The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1869-05-05
Our Friends tho Enemy.

Twontv.ono States have ratified the
EQUAL Suffrage amcndment--tho Dem
ocra,ic party everywhere opposing
Now In party warfare, % IN all other,
there is q conduct which wins the re-
spect Of the foo, MS there is ono which
moSes his contempt. Four or five
ycari ago equal suffrage was defeated
IN Connecticut by majority of seven
thousand. Last spring the Democrats
elected their Governor by nearly two
thousand majority, and three members
Of. Congfess. In the autnmb tho Re-
publicanS carried tho .Statasl FOR Grant.
This spnng, whom, according TO the
Democrats, equal suffrage WAS tho ia.
sue, the Republicans elect their Gov
crnor and gain two members Of Con-
grcss, beating tho Democracy in their
strongest holds; land because the ma.
jority for Governor is smaller than
that for President, the papers Of which
VIC speak dcride the mcagrc and dis
nal majority! The Democratic party
are more signally defeated in the State
than they have boon for many n year,
and instead Of frankly acknowledging
the fact, and soeing that II is futile to
fight upon MI issue scttlcd and settled
again, one Of their organs fec6ly peeps
that it isn't much Of u shower, and
another gravely declares that 1t Is the
natural consequence Of not sticking TO
Wade lIampton's platform OF last
July!
Tho one great truth Of our recent
political history Is, that the Republi-
can and Democratic parties wcro op-
posed upon the issuc Of slavery. Tho
Republicans won at the polls and up
on the field OF battle, and again and
again and again at the polls. They
have cmancipatcd the slaves. They
have given them civil rights. They
have given them political rights. At
each step they have appealed to tho
country. aud have been supported.
They have been intrusted with the
government for four more years.
Their new administration begins by
the plain declaration that equal rights
shalt be every where protected and the
laws every where enforced, and by tho
urgent Recommendation that the
amendment TO the Constitution be
adopted. which finally closes even the
agitation Of tho question; and still the
Democratic party pitcously asks its
absurd question, as a conclusive polit-
ical argument, do you wish your
daughter TO marry niSGcr!'
1t tpcrccives that there is prejudice
in the country against color, but it sis
unable to sec that the country has
learned the mortal peril Of indulging
that prejudice. Instead, therefore, Of
accepting the facts, however much it
may dcplVc them-instead Of joining
issue rs to the better method Of secur-
ing al equality which is inevitable,
the Democratic party ridicnlcs the ne
gro. and argues against him, and de-
nounccs him, and bellies him, and all
~ il there were rcally'a hope Of re-
ducing him again TO some kind OF yas.
salago. The whole Democratic force
is expended In this business. and In
snccring ut the President. The party
papers have nothing TO say but that
every thing Is wrong, nothing TO pro-
poso but that every thing he undonc.
AS usual, tho Democratic party
hopes for rc.invigoration, not BY fair de.
bato OF great policies, but from tho re-
admission to political privileges Of
those who rcpudiate the American
principle Of the equality Of all citizens.
But that will not be enough. The
prejudice against color when it was a
bulwark Of the system Of which the
Democratic party was the defense, was
intellectually useful; but with the fall
Of the system the appeal TO the preju-
dice is pointleSs. There is no insight,
no heroism in the Democratic leader
ship. The party is but disordcrly
camp Of the disaNcctcd and disup-
pointed. IT must find some newer
ground than hostility TO equal rights,
or rclinquish tho hope Of SUCCESS. nm
less the conduct OF the Republican
party, where II has majority, rs IN
tho Legislature Of New York. shall
persuade tho country that there IL
really no choice between tho parties.
But even in such instances MS the Leg.
islaturc Of which We speak, 1t IL tho
duty of all good citizens TO remark
that it is q combination Of few Ro-
publicans only with the Democrats
that does the mischief. - Harpcr's