The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-01-31

TIN C0BCA00 AATAOAG ~
rAvOn Or uB0RO SUFFRAGE.
In the presence Of the columns Of villif-
cation and coarse absss With which the Chi
cago Timer nov aasails Negro Suffrage, and
the Republican party for it, defense Of Im>
partial Suffrage, il il rsfreshing 70 read again
this editorial article, which appeared in the
7iscs Of November 18th, 1865. II isn't to
be expected that the re-resding Of il would
make any impression on the 7ises itself. Its
present policy Of putting the freedman under
and keeping him under, and OF re-establish-
ing rebelism, is too thoroughly Democratic,
and in harmony with the spirit Of the Times
for it 10 do other thsn keep on its present
line. But the article MAY help convince the
people of the perfdy and dishonesty Of the
Democratic party. The two great organs Of
that party. the Wor,d and the Times, advo
Gated, for time, Negro Suffrage, not A. the
Republican party did because it was just, be-
cause It was right, because it was Republican,
because ii was demanded BY the principles of
our government, and the spirit Of our institu-
tions, but they advocated it out Of pure dem
agogism out of purely partizan purpose.
As they were ready in war to sacrifice their
government to save their party, 50 they are
ready to sacrifice whatever of principles they
have il they can only defeat the Republicans.
A party so utterly unprincipled, SO utterly
base, which, to disloyalty to the country, adds
an utter faithlessness TO its professed princi-
Piles, deserves nothing but infamy of the
American people. Here is the Times edi-
torial ::
From the Chicago Times EDITORIAL, Nov. II,
1856.
SHALL THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY DIE OR LIVE
The present is q crisis in.the Democratic
party which has no precedent in its history.
as it is a crisis in the progress Of the country
which is also without precedent. Never be.
fore has the Democratic party encountered
events so seriously affecting its future vitality
as now. Not chat it beholds itself diminished
in the magnitude Of its numbers--for it is
numerically stronger than it has ever been
before-but that, having been beaten on a
great national issue, as to which 1t believed
itself to be wholly right and the opposition
wholly wrong. and still so believes, it must
nevertheless abandon that issue-for the de
eision of it is 6nal-and either sit down in
decaying aud helpless inactivity, or strike
boldly out upon new line selected with PEI
euliar reference, not to things as we woulc
have them, but to things Is they actually are
and in pursuing which line it shall cease te
be holdback or Conservative" party, ant
become, what it was in its palmy days, o pro
gressive and an aggressive party. These are
the alternatives.
1t will not sit down in helpless and decay
ing inactivity.
What, then, shall the new line be- In tb.
first place, must We not cut loose from An
drer johnson, aud ieare that hybrid concer,
to float on the sea Of public contempt int
which it some time since entered, and from
which no power can rescue il? Is not III,
late defeat attributable more largely to thi
administration than to all other causes com
bined? What is there in its composition Il
command popular confidence? Who, belong
ing to it, is entitled, by reason Of his antece
dents or Of his craftsmanship, 10 the conf
dence or the respect Of the Democratic party,
Certainly it is not Andrew johnson, nor Will
liam Ii. Seward, nor Edwin NJ. Stanton
True. this administration had right policy
and the Democratic party, in overlooking thu
chief men comprising it, and thinking onl,
of the rightfulness Of the policy, display ed
patriotism whose purity was never excelled
but the policy having fsiled-and havin,
failed, too, through the feebIeness and foil
and offences against public propriety Of th
ENTHUSIASTICALLY should not the Demo
cratic party abandon the dead body, ionge
adherence to nhich Is death also to itselff
What next? Can the Democratic party sue
coed until the negro question shall be got on
of,he way 1t cannot. Why not? Is no
negro suffrage inevitable, and is not tn
quickest way to at once concede the suffrage
making issue only on the degree to which
shall be conceded We know that man,
Democrats have not reached this advanced
view OF the case, and that such are still great
ly inclined to revolt at the proposition Of ne
gro suffrage in any degree; but let us tell
them that it is always wise to accept the in.
evitable when the inevitable comes. Negrt
suffrage we say, is inevitable, and whether
it shall be qualified or universal depend,
upon the promptuess or otherwise with which
the Democratic party shall move with ref
erence to it. The Southwill speedily yielt
qualified negro suffrage upon the motion o
the Democratic party; because, if for ut
other reason, she will soon see, il she doe
not already see, that il she does not yield it
sue Will uttiuidtciy pc CUtDpeilcu 10 Acc6p
universal negro suffrage.
Qualified negro suffrage yielded by tn,
Southland by this we mean imperial sui
frose, or suffrage dependent upon the intel
ligence of the man, irrespective or color, a.
il now the rule in MISUNDERSTANDING negr,
question rN hare been disposed of and III
occupation Of the Northern Republican part,
arfii be gone forerer. Not one inch OF grount
Wilt have to stand upon !; and the country cal
once more turn TO those material questions o
public policy, the right disposition of which
is so essential to the public prosperity.
will be upon these questions that the Demo
cratic party viii triumph, and it will by thi
triumph that constitutional governn ent ant
Federal system will be preserved.
If the South be wise, it will not wait Oh
this suffrage question, even for the molten o
the Democratic party. If it be wise, it viii
lose no time in putting in motion the neces
sary machinery by which it will, at the sam
time save itselffrom Illumination, preserve il
own self respect, rid the country of the mos
vexatious questions that ever distracted an
country, kill tho worst political party tina
ever existed on the globe, and put the Unio1
in the way of speedy restoration. This ma
chinery consists, of course, in conventions t.
revise the State constitutions.
4 WASHINGTON letter writer Processes 1