The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-06-13
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SATURDAY MORNING. JUNE 1s, 1868.
i..Blessed is He that E.pecteth Nothing r'

/ The New York World, the organ Of the
New. York Democracy, isSsry plain spoken
in regard to negro suffrage IN the south,,'
and If it's opinions are those Of the major
Iityy Of. the Democratic party, the status quo
win notbse disturbed by theaDemooracy,
and the States .will- only berallowed to reg:
:ulaie their own own affairs under the hybrid
constitutions nov, before, Congress for 7ap-
proyal. Ithss already BEEN suggested in
these columns that this policy will be adop-'
ted BY the National Democracy, but it is
SUFFICIENT for the present to examine the ar
gumepts by which the World supports its
position. s's..e 'ai 'l'--5f - :,
The World admits that any clause in Tie
new constitutions inhibiting a.. change in
the basis of suffrage will be conatitutionally
null andpraotically futile; but contends that
negro suffrage cannot be uprooted by the
Federal Government, even under Demo-
cratic control. IF the Democracy affirm the
principle that the Federal Government has
no right to regulate suffrage in State, they
restrain themselves from initiating the per-
nicious interference of the Radicals. The
| bearing and.efect sof this doctrine ''is to
.recognizeths status quo Of the suffrage in
taeyery9 State, and to preclude interference
| s.by the Federal Government to change it;
isas well from changing it from bad to good,
.sas from good to bad. ~ The World then
adds these significant words: Gan that the
.!Dsmocratic party can promise the South
."on this subjectis its inaotivity-its for
clearance to thwart the States in any
sschanges thsy may hereafter choose to
s.makei We suppose We have made it clear
"enough that if negro suffrage is ever abol-
uished in the South, it viii not be by the
"Federal Government" In conclusion. it
says that Democratic Congress would have
] no power to decide between the supplanted
white governments and the existing negro
governments; that the supplanted govern
mentss would be incapable of revival; that
negro suffrage can only be removed by State
action in which the negroes shall take part,
and that "the South must judge whether it
sis easier to persuade the negroes to vote
sagainst their own right to vote, or to per-
"suade them to use that right for the ad-
"vantage of the community"
Two wro1gs do not make right, and the
unconstitutional action Of o Radical Con-
gress does not relieve its successor from
the moral obligation of reversing that action
as soon as it has the power to do so The
Supreme Court can take jurisdiction over
the subject, and unless the new Congress
were resolved to shelve the Supreme Court
itself, the decree Of that Court would ex-
punge from the statute book every uncon-
stitutional law. Moreover, the legal gov
ernment of State cannot become extinct.
The government may be usurped, the negro
may sit on the judgment seat, every official
of the rightful government may be deposed;
but the government was, at best, nothing
more than the representative of the people,
who are the source of all authority, and,
when the government is set aside by force,