The Van Buren press., 1868-01-10
Universal Suffrage South.

1 hofNSh 81 hubi'RNhSoVsS SsS~SeS SssS
condition Of Republican government
But experience shows that 1t may also bs
madea most powerful and fatal weapon.
in the hands Of unscrupulous power, 70
crush out all real liberty and bolster up
an arbitrary and irresponsible tyranny.
The Emperor of France has founded bis
throne upon universal suffrage. THERE'S
no country in the world where the SUI.
frage is SO absolutely free and universal.
as in France; and there Ia no Govern
ment in the world more arbitrary than
that which il has established. The reason
is that the suffrage Of the people OF
France, instead of being independent, 10
simply the tool which the central author.
ity uses to accomplish its own purposes.
The great mass of the French peasants
are ignorant, utterly without experience
in affairs OF Government, dazzled BY ira
ditions, credulous of promises and n.
spending promptly and subservlently to
appeals, representations and demands
made upon them from imperial quarters.
At the election, the agents and commit.
tees Of the Emperor issue their letters Of
advice,-their arguments sustained their
theories, their glowing pictures Of the
condition of the country and their still
more glowing promises for the future,
and scatter them layishly throughout the
Empire. The coarser instruments Of
pressure are not neglected. The military
regulate" the elections aud preserve or
der. The civil officials represent, per.
haps somewhat urgently, the expectations
and wishes OF the Government, ,-their
own hopes of preferment depending large
| ly on their success. And so it happens
that universal suffrage in France, being
simply Il tool in the hands OF the central
Ipower,-instead Of an independent ef.
preston of the intelligent popular will
has founded and sustains one Of the most
arbitrary and despotic Governments 10
Europe.
I The negro vote in the Southern States
is exactly adapted to the same kind OF
management At the very lowest esH.
mate It constitutes ons.third Of the popus'
lar vote OF the Southern States. and is
thus, in skillful hands, weapon Of su@c,
lent power, to control them. The negroes
now admitted to the suffrage are, Is .
body, utterly ignorant unable to read
the ballots they are empowered to cast
wholly inexperienced in public affairs
incapable of foresight and .provident
preparation even for their own future,
aud far more incapable of any regard
whatever for the future Of the State or
the nation accustomed to obey orders
they receive from others, and taught, By.
precept and experience, to regard with
distrust and animosity the community In
which they live, Naturally and almost
inevitably they look to some outside
source for their Instructions and Of
course they do not look in vain. W ''''
An Executive Committee of the Radj.
cal Party in Congress has taken charge Of
4 this matter, and has virtually taken charge
of the negro vote in the Southern States.
1t does precisely for that vote what the
agents of the French Emperor do for.he
peasantry vote throughout France, and
| by very much the same appliances. II
prints documents and scatters them
through the South. II employs agents,
lecturers, and missionaries of slcwri
views among the negro voters. And
through It's alliance with the dominant
authority in the Government, it has qpi,s
as complete command OF the military Az.
thority, which is now supreme IN the
Southern States, and of the agents and
subordinates Of the Frecdman's Bureau,
as the French Emperor has ofthe Prefets
and other officials OF the Empire. p-i
:, = The most effective agency
in the prosecution of the work they have
undertaken Is that of the Seeyst Loyal
Leagues, which under the direction OF The
central authority have extended their or.
ganized and secret operations into every
section of the South and have contributed
more than anything else to the consolida.
ton of the negro vote. This effort has
already been attended with q very great
degree Of success. The Committee count
upon that vote as sufficient to secure,
first, the nomination, and next the clec.
ton, of a Radical Republican President.
In summing up the work Of the cam.
paign and in estimating its future results,
it will be noted that the writer in ques
ton arrays the whites md blacks against
each other in all the Southland assumes
that the political contests ofthe Southern
States are to be hereafter mainly q conflict
Of races. Wherever the blacks preponder.
ate, he takes for granted an easy and .
signal victory for the Republican Party.
Wherever the whites are ia majority
rs in Virgina,--he thinks "Ms w0rk WI!
be diGcuH" The Republican Party Of the
nation is thus to be identified with the
colored vote of the Southern States.
This is tie direct and inevitable tendency
of the labors and efforts of the Congres.
sional Committee When it shall have
been thoroughly accomptished,-i any
il dications Of popular sentiment can 10
drawn from the late elcctions,-it seems
probable that the Rspudlican Pdrty Ciu
lose every considerable Nor!Atrn State
" y (Radiea!) Tines. 10 'q '''l