Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1869-02-11

TIE SUFFRAGE AAHSDhEST-The ssd-
dtst evidence Of the POLITICAL and person
al demoralisation vi ich is now running
riot throughout tie land Is to be found IN
"a indifference Of our public men 70 the
obligations imlos.d u TIE Constitution
and ly their cvn pledges 70 tLs people
The revolution which has swept o7er our
political and social systems appear &c have
carried away with it nearly all regard for
personal honor or consistency, and me
chief sollcitude seems to be to ot'a'n or
bold on to Office Contributions AID par
" platforms are shsmele,sly disregeried
VIXEN they come in conflict with the in
ducenents either Of self-iutcrest or party
success. Take the suffrage clause. for
illustration, in the Chicago platform. -
The guarantee b. Congress ofequal SUI
frsge to all loyal men at the Sosth is de-
handed by every consideration Of public
safety. Of gratitude, and Of justice, aud
must lie maintained " That vas the law
for the rebel. IN: different policy waa
proposed for the loyal States The plat
form goes Cd to say, that tie question
Of s.1Fagc IL al! the legal States properly
belongs to the PeoE lie of tLose States. =
Bat It IL attempted 20 be shown that this
fs.ure Of the Chicago platform mean. DO
mere thsn that the suffrage sulj,c shoald
ke left TO the people Of al the States by
Constitutional Amendment But this is
certainly not SO. The Platform makes q
distinction, and very clear one, between
he several States which the proposed
on cndment does not make and cannot
make, There vas 20 De one mode Of ac-
:;2n rs 70 The S, utbern States aud diff
freRt mode as 20 the loyal States. C}n
that be done by Constitutional Amend
nent' Congress was to interfere as 70
The one. the people Of the lsyal States
we're 10 regulate as 10 tie other And
che reason far this distinction was il eve
~ radical mouth The loyal States had
preserved their powers and rights ihtis-
late, The Southern mad sacrificed their.
y rebellion. Notwithstanding all this.
however. the party of moral ideas" for
party end merely. now propose TO eat
the1r own @crds and go back" upop
their o~a platform We Object, ofcourse,
70 all and every attempt on the part Of
Congress TO NEEDLE with the questioassf
suffrage in the States, either North or
Hos'h' but we are not now discussing that
point, 1t i, the bad fat b Of The rsdica Il
party *s are arraigning Pending the
slectlos. every Iromincu. radic4i pgper
and ail tha prominent radical speakers
Mr. Sumner excepted. took .le ground
that II GEy constitutional amendment III
regard TO suffrage was 20 be made, il was
t, be al smcrdmcnt to the State Consti-
'ai'o''emade iy he people of the lryal
StatsS themselves. A congressional pro
position TO amend BY submitting the
amendment 70 the legislatures Of the
StAtes VAS solen.nly disavowed And
yet, 40 s. ncr was II found out that suf-
hclent number Of legislatures had been
secured TO pgss this suffrage amendment
thsn the radicals in Congress faithless TO
thsir ewn and the pledges Of their party
set to work to rush through that bod the
identical proposition thcy had distinctly
cOwmitted themselves TO oppose. And
they have rushed it through. osly three
CT 'our radicals opposing it 1t remains
10 te seen what the Senate will do. II
,he member, cfthat body lad the high
ssuse of personal hon t.ay snee hsd, We
should know what 70 expect As il is,
We expect they will pass this suffrage
amendment pretty much as It csnc from
30. Mouse.