Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1868-10-23
UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE.


Col .Iuo. W. Formy made a great
peeeh in PHILADELPHIA on his return from
he Chicago Convention. in which he paid a
high tribute To the into liigehce and patriot
ism Of our standard bcarars. Grant and Co-
lax. IL discussing HE platform he spoke as
follows upon the question otsdffrage.
suppose there is not day that the in
telligent Republican is not twitted by the
ignorant Democrats with the dispersion GA
are all Ter universal suprage in the South,
but are vow for il in the North aud, doubts
iess. sometimes our friends have been a little
s,errnrd how TO answer Tbs 'a9 caqtaadHsa
cry. will answer il by relating htile inci>
dent which occurred a few weeks age, as
was passing from Washington 70 Philadelphia
IN q railroad car. a violent Corpcfhead repea
cd this parrot crv, d finally addressed him-
selfto eolorcd man who sat near me. lie
said: These Republicans are ne, your
friends. They don't give You votes except in
New York whore the colored man votes on
qualification bat IN New jersey and Ohio
and other States, they don't give YOU vote,
hut il.ev are perfectly willing to give it in
the South, whtr lie white man is to he
borie down w Tie ce'crea man. "Why,'
said lhe colored man. IL have only this to
gay in reply 10 your remark il yon Democrats
would stay from tie polls and let the Repub-
hcaus dispose Of this thing. We Mould have
votes ali over the Union; il is the Demo>
Gratis that votc lis down with The minori.. vi
,g JUDGED Republicans. Great applause
thought the answer was oycrwhcim
ing. If the Republican party had
this question 10 decide among them
selves, exclusive Of the bcsottcd, un.
reasoning, and prosecuting Demo.
Gratis, there wculd he no such thing
~ restricted suffrage in any State OF
he Union. | Applausel The Republi-
can party, however, is Tor leaving
he subject, by lis platform, to the
States and to the people of the States
respectively. If accded argument in
tayor Of negro suffrage in Pennsylva-
ria, would refer every eoubter on
the subject to this remarkable expert
nent wherever tried in TIE South.
Take the District of Columbia, when
emancipation began, where the cx-
pertinent was tried first and what is
The consequence? Why. gentleman,
here is 10 class OF voters mere intel
ligcnt and oroerly than the colored
citizens. The day before the election.
when they first voted, these poog men,
who had never known what liberty
was, who only knew life through
slavery. opened their churches for
prayer to Ged to give them wisdom
and intelligence that they might vote
properly on The day following; and
when they did vote, they cast solid
shot for The Republican ticket. There
is the rub. If these poor fellows
would vote for the Ccpperhcads. you
would hear no cry against negro suff- |
rage. II is only when they vote with I
rs that it is such monstrous ont
rage. As 10 any harm coming from
it's lial. no harm can come to trial |
which in the South has made Repnb- |
lican government full Of such promi- |
ses OF progress, peace and wealth as
Tic South has Fever known.
Look at the States that have been +,
reconstructed by the aid of colorcd
mcn.-There have been revolutions in |
France and England: there have
been new constitutions framed in |
other civilized govcrnments-iake the !
instance CT France after the revolu- |
lion; take the constitution framed !
after the revolution OF So: take any |
constitution framed by any white men |
in any part OF the Old World, and |
compare il with the constitution of |
South Carolina, made by the Union
men, white and black, OF tina. State, |
and that instrument will be found not |
only far superior, put cont: lining the |
clements Of perpeiui'y and Of future |
lower and honor in as great dec,ee
is our own great charter of Pennsyl-
vania. The Republican party is not
sonimiitea 10 negro suffrage. II is
committed 10 universal suffrage. Il is
no, in favor Of the rights Of the black
men alene: IL Is in Tacor Of tie rights
y oH mea.-W hat right have ]. pray,
- say that any other man who inner
is his life. who draws bis being from
God Aim. eilty, shall not enjoy the
The same rights that ! do? IGreat
chccfi' :. VIVA, authority have to
cit in judgment upon The rights ofmv,
Eeighbor, whether lie be black, white
llue, or red Ills conscience is Lis
cwn. God, in his infinite wisdom,
an, this race into being. Has it ev-
g committed any wroRg that it should
,e ever outcast. las it been guilty
u anv crime against civilization that
il shall be debarred civilization? Tell
me, were they black men who inaugu-
rated this bloody rebellion, that has
cost 500, 600 human lives sent SOC, 900
Truman souls TO answer before the bar
OF Almighty God: Were they
black men who hunted the Union
prisoners through the forests, starved
hem in poi>inous dens, took up their
remains after being buried, and carved
them into ornaments:
TEL me, mos hed black man srho
sissdssiaatcd abraham Lincoln? IA
Noiee,"No: copperhead." Yes; it
= we'll SAID and where is there
black copperhead. ICheers-l The
Republican party, however. when
General Grant is elected, will dispose
Of this sexed question in its own wis
doln. All that / have to say to yo, is;
lac not afraid OF the cry that you are
committed to negro suffrage. Tell
them and silence them with the telling,
YOU would rather put the ballot into
the hands OF the black man TO use for
freedom than into the h: nds Of tie
white man use for treason and slavery.
Great cheers.