The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-01-29
GEN. WALKERS LETTER

scrlbed gong 10 ms laniiiy IN thls
Gown-any publisher, or Gen. Wal
Ker himself, can readily see how such
a mistake could occur without any
intention on our part. 1t was our
duty to place his name on our list as
a correspondent, and our failure to
do SO was entirely the result of for
getfulness. Thus far Gen. Walkers
complaint is just, and We owe him
an apology which we hereby offer
and we hope he will accept. He
writes, however, as if the number
containing those structures was the
only one which he failed to receive.
He will do US the justice to observe
that he never received any number
of the paper at our hands during his
residence in Texas.
Gen. Walker may have squared
his political opinions" by what others
has written or said, but we beg leave
to inform him that we were educated
in school of politics in which we
were taught to square our political
opinions by our own conyictions of
right and wrong, and even five were
III the hsbit Of doing otherwise, we
could, perhaps, square then as sue
cessfully by "those of Greeley and
Sumner" as by Gen. Walkers let
ter. When we do conclude to pin
our political faith to somebody's
coat tail, we shall certainly exercise
our right to choose our leader. Ii
Gen. Walkers opinions suit US, we
shall follow his lead. If "Greeley
and Summers suit US better, we
shall mean no disrespect to Gen
Walker in following them. He will
not need his letter to square his
political opinions by" in less than
two years. On the contrary, we are
much mistaken if he does not want
something to square his letter by
in less than the allotted space OF time
The Generals stout assertion that
''the negroes of the South will vote
with the Democratic party under
compulsion of yis major is an argu-
ment which, in our opinion, exhibits
a very weak spot in lis political the
ories. In "squaring our political
opinions we have never stopped to
inquire how a man would vote, as a
condition precedent to his enfran-
chisement. Equal rights to all,
provided they will vote right,' would
seem, from this declaration, 10 be his
motto. We omit the proviso, and
accept the motto in its original puri-
ty. If the Generals theory is cor
rect, then the Democratic party did
nothing wrong in endeavoring to
deprive o: the elective franchise men
having visible admixture of African
blood, in this State. Nor was there
anything unfair in the students
Voting Law" passed by the Demo
cratic Legislature last winter, by
which some of the most intelligent
men in the State were disfranchised
simply because, by reason of their
intelligence, they voted the Repub-
lican ticket. These Democratic
legislators no doubt squared their
political opinions by the same idea
so warmly urged by Gen. Walker,
viz: That a man should not be en-
who will vote contrary to
the wishes of those who enfranchise
him. But the General proceeds:
IN the meanlime the edEFFERsoNiaN
may fight with me for the franchise
of colored men and men of mixed
blood in Ohio, but if the editor wants
to establish negro governments down
here, that l will let him do.
This difference of opinion between
ourselves and Gen. Walker is alto
gether owing to the different lules
by which we each "square our polit-
cal opinions. He thinks that the
way a man will vote should determine
lis right to franchise; therefore, he
s in favor of negroes voting in Ohio
where they will vote the Republican
.icket, and being deprived OF their
rote in Texas because they will vote
.he Democratic ticket We believe
hat governments derive their just
powers from the consent of the gov
,rned," and that no man should be
deprived of his right TO express his
consent to, or disapproval of, the
avs under which he has to live
we are In favor of "equal
md exact justice to all men''-both
n Ohio and Texas.
The General is of the opinion that
two hours of negro Constitution
making" in Texas would "cure' us.
We have heard that Gen. Sheridan
,nce said that s'if be owned Texas
md h-ll, he would rent out Texas
md live in the other place" This
evidence, in connection with other
With which we are in possession,
serves to convince US that 'two hours
If Constitution making''-be it black
,r white-in that State, would cure
wen worsepolitical diseases than that
Inder which the General imagines
Is TO be suffering.
AS to what true patriotism and
rue republicanism are, we reply that,
n our opinion, neither consist in de-
irving a man OF the elective fran
hise on account of color or condi-
ion-nor op account of his not yot-
ng in exact accordance with our
wn wishes.