The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-09-08
NEGRO SUFFRAGE.
A Clear Statement OF the Status OF
the Tennessee Conservatives.
rLl-c.... Al -,

[Fromtho Memphis Ayalanche.l
Negro suffrage is a fact as fixed and
unalterabla as the freednm Of the
negto and it is wise policy and states
manship to deal with facts as we find
them, and endeavor to extenuato an
evil we cannot eradicate. Ancient
history--our own history proves most
oonelusively that men once invested
with the tight Of suffrage viii never
be satisfied with anything less.
We eannotaaora to have as q per-
manent element of the community any
DISTINGUISHED class. There would be
but faint hope of peace aud domestic
tranquility in Tennessee with danger
Gus civil and political inequalities
ranking like poison in the bosom Of a
large class of people. Peace aud
prosperity can only be secured by
equal laws and free ballot for white
and black. An experiment proved
that Tennessee could not afford to
have fostering in her bosom a large
class Of disifanehised white men;
neither can she afford TO harbor fifty
thousand DISTINGUISHED colOred men.
The enfranchIsed whites of Tennessee
must redeem their pledges. They
must be as willing to give as to re
ceive-to make politically free as to
be themselves politically free. Time
has fully convinced US that the per-
manent peace and future prosperity
of the country can only be assured
upon the broad basis Ofuniversal stuff
rage. For two years the disfranchised
people of Tennessee have demanded
of their political adYersaries the re
storation of the people to their inner
tied suffrage right, expressly dis
avOWlng any purpose to Interfere
with the rights possessed by the ne
gro. We can show from the files of
the Conservative press for two years
that such were the promises made to
the negror, and if, On ascending to
power, the whites should rob the ne.
gro Of his suffrage, it would develop a
turpitude and a duplioity that would
provoke the scOrn and execration Of
the civilized world. 1t would re-
open old sores, array race against
race, and after living over the dreadful
scenes which for four years have
made Tennessee, > hell on earth, pub
lie opinion and The interest of peace
and prosperity would force the whites
to give back the rights of which they
had plunderd the negro By shameless
mendacity, brazen hypocrisy and in
famous assimilation. ''Juuius"
sings the same old worn out, exhaust
ed song about this being a white
man s government, and should be
ruled by white men. Most assuredly
1t is white mans government and
most assuredly it will be ruled IN
white men. This pretended fear
about the power Of tho negro Is nav
ing poor tribute to the Caucasion
race To pretend to believe that the
pennies, ignorant illiteratc negro
" II control the wealth, the Iearning
the intellect Of the whitel men. who
own all the Ind, is the baI9eIt
humbuggery Of arrant dema goeues,
With universal suffrage, the voice Of
the negro in the political storm would
be like a rain drop In the sea. Treat
the negro kindly-conyince him that
you are his friend, and that you would
not rob him Of his right to vote-and
the affection which he has lavished
upon the carpet Dagger will be given
to those among whom he lives, and
whose prosperity is his own. Ia
Mississippi there were seventeen thou
sand more colored voters registered