Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-04-16
Prem the New rorh Herald
The Connecficuf and Michigan
Elections aud their Important
Hearing on the Presidential
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BtnftnE on the f'rtstdcnftns
Conftsf.
The confident hopes Of the Repub.
licanso great victory in Connects.
cut have been signally disappointed.
They have not only failed to recover
the State, but have failed TO preventa
significant increase of last years Dem
ocratic majority. Before the election
all the advantages of the contest were
apparently on the Radical side. Un-
der the flag of General Grant as their
Presidential candidate they were all
brought into line and worked harmo-
niously ly together. Their working pol
iticians were further encouraged by
the prospect of some immediate re-
wards in new division ofthe FEEDER
al spoils with the removal of Andrew
johnson; they were relieved Of Barn.
um and his menagerie, and the bright
and balmy skies of election day gave
them every facility TO bring out all
their reserves in the rural districts.
On the other hand, the Democrats,
without q Presidential champion, and
uncertain where they would find one,
had an uphill battle to fight against
the great Union hero of the war.
How is it, then, that they have won
this remarkable victoryY They have
won il upon the broad and general is
sue of hostility to the excesses and
revolutionary schemes and tendencies
of the party in power, including, es-
pecially, universal negro suffrage.
The popular verdict of Connecticut,
it may be fairly claimed, is sagainst the
impeachment and removal of Andrew
johnson. The Radicals made their
fight to a great extent upon this ques-
tion. But the paramount, underlying
issue upon which they were defeated
is, after all, this issue of universal ne
gro suffrage. This proposition they
adroitly attempted to cover up; but
it was skilfully kept in the foreground
by the Democrats, and this has
turned the scale in Connecticut. We
want no better proofs of the fact than
are furnished in the Connecticut Re-
publican platform, taken together
with the results on negro suffrage last
fall in Ohio and New York, and with
the result on that distinct proposition
in the shape of constitutional
amendment in Michigan on the same
day with this Connecticut election.
The Republicans, even SO late as last
fall, held Michigan by some twenty
nine thousand majority; button Mon.
day last this proposition Of universal
negro suffrage, although there are on
ly some twelve hundred negroes in
the State TO be affected by the result,
was voted down in Michigan by de-
cisivc majority. Negro suffrage, then,
has swamped the Republican State
ticket in Connecticut. The popular
antipathy to universal negro suffrage
has proved stronger in Connecticut
than the popularity of General Grant.
We may safely assume, .hen, from
all these experimental elections last
year and this year, that from Connec-
ticut westward TO the Pacific Ocean
the majority of the people in every
State are opposed to this Radical shib-
boleth of universal negro suffrage.
Nay, more we may assume that if
the Democracy, as they did in this
Connecticut election, keep their Cop
porhcade IN the background, and
bring forward as their Presidential can
didate popular man, identified with
the war for the Union, they may upon
this issue of universal negro suffrage
beat even General Grant; for was not
General Scott, the most distinguished
soldier Of that day, beaten in 1852 by
poor Pierce, subordinate general of
volunteers in Mexico, and was he not
beaten simply because Pierce was sup
posed 10 be safer than Scott on the
negro question: But what champion
of the war for the Union will do to
put in the field by the Conservatives
against Grant as the Radical candi.
dateY Admiral Farragut is the very
man. He wants no platform, in add.
ton to his war record, but retrench-
ment and reform and qualified ne.
gro suffrage, in opposition to univer-
sal negro suffrage. The Democrats
of New Hampshire, profting from
their late defeat, are acting upon our
hint, and like practical men, in taking
up Farragut, they propose vigorously
to dispute with the Radicals the elec-
tion for the succession.
But may not the Radicals take the
back track on negro suffrageY 1t is
too late, we believe, for that. In
their Congressional system OF South
ern reconstruction they have carried
this cure-all Of universal negro suf.
frage too far TO be now abandoned.
If they do abandon it they will drive
off the ultra Radicals into an indie.
pendent Presidential faction. They
must, however, do one thing or
the other, and in any event they will
need the votes Of these still recon
structed Southern States. But in
hurrying in those States on the basis
of universal suffrage to the negroes
and white disffanchisement, the dan
geris that the reaction on this business
may cost the Radicals more in the
North than they will gain in the
South. Unquestionably these Con.
necticut and Michigan elections will
operate to demoralize the white Rad. !
ieals and the negroes and to organize
the white Conservatives in the South- |
ern States, so that, even in the cleo
tions necessary TO complete the work
Of Congressional reconstruction, the
tables may be turned against the Rad
ical managers.
And what Of the imnnanhmenf z |