The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1870-04-26
We Have Negro suffrage, why
Not AmHesty9

i
GRANT has determined to issue no proc
lamatlon of amnesty, has produced
general feeling of regret and disappoint-
ment amounting almost to indignation.
The establishment of Negro stitfra5e,
by very questionable means, grated
llarshly upon the feelings of one-llalf OF
the people. They felt that this repul-
sive measure degraded the standard OF
American citizenship, ana believed it
would result in evil, and evil only, t. the
country.
Nothing could have been more. grace
fnl and appropriate in the President than
to have modified the displeasure Of the
of Negre suffrage by issuing
a proclamation Of amnesty to the South
ern Whites The one would have been
regarded as, to some extent, an antidote
to the other, and each would have mate
rally weakened the hostility to the
other.
Wherever the question Ct Negro saf
frage has been fairly presented to the
people it has been rejected: and from
this we feel fully warranted in saying
that its establishment is aconeessionto
Ithe demands ola minority. Amnesty,
on the other hand, is, and hasibeen, ,estn-
estly asked for ir behalf Of tlie Southern
whites, not only by the Democratic party
of the entire country, but by a very
large portion of the Republican party
under the leadership of Mr.. GREELEY.
President GRANT knows well that
proclamation of amnesty would be vel
coined by vastly more Of the people than han
a proclamation Of Negro suffrage. But
the latter of these he makes tie occasion
of vain glorious message to Congress,
while the other he declares he will with
hold. He has, for some reason, refused
to avail himself of a golden opportunity
to exhibit himself as the President of
the people, and not of party.
We are not of the opinion that GRANT
is controlled in his action by vindictiye
hostility to the disfranchised Southern
ers. His reputation is that of q cold,
passionless mar whose emotions are ut
terly lifeless. And while he may hold
out pretended "cutrages" as q pmtext
for this denial Of simple act of Justice,
there is scarcely man in the country
upon whom real "outragcs" weuld pro-
duce so little impression. He knows
that most of these reported "outrages
are .purely fictitious, He knows that
SUMNER puts on lugubrious face and
reads narrowing letters about kui Klux
murders; and he knows that the authors
of these letters are taken before grand
juries and there swear that they have moi
the slightest knowledge of any such
murders ever having been committed, :
| It is, therefore, not easy to believe that
the man who has looked with stolid in.
difference upon ten thousand mangled
corpses, is stirred to the point of relent-
less persecution by rumors of occasional
law breaking, half of which he knows to
be untrue
There is another possible solution Of
the Presidents singular proceeding
which is even less to his credit; and in
view Of the manner in which he hss &C,
cepteG gifts and distributed Official pat
ronage, and the rather unsatisfactory
position in which the evidence left him
with relation to the gold panic,this solu
ton will have its advocates.
It's notorious that amnesties are be
ing peddled through Congress under the
titles of bills to remove disabilities. Il
is equally notorious that members ol
Congress, and especially the carpet bag
gers, turn many an honest penny by
working these bills through. OF course
a general amnesty would cut of the sup
lplics from this source. And there ar,
enemies of General GRANT uncharitabl,
enough to allege that he leaves this pre-,
in the grasp of the carpet-baggcrs il
return for share of the plumber. Thi
lis too scandalous to be worthy of belief
/ But, in cur opinion, the moving ;powe
With GRAxr is a different one, ant
whether creditable to him or not th
reader may determine.
| 1t is well understood that Presiden
GRANT is seeking re election. And it i
quite as well understood that the militar,
prestige and availability" which pullc,
him through before are exhausted. Hi
administration has not 5ecn a distin
guished success. He cannot this tim
afford to let the campaign run itself, 0
to rely wholly ON the politicians of hi
party, some of whom are now his rivals
To succeed he must skillfully Use thepow
er in his hands. He must put weapons 4
the hands of his friends, and keep man
acles on the hands of his opponents ]
is conceded by well-informcd menSef. al
parties, that without the use of militar.
lpower, and the disfranchisement Of whit
voters, neither GRANT or any her Rad
cal candidate can carry Southefn Stat
for the presidency. -, 4
Our conclusion, therefore, is, ,stha
while every prompting of patriotism dc
mands a general amnesty, GRANT SELFISH,
withholds it, solely for the purpose 9
securing re-elcction wkich he feels as
sured he would never receive from a
} lunshackled people Instead of bein,