Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1867-04-24
Negro Suffrage In the North

we !nlgnt aud 10 the above that the late
copperhead victory in Connecticut will be
the last we shall be called upon for some
time. If the Republican party efthe coun.
try places itself firmly and squarely on a
platform embracing not only universal lib.
erty but universal suffrage. If it should
ignore this great principle through timidity
or any other cause, it would meet with de.
feat which we could not possibly say would
be unmerited. Let the Republican party
profit by its experience in Connecticut,
PottsriHe Miner $ Journal.
1t is difficult to determine whether II be
Ignorance Or publicity which induces the
writing and publishing of such stuff as this,
but our charity suggests that it is the for
mer. The editor of the Journal has lived
to be quite an elderly person, but the col.
umns Of his paper present frequent illustra.
tons Of the fact that he has lived many
years Of his life to a very little practical pur.
pose. If negro suffrage had been positive
and palpable issue in the late canvass in Con.
necticut, the Radical ticket would have been
defeated by double the majority against it
which was given to Mr.. English and if tri-
ed in Pennsylvania to-day, the people would
vote against it or any party that dares to ad-
vocate it, by fifty thousand votes. During
the last canvass in Pennsylvania we called on
the leaders and journals of the Republican
party nearly every day to define their posi-.
ton on the subject of negro suffrage, but
they were as silent as the tomb, except that
when hard pressed they denied that it was
at all question in the canvass In discuss
ing the proposed fourteenth article to the
Constitution Of the United States, we as-
sumcd that, inasmuch as it conferred citi.
zenship on all male persons born in the Uni
ted States, it carried with it the right of suf-
frago but this, too, was denied by the
speakers and newspapers of the Radical
party, all of whom were ready to back their
denial by an oath. 1t is now seen that we
were right. and that the doctrine which the
party did not dareto submit to the people is
to be imposed on them under this very
amendment, if it is or shall be adopted. -
Mr.. Senator Wilson's bill, now pending in
the Senate'of the United States asserts, not
truthfully, that the proposed fourteenth ar-
ticle las Jecn adopted, and then proceeds to
declare and enact that under it all citizens
Of the United States, without distinction rs
to color, are entitled to and shall possess the
right Of suffrage, any law or provision in the
constitution of any State to the contrary not
withstandng.
The truth is that it is only now the eyes
Of the people are being opened as to the de-
signs Of the Radical party. Until within a
few months past the masses have been daz.
zled and blinded by the cry of loyalty"
and "disloyalty, " "rebels' and TRAITORS" +"
and whilst, under the excitemcnts imposed
upon them, they have been quite willing to
punish the South by inaicting negro suf.
fragc on the States that were in rebellion,
they had no idea that i. would be imposed
on the North without their consent. They
are now awakening to the true condition of
things, and those who have discovered the
real designs Of the rcvolutionists in Congress,
have very quietly made up their minds to
abandon party which has proved false to
every principle upon which it won success -
We invite the Radical press of this State to
Il consideration of this subject, and we defy
them to the discussion of the broad and
open proposition to establish negro suffrage
in Pennsylvania. We maintain that if the
proposed fourteenth article to the Canstitu-
ton has been agreed to by the number OF
States necessary to incorporate it into that
instrument, then every negro in the State Of
Pennsylvania who have paid State or coun.
ty tax within two years is entitled to vote,
aud if this be so, the Radical party, whose
members of the Legislature in all the States
have voted in favor of the amendment, i.
alone responsible for the innovation and deg.
relation W ich is thereby imposed upon the
white population of the Commonwealth -
Ihila. Daily Nens.