New-York tribune., 1867-08-21
Maryland,

The Conservatives" of Maryland lately gave
themselves fresh opportunity to show whether
they had or had not learned anything from
the rough experiences Of the last seven years.
They called and chose State Convention, that
they might repeal the dsfranchisement OF
Rebels and Rebel sympathizers imposed by the
Constitution of 1854. Having full swing, they
chose nearly every Delegate, and had power
to eyinco liberal, progressive spirit, had there
been any such to eyince.
But the BourbOns, who (as Napoleon aptlS OBJ
scrved) had "learned nothing and forgotten
nothing" during their twenty years OF pro-
scription and exile, are the type of large
class, and the Maryland Conservatives unmls-
takably belong to that class. There are Dem
ocrats among them who neither fought for nor
sympathized with the Rebellion but they have
no more influence in their party than the
negroes have They are allowed to vote; but
they must vote for Rebels, since no other Dem
ocratic candidates are or can be nominated.
AS in Kentucky and in Delaware, not TO
cherish and evince decided sympathy for The
"Iost Cause is to demolish all hope that you
can ever he supported by or influential with
the fossil Democracy.
We do not complain that the Conservatives OF
Maryland have cnfranchised the Rebels. They
would have been towards and ingratcB not to
do so for the Rebels are themselves, and 1t
must be inconyenient if not disagreeablc, to
commit perjury at each successive election. In
1854 there were not 1000 voters in the five
lower counties who were not at heart Rebels; yet
those Counties gave Mcclellan some 5000 votes
To about 500 for Lincoln. For a Conservative
Convention composed almost wholly OF Rebel
sympathizcrs, not to have removed the ban
from their own class would have been to pro-
claim perjury delightful and fraud "A luxury.
But even q stone-blind Conservative ought to
perceive that the disfranchisement and vassal-
age of the Blacks cannot be perpetuatcd.
Whether by Constitutional Amendment, by
simple act of Congress, or in some other way,
Impartial Suffrage is certain to he achieved.
Why not, then, "assumc virtue, if you have
ait not" and accept the inevitablcF What
sense in butting against q wall Of masonry
which no skull can shiyerf
The Maryland Conservatives had their adver-
salies' blunder in full view, with every reason
to take warning by and avoid it. Had the
Republicans in 1864 enfranchised the Blacks,
they would have been in power to-day. They
tIiAed away their opportunity, and are now
paying the penalty of their culpable folly.
To-day, the Conservatives have like chance,
and are likewise foeling il away. They, too,
will go undcr-for their Constitution has but
two distinctive features-enfranchise for
Rebels, serfdom for Blacks and il cannot abide.
1t will not be popular, even with those who
will feel constrained to vote for its ratif-
cation. And when the whirligig of timc' has
wrought the next revolution, the Blacks will
be enfranchised by the chastened and admon-
ished Radicals and then the Conservatives
will complain that the Blacks are prejadiced
against them by fanatics and demagogues!
The Conservatives will lose ninety-nine of
every hundred Black votes and then they will
secure one more in the hundred than they
have deserved. Peryerseness so inveteTate as
theirs deserves and viii receive q chastisement
at once signal and abiding.