The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-11-25
Letter from HOpkinsville.
HOPKINsVILLE, Ky
November is. 1867. ]
Editors Journal:

Auel-3s d4QS OuI- lH4oAA I'LL
ments thereon. In the first place,
am not of Wendell Phillips way of
a thinking en7a good many points, but
- I do agree with him that cowardice IN
g the Republicans party caused their de-
feat in Ohio. There are over 350, 600
Republicans in that State; 100000 of
them were as full of manly courage as
need be; $4,000 were not, and hence
their defeats It was, therefore. cow
ardice that defeated the party, not in
the majority but in the minority, who
feared the odium and loss of patron
age possibly consequent on voting tor
the amendment. Prejudice, not less
ignoble than cowardice, and ingrati-
tude, also, had their influence in
bringing defeat.
= You say that no principle of the
Republican party is more clearly re-
cognized by it, than that the States
are entitled to regulate" respective
ly, the right of suffrage.
[ asserted nothing to the contrary,
nor do hold to any other doctrine
than that they can do so,ssubject to
the provisions and limitations pre-
scribed in the Constitution of the
United States. Still that has nothing
to do with the fact that the Republi-
can party IS committed to the doctrine
of impartial suffrage.
That party, however, in not COM
mitted to the idea that Congress has
the right to regulate suffrage in the
States, or to give negroes In Ohio par
ticipation in the elective franchise.
Nor was this the way in which the
T T Republican leaders in Ohio proposed
to give negroes there the right to vote.
- Indeed it is believed that no man of
the party can object to the legality of
the mode pursued. The fact is,
Messrs. Editors, if the great
majority of the party are en-
titled to give tone to its character
and principles, the Republican party
must be set down as committed to i'm
partial suffrage, because it takes all
the Copperheads and a small minority
of the Republicans to defeat it
= - whenever it is proposed. In Ohio,
g 600 900 out of 100000 in other words,
six out of every seven Of that party
voted as grateful, courageous, con
sistent Misunderstanding to the
that all men are, and of right ought
to be, free and equalizer impartial
Suffrage One out of seven voted
with the Copperheads and defeated
it. Who are impractical bic, here-the
six or the one? Are the principles
Of the one to control those of the six
IF we go into convention as party,
six favor a platform, one opposes.
He bolts, and brings defeat; who is
guilty of detection to the party-the
six OF the one? lr zrt-
This is precisely the case IN Ohio.
and is precisely what should not be
the case in any State next year. Re
publieans should remember the ser
vices rendered by the blacks during
the war, IN assisting them to maintain
their great aud loved Government,
and should forget their prejudices,
and give the very few Negroes IN the
North, as they have in the South. the
80 right to vote IN the choice of their
rulers. Of course, this right should
- be bestowed in way that is legal and
Constitutional Indeed, Messrs. Edi-
tors, the right of suffrage, it seems to
tame, is too generally difused now. I'M
q less. we. give 1t to all except criminals.
If intelligence were the standard a
great many Of Us might not be per
mitted to vote, but as manhood seems
to be the most feasible test, give it to
all who are men, unless crime inf i
them. When crime is sufficiently ex-
plated restore to the man the right to
assist in choosing his Jaws makers
A little thoughtful candor, there
fore, it seems to me. must convince
man that the-States hare the
power toigiye theynegroLthe right to
vote, and, moreover, that they ollqhf
through the Republican party, to ex-
eTcise that power, That provision OF
the Constitution which gives to citi-
zens Of one State all the rights, priv
ileges and immunities of citizens OF
the other States, is certainly very
broad In its terms. and l know of no
i power that can restrict its OperdtiOa
to an unreasonable degree, and while
it may be and undoubtedly is, true
that the States have the right to regu-
late the privileges y of suffrage (for
it is mere legal prietlege,) theylcer-
tainly have no power under the Con
stitutien to altogether deny and de-
feat it. That regulation should ex-
tend no further than is necessary for
81 the security of the ballot box. SHOULD
1t do so, 1t seems to me to be-uncon-
stitutional and void.
I Asking.all to forget prejudice, and
Ito determine not to divide, but to &C
with the majority of the party, on the
question of negro suffrage, which, tC
ne, is one Of somewhat minor though
OF great importance, and to unite il
the grand effort that feel sure is t.
be crowned with the most brillian