The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-13
THE DEMOCRACY AND THE FIFTEENTH
AMENDMENT.

From the ~ Y. Times.
Democratic resistance to accomplished facts
has manifested itself anew in Ohio and Cali
fornia this time in opposition to the fifteenth
amendment. The Buckeye Bourbons, being
in control of the polls in Circleville, refused
to receive the votes of colored men which
were offered, on the ground that they had no
sufficient evidence of the ratification of the
amendment, and that the State law forbade
them from receiving them. This action was
taken in obedience to the behests of a secret
caucus of Democratic leaders, held on the
previous evening, and the result was that 100
votes, all told, were excluded. A despatch
from California informs us that combina-
tion of county clerks had been entered into
there to refuse to enrol colored men as voters
and that the Democratic members of the
Legislature numbering over ffty-had ad-
dressed letter to the Clerk of Sacramento
congratulating him on his refusal, and pledg-
ing themselves to sustain him with all the
moral and physical force God has given
them If the proposed action is adhered to
throughout the State, it is probable that
nearly eight hundred negro voters will be
temporarily disfranchised.
The inquiry at once suggests itself, what
will be the result of so ridiculous Demon
stration? Certainly no sane person can sup
pose for q moment that the Circlevilans of
will be able to interpose veto of the amend
ment to the Federal Constitution. The only
practical result which can follow their stupid
action will be to consolidate the negro vote
of the country in the future against the
Democratic party, by the demonstration of
implacable hostility to the negro which it
affords. 1t is estimated that there are not far
from 120,0 600 negroes in the Northern States
who have been enfranchised by the fifteenth
amendment, and at least 100000 in the
Southern States. With such policy as has
Just been foreshadowed in Ohio and California,
to say nothing of the similar spirit of hos
tility which was evinced by the Democrats in
| the States of New York and Indiana in refer
| ence to the ratification of the amendment, it
In fair to assume that seven-eighths of the
whole number of negroes will hereafter vote
steadily with the Republican party. They
certainly will unless they are even more stu
pid than the Democrats have asserted them
to be.
It is difficult to harmonize euch obstinate
and suicidal action with accepted ideas of
the feeblest regard for partisan prudence OF
policy by the Democratic party, even upon
the hypothesis that its ancient prejudice has
become ineradicable. or that its impulse OF
resistance to every political result in opposi
ton to its ancient creed is uncomfortable. II
might reasonably be supposed that a polite
regard for success would curb even its in
stinct of obstruction to permanent and ire
veIsible progress, and that it could be in
duced to ''move on to the championship o.
new issues in fresh fields of endeavor. Blu
it seems not to be so decreed, and that w
are doomed to be plagued and annoyed by
continued post-mortem resistance. Demo
cracy seems determined not to forsake the oil
battlefield, but constantly revisits it like {
ghoul, to tear and devour the dead.
=; According to the latest reports, not Her