the RepuDil
can masses could feel assured that triumph
thus secured would rebound ~ tho establish