The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1869-09-25
Future Politics of the South.
From the New York World. I

from the New York World
The readiness with which the thre'
Southern States that last year stood ou
against negro suffrage reconstruction
now yield to the demands of Congress
is doubtless wise under the circum stan
ces but it proves nothing as to the FL
ture political action Of the South
This apparent triumph Of the Radica
policy is probably The immediate pre-
cursor of its downfall. The chief ain
OF the Republican party since the Gloss
of the war, has been to prevent the
Southern States acting in political Co
operation with the Northern Democrats
The elective franchise was conferred
upon the negroes, in plain violation Of
the Constitution, in the expectation that
the negro vote would be universally an
Democratic, and that it would be sufi.
cient to turn the scale against the Dem.
ocratic party in the South, making that
section the sure ally of the Republicans,
as, in former times, it was of the Demo
Gratis. The acceptance of the situation
by which VIRGINIA, MISSISSIPPI, and
Texas will regain their places in the
Union, will restore to the South its free.
dom of action, and put speedy end to
the hopes OF the Republican party.
1t will soon become apparent that the
fifteenth amendment, on which the Re.
publicans rely to rivet their policy, will
bring them 40 advantage. In the
first place, even with the extorted rati-
fications of the reconstructed States the
amendment is not likely to be adopted
And even if it should be, extorted rati'
fications are invalid the Federal gov
ernment having no right to dictate the
action of States on constitutional
amendment, If, counting these bogus
ratifcations, the whole number showld
amount to three-fourths (Which is contra
rary to oil probability, and the bogus
ratifcations should be held good, the
pretended amendment would neverthe-
less be void, because it was never pro-
posed by two-thirds of Congress in a
constitutional sense. II it has not been
constitutionally submitted, no number
even of valid ratifcations could make
it part of the Constitution The ff-
teenth amendment is intended to secure
the permanence of negro suffrage if
the Democratic party should come into
power; but its futility for this purpose
is apparent on the slightest examina-
ton. Suppose that KENTUCKY, for ex-
simple, should continue to exclude me-
groes from the ballot-box after the fif-
teenth amendment had been declared
ratified how could she be compelled to
admit them? A Democratic Congress
would not exclude her Senators and
representatives for such cause, nor
would it pass or continue laws for pun
isling the State officers who refused }
receive the negro votes. If for a while.
the House should be Democratic and
the Senate Republican, so that such
laws could not be repealed. the penal
ties could not be inflicted, for the reason
that the offenders would have to be
tried by a jury of the vicinage, and
there could not be got into the jury-box
twelve men who would agree to punish
their fellow citizens for such an odense.
After the admission of the three re.
naming States, MILITARY government
will be abolished, and there can be
no further trials by the military COM
rissions. The fifteenth amendment is
hardly worth the support of its friends
or the opposition of its enemies; for,
even if should be ratified, it will new
theless be nul and nugatory,
We do not jud dge it probable, however,
that the suffrage will be Withdrawn
from the negroes in the reconstructed
States. If, as seems likely, the negroes
should be Influenced by the common
public sentiment of their section, the
object for which they were enfranchised
will be- defeated without any necessity
for disturbing the new order of things.
The withdrawal Of the army and Freed
mems Bureau deprives the Republicans
Of their machinery for controlling the
negro vote. While the negroes were
fed by the Bureau they were willing to
exchange votes for rations but hereafter
they will be under the control of local
influences. Their interests will al.
ways be identical with the interests Of
their section; and when questions of
finance and taxation loom up into prom
inence as they will as soon as all
the States are readmitted, the negroes
will be found voting steadily with the
Democratic party. 5
The South will always be an export.
ing community, and therefore q strong
free-trade community. The cotton crop
is too abundant tor more than a small
fraction Of it to find a domestic mar
ket :; and it is SO obviously for the ad-
vantage Of those who send products
for a market to have the tariff abolished,
that no protectiouist sophistry can con-
fuse even the Southern negroes The
tariff is cried up 10 the Northern far
mers on the ground, that, by building
up manufactures in their neighborhood,
it supplies them with home market.
But home market for the Southern
cotton crop is an absurdity. The bulk
Of it will always be exported, and the
price of the small part that is consumed
at home will he governed by the price
abroad. The stupidest negro on a
Southern plantation can see, as clearly
as any body sees, that the tariff increas-
es the price Of the goods be has occa-
sior to buy, and that bis wages or bis
share of the crop would be worth more
to him If the tariff were abolished. The
prctectionists try to befool the North
ern farmer by telling him that if the
tariff compels him to pay more for what
he has to buy, it compensates him by
enabling him to get more for what be