Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-12-24
Communicated
The Eighth of January COnven-

: = II
national affairs, is the most important that
has been held for years, because it will in
all probability indicate the platform upon I
which the ensuing Presidential contest will
be fought, Ohio was the field upon which
the combined cohorts of Radicalism last 3
fall met a Waterloo defeat by fifty thou
sand majority on the Negro Suffrage ques.
tion, which has completely demoralized
their ranks. Our advantage needs only to
be pushed home in the Presidential CAM
paign by a bold enunciantion in the sth OF
January Convention, OF the practical, living
issues upon which the Democracy of OHIO
are ready to battle against the Negro Suf-
frage reconstruction policy of Congress. and
our triuml, l,h before the people is sure.-
- The Radical leaders fearing the result OF
square contest upon their Infamous
measures are preparing to retreat under
the coat tail of General Grant, hoping to
retain political power through bogus Pres
iiential electors, manufactured by bay onet
rule, and fastened ON the country upon the
pretense, that Negro Suffrage is neces-
sity at the South, though the North and
West have rejected it. The people of the
terexcluded States, have now eaisting State
Governments not in insurrection against the
United States, whose legitimate func-
tions ARE suspended by, Congressional
usurpation enforced by military power,
and the legal electors of these States have
right to choose Presidential electors, and.
should exercise it. What is to prevent the
Whites from proceeding to vote in separate
ballot-boxes at the polls as usual, without
regard to the bogus election that may be
held by the Negroes? There will be no
pretext for interfering with this action even
by the military commandants as long as
they commit no breach of the peace.
Should any voter, thus peacefully exer-
cisIng his right of suffrage. be arrested by
the military, will not the writ of habeas
f, corpus, sued out before a United States
Judge, release him, under the decision OF
the Supreme Court of the United States in
the Milligan case, and thus overthrow, ju-
dicially, the whole reconstruction usurpa.
tion OF Congress? In this way the present
State governments at the South can prac-
tically preserve their organization, and the
question can then be made directly before
the people in the Presidential campaign as
to which State government is to be recog-
nized in counting the Electoral vote. On
this issue of White or Negro State govern
ments, the verdict will be as overwhelm-
ing and decisive at the North and West as
it was on the Negro Suffrage question at
the late elections. The Radical Presiden-
tial candidate, who favors Negro State gov
ernmeuts as against White, will not obtain
eighty electoral votes, at the North and
West, which will save Ben. Butler and 9TH
er fighting men ofhis stripe the responsibility
of arminy the negroes to enforce their
claim to be counted in :the Electoral Col
lege, for their vote will not change the re-
suit, and the Radicals will shed no blood
for the great moral right of the darkey and
humanity, when it don't pay.
Congress must be given clearly to un-
dersrand that in the election OF PresideI
the legal Voters of the country do not in
tend to be cheated and. overs laughed by
negro electors, manufactured to ordel
| through an unconstitutional uSurpation
| nh-the moment our valiant Radicals be-
come convinced that the country is terribzy
in earnest on this subject their backbo le
will inuert just as in the imp .ichn mt casa,
and in their emasculated call for Natl i)n-
al Union Republican Convention a. Chica
go, in which the sacred word (''Manhoot
Suffrage'') is carefully omitted. Let
then, the Eighth of January Convention
compel the enemy to unmask their gun
by declaring that the Democracy of Obi
| unr Z ha naurn Stata Govarp
ments now in process of construction b
Congressional nsurpatiOn, as entitled t
elect Senators, Representatives in Con
gress, or Presidential Electors; but wi
steadfastiy maintain the existing Whit
| Mems State Governments as the only legt
i innate ones, until voluntarily. changed b,
/ the legal electors under their respectiv
/ Constitutions o. - mn n p 49,
! Under this plan of white mans gov
white slavery" for. the laboring masses t
pay bond-holding aristocracy in gold
and the working man and crippled soldie
4 in rags, a triumph is certain. which will re
store peace to the Union and give one Car
rency alike to all. The Democratic Count
Convention on the 2Sth inst, should /
careful in selecting their ablest and wises
4 men as delegates toact on these importal
i questions, so that our State may have il
proper weight and sinfluence in the NJ
4 tional Democratic Convention. .-
j The State Central Committee left it di.
i cretionary with the delegates from eae
district to appoint their delegates to ii
! National Convention, and also nominate
candidate for Presidential Elector. Th
former will undoubtedly all be appointe
i at the S.h of January Convention as OF
National Convention will meet early /
}, June; but it has been suggested with muc
force that the domination of District Pres
idential Electors be postponed until til
Congressional conventions are held, whe
an opportunity will be afforded of selec
ing more carefully the man for electo
who will assist the Congressional cand
+ date in a thorough canvass of the distric
and besides the Legislature this wint,
} may change the districts. count
convention can, however, instruct the
delegates on this subject. All the sig
are auspicious for large and unanimor
convention that will raise once more Il
old Democratic battle cry every thir
for measures and nothing for men,"