The Portland daily press., 1868-06-15
Civil and Political Equality.

The new constitutions of most OF the South
ern States require voters to take an oath that
they "accept the civil and political equality of
all men," OF this the Copperheads most bit
terly complain. Says one of their journals:
$50 YOU see, you Ohioan, or Kansian, or
Michigander, or whatever you may be, that
voted against negro suffrage in your own
State, you cannot go to this twice admitted
Arkansas and become citizen there unless
you renounee your honest convictions. You
must swear that you are better than a negro
and ifyou will not, you are dlsfranchisd, just
as the secession leaders are disfranchised.'
This ia not from one of the bowling white
mans government papers, but from journal
that. though strongly Democratic, sometimes
Justly deserves commendation fer candor and
decency. But more absurd and wicked lines
than those we have quoted were never penned.
The oath is prescribed merely for the protec-
ton of the newly entranchised voters and for
securing them against the danger of being d.
vested of their dearest rights. No matter how
thoroughly disloyal a man may have been or
how many times he may have voted against
negro suffrage in his former places of resi-
dence, he may become a citizen of Arkansas
without perjury if he no,o rcnounces the mar
row and proscriptive traditions of his past
life. He may vote and have equal rights in
all respects with his loyal fellow citizens
merely by promising not to attadk them 1t is
precisely as if a portion of the citizens of
Maine, numerous enough and INSCRIPTIONS
enough to entertain a confident expectation
of being able to accomplish their purposes,
should daolara thapo lxas IN, q,
the ballot from all except those who possess
real estate valued at $500. If their oppo-
nents were for the time in a situation to de-
prive the conspirators of their power to COM
init this civil murder, who would think them
unreasonable for doing so? ~,
The negro has the ballot. The Rebels de-
clare that so soon as the military government
is removed the freedmen shall be driven from
the polls Even with such constitutional pro-
visions as we are discussing there is room for
well grounded apprehension that in some
States this will be DONE Without such provis-
ions, there would be to the Rebels almost a
certainty of success. In view of these facts a
declaration that the new constitutions require
man to swear shat he is no better than me-
gro" is worthy only OF a pro-slavery Copper
head in state of beastly intoxication. 1t is
an appeal to prejudices of the most ignorant
and Vulgar character. No one is required to
swear shat he is no better than negro" but
that he will forbear to conspire against the
negros rights as human being.
REvERDY JOHNSON, who was unanimously
confirmed by the Senate Friday, for the i'm
portant position of Minister to England in
place of Charles Francis Adams, resigned, is
a remarkable man. He is a Democrat but in
no sense a Copperhead. He voted for the re-
construction acts of March and March 23d
1867, not absolutely approving them, but not
desiring to make factious opposition to the in
eyitable, and believing that the terms offered
therein were liberal as the South would be
likely to obtain. No other Democrat in either
branch of Congress was sensible and indie
pendent enough TO take the same course
moderation that has marked Senator john
sons course, cost him his seat, the rebels of
the Maryland legislature having elected a
genuine Copperhead to succeed him in the next
Congress. Mr.. johnson is one of the ablest
lawyers and statesmen in the country, and
though it would of course have been more sat-
isfactory if Mr.. Adams could have been sue
eeeded by representative of the dominant
party, no one will feel very much agrIeved at
the appointment of the best Democrat in the
country. ...
GEN. HooKER.-The New York Mail gives