Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-05-25
The Republican Party and Negro
Suffrage South.

of the South was demanded by every con-
sideration of public safety, of gratitude
ando Justice. and must be maintained whole.
The question of suffrage in all the loyal
States properly belongs to the people OF
those States" q
BY the terms of the Constitution, the
question of suffrage" properly belongs to
the people of" each of the States. Under
no circumstances does the Constitution
I give to Congress the authority to intermed-
die with suffrage in some of the States and
+ not in all of them. If it has the right to
intermeddle with suffrage in the Southern
States, it has as unquestionable right to
intermeddle with it in the Northern States.
1t, however, has not the right to intermed-
die in this matter in any of the States. Few
will deny this, though many will insist that
the Negroes in the South are loyal men,"
and that, therefore, in " demonstrating"
the Southern States it is incumbent upon
us to see to it that these "loyal men" are
made voters. Our gratitude and justice
are appealed to. Do not gratitude and JUS
tice as much demand that we should give
to the Negroes in the Northern States suf-
frage? Are they not just as loyal, and did
they not during the War testify their 10y
atty fully as practically? They entered
the army, and according to their friends,
athe colored troops fought bravely."-
Notwithstanding, in all the Northern
States-Connecticut, Ohio and Michigan.
at the time thoroughly partisan Republi-
can-where the proposition to give to the
Negro the privilege of voting was submit
ted to vote of the people, it was voted
down by unusually large majorities. TAX
ing the result of these elections as
evidence, we find that there is no
inclination in the Northern States to allow
Negroes to vote. The leaders OF the Re-
publican party are in favor of it; but the
masses are not, and voluntarily they are
not likely to consent to the abolition of po-
litical distinction between the Negroes and
the Whites. IfCongress is under obliga-
tions to see to it that the Negroes in the
South are invested with and are permitted
to exercise without let or tindrance the
privilege of voting, it would seem that
they are under obligations to an equal de-
gree to see to it that the unrestricted ex-
ercise of this privilege is accorded to them
in all the States. 1t likewise logically fol-
lows, that If it is not proper to enforce it
by Congressional enactment in the North
ern States, the impropriety is even much
greater to undertake to enforce it in the
Southern States. Unpalatable as it is to
the Northern people, Negro Suffrage is
much more unpalatable to the White peo-
pie in the South.
In declaring it to be the duty of Congress
to enforce Negro Suffrage in the Southern
States and not in States that did not take up
arms to fight their way out of the Union, it
should have been put on the right ground
and not urged hypocritically. Justice and
gratitude are not sectional; they take
within their sweep and operations the
whole country. They do not demand that
the Negroes shall vote in one section of the
country and not in the other. They de-
mand that it shall be universal
or not at all. 1t is a lie-a lie
as black as the blackest Ne
gro. that gratitude and justice implor-
ingly demand of Congress to violate the
Constitution and detail an army to enforce
considerations urge it, and nothing else.
Without the Negroes, and without the dis
franchisement of large portion of the
Whites-the brain of that country-no Re-
publican party can there be built up. If
this discrimination shall be carried into eff
feet, it will operate as punishment to the
Southern people, and will be by them SO
no Inconvenience in their consciences to
inflict such punishment, they holding that
the Southern White people have offended
grievously and they should, consequently,
be chastised by the most unrelenting pun
ishment. It is hard, we know, to convince
those who thus feel that the South has not
fully atoned for her transgression, and they
are usually ready to give their consent to
any manner OF punishment, without be-
slowing thought upon the question, how
are other parties than the Southern people
to be effected by it.
There may be here and there business
activity; but take the country over, the
times are dull and hard. There is no heal
by, widespread prosperity. The complaint
is general. This is the legitimate offspring
of four years War, in which we ravaged
and desolated and overturned the labor
system of the most prolific part of the
country, and which poured a continuous
stream of wealth into our lap. A wise
system of Government, inaugurated at the
close of the War, and thence carried for
ward, would have done much toward ma
king that country again an affiuent tribu-
tary to our wealth. Unfortunately for us,
the men-the incompetent, and the cor
rupt were voted into Office, under what we
took to be patriotic fervor, instead of ia
king counsel of wisdom and the expert
ence of all Governments that preceded
ours took counsel of hate, malice and
partisanship, and our return is prof1iga-
cy and corruption in the Government, ex-
cessive taxation and dull times. 1t requires
no argument to convince the intelligent,
that it is essential to our prosperity that
the Southern States should be quickly put
on the high road to prosperity.
The Republican party, with General
GRANT at its head, is pledged in every con-
ceivable way, to put the political power
into the hands of the Negroes South. They
are to be the ruling power there. 1t is not
material whether they will fill all the Of
fees from their own race. By their votes
they will decree who shall, and that is
practically the same thing. 1t is not in the
nature of the White race to submit to such
rule long. For while it will be enforced
by the military arm of the Govern
ment, but to do this will make
a big item of expense to the Gov.
ernment, and as this has to be paid
out of the industry of our people, it will
be observed that it will entail on them a