The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-09-02

and aetessi6it aFe dead isstles,H WIS
or hoW7 Admit, however, that the |
only object is 20 deprive the freedmen
of political rights. How can that
be effected 2 Some say 1t IS to
be done by the ballot and not
by the bayonet." How? That's the
question. The freedmen are now In
possession of the right to vote; OF
course, if they vote, the Constltutlon
cannot be amended, SO the only mooe
is to carry out practically the doc-
trine that the reconStructIon acts are
void. and our Constitution is OF no Ell
feet. This is notification, and dis
guise it as they may. it must result In
war. History furnishes no instance
of four millions of people, Hacked, as
they are, in our State, By clear ma
iority of 10000 votes, being deprived
of political rights which they have
enjoyed for years. 1t cannot be done
without civil war. It is against the
order of nature. frsErf..f
My countrymen 1t is time to pause
and refuse longer to follow the lead
of violent politicians. We should
discard prejudice and passion, and act
on our own judgments as to what
should be done under the circum-
stances by which we End ourselves
surrounded.
The most violent members of any
panty, provided that they can get
members enough at the start to make
a respectable showing, always carry
| their point, for reason is put aside,
yituperation and abuse are hurled at
all who hesitate he is not friend
of the South; he is a traitor to his
race and COLOR, etc., etc. The wo-
men and children Creatures of feel
ing1 join 10 the clamor, and SO itgoes.
You and l were opposed to secession,
the bulk of the people opposed it, yet
we were hurried into it. After the
ordinance, like true men, we adhered
to our State, and rendered faithful
allegiance to the Confederacy up to
the surrender. What did we gain by
| it? / should rather ask, Who can
| estimate what we lost by it?
Let me ask, why did Gen. Lee sur
render? Because he could not help
It'll For the same reason, we must
submit to the political, not the social
(for that is a thing under our OWL
| controD equality of the freedmen
This is the situation the question
is, shall we go on, and again make bad
worse, or shall we try to make the
best of it?
What is the reason that the negro
vote, instead of being scattered, Is
solid column. It is carried by the
violent opposition made to the will O
the General Government in regard tC
reconstruction.
The freedmen have still an unde
, fined impression that there Is still 1
wish to reduce them to slavery. The
/ certainly have we'll founded belle
that there is a determination to de
prive them of political equality.
This makes them pull together; :
remove the pressure and their vote
will be neutralized, and unless [ mis-
take the power and effect of the su
periority of the white man, aided a
| he is by education and the possession
+ of the wealth of the country, in few
3 years they will vote as before 1885.
My conclusion is, we must conced
, to the freedmen political equality,
t we can only satisfy them we do so i
t good faith by voting for Grant an
r Colfax Then there will be an end c
1, the strife. The contemplation Of wa
: and bloodshed will be put far from VI
r The freedmen will become satisfe
: that it is for their good interest to a
low us to have the guidance of publ
n affairs, and the innate power and Wis
a or of the white man will convince th
Y world that we are able to carry
r weight Of four millions imposed upo
: us by the unaccountable DEGREES {
Providence, and still work out on
destiny as the grandest republic tina
has ever been known among the M
tons
1t is inevitable that the Conserv,
tives must split into two parties. TT
n Peace Conservatives and the Wa
Q Conservatives, or, to avoid inconsis
:, ency, the nulhfers. The difference
II so vital that they cannot act togetht
e as one party. The nullifers act wit
the Democrats. There can be no re;
r son why the Conservatives, withot
: identifying themselves with the Rt
: publicans, but keeping up their o.
e ganization as a party, and leaving tt
= nullifiers to go to themselves, ma
: not act with the Republican part
= and vote for Grant as the man for IL
= occasion, who, like Jackson, will Fl
stop to notification in the ne
shape in which it now raises its hydl
head. f
When the storm is over, the Coz
sentative party, representing as
" does, the property and intelligence
N the State, will take the guidance
affairs, and all will be WE'LL
II. NJ PEARSON.