The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-03-17

nifty where he fived. The Mr.. Age
who was killed was about eighteen
or nineteen years old, and was a
respectable young man.
F. ". Thayer, Esq, John fngse, Jr., and
GENTLEMEN: In response to your
call in to-day's JOURNAL upon Mr..
Hill, Capt. Esslinger and myself, TO
become candidates for Senator and
Representative at the special election
on the 23d inst, l have upon due
consideration concluded to say that
although [ have neither ambition nor
desire for legislative or other official
honors, yet, under the peculiar cir
eumstances of the present emergency,
| will for once depart from a lifelong
rule of action, and accept your invi-
tation to become a candidate. l
fully appreciate the Importance of the
masses of the Republican party set
ting themselves right in reference to
this proposed Fifteenth Amendment to
the Constitution of the United States,
and am content 20 work in any posi-
ton they may assign me In any effort
they may make In yiadication of their
integrity and honor against the false
position in which their would be lead
ers would place them.
[ am opposed to this Fifteenth
| Amendment for many reasons, the chief
of which is that it will inhict upon
the country negro suffrage. and its
cOncomitant curse, a mOngrel govern
ment of whites and blacks; the one
being the necessary sequence Of the
other. After all that has been said
upon the subject. suffrage In this
country Is the right only Of those who
possess it. We may bestow it upon
| others as a boon, but they cannot
/ claim it as a right. Whether we
should so bestow it or notdepends upon
whether it is our interest so to be-
stow it or not. 1t is a mere question
of policy for us. l cannot see the
wisdom of calling in the cOnfessedly
inferior races of the earth to
assist the Anglo Saxon in solv
ing the yet undecided problem OF
mans capacity for self government.
But the question of to-day Is not
the mere question of the right or
wrong, the policy or impolicy of ne
gro suffrage. 1t is a question of the
Lfulflment or Justification of pledges.
It is a question of the honesty and in
tegrity of a great party. it IS a ques-
ton of the right of those who possess
it to exercise their suffrage In decid-
ing whether tthey will share 1t with
others who do not possess 1t: than
which no more grave or vital
question was ever presented to Tree
men. You say truly: The Republi-
can party of Indiana stands squareiy
pledged upon this issue. The pres
cot Legislature was elected upon the
solemn declaration of the party
everywhere repeated, that the ques-
ton of negro suffrage was one to bt
decided for themselves. by the people
of the several loyal States. l do moi
hesitate to say that the ratification
under such circumstances, of thi:
miscalled Amendment of the Ma.
tioual Constitution, would be such an
act of fraud and peridy as no party
In a free country ever yet survived OF
ever ought to survive.
You notify me that my consent to
become a candidate must be with thu
distinct understanding that, if elected
| will do all in my power to defeat6ht
ratification of said Amendment until
the same is approved by a majority OF
the people of the State. l cheer
fully and u~uswervedly accept thu
terms. | pledge myself, IT elected
to use my utmost exertions Z
persuade my Republican friends
not to do this great wrong, ant
il all other means fail, l turthei
pledge myself to resign my seat, If by
so doing [ can alone defeat thi:
t%reacherous aud wicked act. Upot
this point [ differ with some Of IN,
friends. 1t is not the case, as theJ
seem to suppose, of a minority resist
ing a majority. But it is the repre-
s~entatives of the majority Of the PEG
pie preventing the representatives o
the minority from ~deffauding them o
the right to decide for themselve
whether they will submit to this grea
innovation In the fundamental law o
the land. | believe if Republicans ar,
semitic the Legislature, pledged as yOi
demand, In place ofthe Democrats wins
have resigned, a sufficient mum Der 0
other Republican members will b.
encouraged to stand true to tn
pledges of the party 10y insisting upoT
submitting the question TO the people
l. [ should find myself mistaken,
could even then do as well as m,
Democratic friends: | could resign
aud come home. And this [ agar
most unequivocally declare | woult
do if it was the only means left me O
defeating so great an iniquity.
These are my sentiments, gentle
men. [ am afraid they will not assis
you to any very large extent in secur
ing votes for he from either party
Bat you must take them as they are
if you take me for your candidate.
JNo. j. CHANDLER.
March Is, 1869.
EVANSVILLE, March 16, 1869.
Messrs. 4hayer, TngEe and Others: