New-York tribune., 1876-12-16

would determine the policy on which the rccotaoo
States shoud be reconstructed, the principle OIL UNI
yersal suffrage was established by the combined
votes of Democrats and extreme Republicans. n
my memory is at fault on this point, i hope some"
| body viii set me right.
But let il be eaid in vindication Of those Demo-
Gratis by whose votes in Congress universal negro
suffrage was decreed that their action was consist
ent with their principles of government Their party
is and ever has bcen pre5mineutly, though not en-.
clusivcly the party of universal suffrage. let the
manhood Of the negro be admitted, and his night to
vote (be he ever so ignorant coyartiiy and
ever so vena is also admitted by all in whose theory
that right is counted among the inalienable rights
of human nature Nor were such theorists wanting
among the Republican members OF that Congress.
There are Republicans as well as Democrats whose
notion seems TO be that universal suffrage Is the
great desderatum for the woTld-that it would re-
construct the Turkish Empire and make II har1no-
nious and prosperous republic in . month; that is
is the one thing needfu TO elevate any degraded pop
ulation into capabilty OF self-g0yernment
Other considerations, doubtless were duly pom
dered. 1t was hoped that the freedmen, armed with
the ballot would be able to defend themselves
against the race that had oppressed them. II was
assumed also land the assumption Is obstinateiy
held to-day that universal negro suffrage would
that the ignorant freedmen would always be man
aged by Republican politicians as easily and surely
as politicians of another party and control the
Irish vote in Northern cities Universal suffrage In
the reeopstructed States, with solid negro vote,
would check and cOuHteFpoise the most important
element in the Democratic party of the North, and
would be powerful in our national politics.
The experiment of such reconstruction has taught
us some things which we ought TO have learned at
less cost. Our reeOnstructing Congress ought TO
have known beforehand what the result would be OF
attempting to govern such States as South Carolina
and Louisiana by the votes Of the freedmcn,-black
majorities against white minorities. Complaint
against carpet-baggers" as if they had caused the
failure is to purpose So far as there is any rea-
to complain Of them, they are the faiiure itself,
not the OF il. Some, no doubt Of the Northern
men who settled in those Southern States Mt the
close of the war, and raised to Office by negro
votes have been incapable and others unprincipled;
and only little knowledge Of mankind was neces-
sary to give assurance beforehand thai it woud bc
so. Yet not all the Northern men who have held
office in those States since the war of that descp
ton. Gov. Chamberlain if may name him as
conspeuousinSanc isneitler unprincipedTor inca
pabe. know him; and venture to say that thereare
few men in public life better qualified than he by
nature and by culture for the Office which he holds.
Nor do believe that anything dishonest or dishOn-
orable can be reasonably laid to his charge. Yet
his position at this moment proves that the recon-
structed State of South Carolina is incapable OF
self-gnycrnment " universal suffrage. The black
majority with its otes cannot protect itself against
the white minority. Peace is maintained there, not
by the militia Of the State, but by the army OF the
United States.
Perhaps the negro States will continue to be
counted in " the Republican column" But it VIII
be increasingly difficult for any party TO rule those
States by black msjoritIes against white mnorities
Not till rev questions arise in those Statesmen till
new parties arise there v1taized by something else
than the memory OF lost domination OH the one side
and long oppression on the other, and distinguished
by differences of Judgment rather than differences
of race and color-wll elections there be peaceful
and orderly. But when that shall have come TO
pass, the great parties Of to-day, Republican and
Democratic, will be as obsolete as the Wing and
Democratic parties of Van Bureu's time now are.
Meanwhile, let broad-minded patriotism aud
Christian philanthropy toll on to fill the South, as
web as al other regions cf our common country,
with all those influences and institutions which
shall make our second century better than the first
Nec- Hqrea, Dec. ~, 1879. LEONARD BACON.