Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-15
A Radical Sheet Rebulxing Radi-
callsm Because ltA Fears the
Wrath to Come. W

C0l1sm DcCauSo l4e Fears the
Wrath to Come. M
The Alabama, SO called, Constitutional
Convention, of Negroes and Radicals. pro-
poses to disfranchise the few White citizen.
who had votes in the late farce of an elec-
tion, who fail to vote On the adoption OF
the Constitution when it. is framed AM
submitted. This proposition was submit
ted in majority report from committe,
appointed on that subject. Not becaus.
this would be high handed outrage, bu,
because that sheet fears that it would be
political blunder, the Cleveland Leader,
the most Radical of Ohio Abolition sheets,
thus opposes it: 81
1t seems to US that if the convention
adopt the majority report, as It seems
probable that il will, and thus disfranchise
all who do not vtte on the question OF
adopting the constitution, it will commit
most grievous blunder. The result will
inevitably be that the voters who refused
to vote for or against q convention at tht
recent election, seventy thousand in num-
Der, or three-sevenths OF the registered vo-
ters of the State. will refuse tOvOte for OF
against re G institution, with the very pur-
pose of defeating the entire reconstr6c-
tiOn plan. The result would be that Ala.
bama would present herself for admission
To the Union with a Constitution under
which nearly one-half her citizens, and
| three fOurthS her white citizens, are dis.
franchised. Congress might aoeU hesitate to
admit a State in ,ohich so large a number of TN
telligent citizens, holding t,oo thirds Of the
property of the State, soere debarred from all
uOice tn its government. And the result i'll
all probability would be the rejection OF
such Constitution by Congress. and thus
a pOstponement of reconstruction and a
ieOpardizing of equal suffrage in Alabama
1t is in vain to reply to this that whoever
is disfranchised will have himself to blame
for it. There will be thousands of instan
ces in which citizens of Alabama will find
it impossible to vote on the Constitution, or
possibly only at great hazard OF health.
or at great expense, or great Inconvenience
Besides which, it should be the privilege
of a voter to vote or not to vote at any cleo
ton as he may see fit, as well as to vote in
what wayne sees fit; and no authority has a
right to punish or distranchise him for re-
fusing to vote. sre -..sstt
We trust the Alabama Convention may
refuse to adopt this illiberal and unjust
proposition. They will gain nothing by it.
for their Constitution is perfectly sure Of adoption
at all euents, but they are in danger of jeop
ardizing the success OF the Congressional
policy in their State by its adoption.
OAiSJs hoe iISuI 10 thO ho-
tive. Even without it, s. the Constitution
is perfectly sure of adoption at all events"
saith this Leader. and on that fact it predi
Gates its opposition.
The laws of State, under its Constitu-
ton, regulate the right of men to vote and
to hold office. Congress- body that has
no more right to interfere. on the subject
than it has to make laws to regulate voting
in Ohio, steps in and passes a law calling
Conventions to remodel State Govern
ments, aud places the power to do so in
the hands OF race inst emancirated from
slavery.
Does the Leader and its party suppose
that such States, SO shaped by few Radi-
cal interlopers and by servile race, will
be recognized as legitimate by those
who feel and know that this is white
mans Government, and who are so old
fogyish as to believe that the Constitution
of the United States is not mere waste pa
per, to be saved or destroyed as Radical
ism pleases? If so, the party leaders OF
Radicalism will wake up some fine morn
ing in March, 1869, and find themselves and
their negro co-laborers out in the cold
the States of the South restored to all their
rights, and subject alone to the Constitu-
tiou and the laws made in pursuance
thereof.