New-York tribune., 1876-12-04

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| result is to be anticipated. The cause is OBJ
| vious. The Constitution gives suffrage
to the colored man, but bis right to vote
freely has never yet been generally conceded
| and the nation has never found means effec-
tually to protect him in the exercise OF tna'
right Counting him as voter, but not per-
| mitting him to vote freely, the former slave
States have 1873 electoral votes. and majority
for Mr.. Tilden is claimed. If the colored man
were counted as only three-ffths of a man, az
when he was q slave. the Southern States
would have smaller electoral vote by al least
49, and no one would question the defeat OF
Mr.. Tilden. Hence Mr.. Tilden can succeed
only by votes cast on behalf of the colored
man as free voter, when, in point of fact he
is not free voter.
Was enfranchisement mistake 7 Unques-
tionably, if the Northern States relied upon
colored votes at the South to protect the
country against the restoration of Southern
Democrats to power. Every effort to secure
freedom of suffrage for the negro has failed.
In Georgia he is practically disfranchised by a
property qualification in other States by other
means. In some degree enfranchisement has
secured to the cOlOred race better treatment,
but it has not secured freedom of suffrage or
freedom of labor. The right to vote can be
effectually guarded only by those who hold
it. The colored voter has not had the physi-
cal or moral independence to guard 1t, and
the attempt to guard it by bayonets has caused
public sentiment in Northern States to recoil.
Returning boards clothed with unlimited power,
and Legislatures organized by soldiers, are not
agreeable to Northern ideas of self-government.
But wherever cOlOred suffrage has not been
intrenched behind such defenses it has com
pletely failed, either for self protection or for
defense of the national welfare.
Increased power has been given to the
Southern States, in the electoral colleges and
in Congress, in consideration of the supposed
freedom of colored voters. BY virtue OF that
increased power the Democratic party has
majority in the next Congress, and claims the
election of a President. In q word Democracy
votes the cOlored man, in Congress and III the
electoral colleges, always by some species OF
coercion, and in most cases only by such deeds
as blacken the history of Louisiana. Cap
turing the c0Ored vote or Oyerpowerlng IT,
Democracy proposes TO rule the nation by
means of the increased power thus obtained
The majority in the loyal States Is to be ruled,
if Democracy can prevail, by means OF votes
intrusted to the colOred man, and stolen from
him by the Democrats in States formerly DIS
loyal In effect minority of the people is to
be clothed with power, because 1t forclbly
seizes the votes which belong to portion OF
the majority. ghe people should know how
far this practical reputation of the compact
under which seven of the rebellious States
were taken back into the Union, has been
carried Gen. Sickles, in an interesting con-
versation. given on another page, reviews the
constitutional point at issue, and points 10
probable recommendations by the President III
his message, and prompt investigation by the
Senate, which will give us the light we need.
Courses come home TO rOOst," and so do
political sins. The Republican party need fear
no foe to-day, if it had dealt honestly or de-
Gently in the Southern States. Because ITS
leaders in some States have been vile, and It's
rule Infamous because its methods have been
offensive, commingling arts OF the despicable
thimble-rigger and the bold brigand; because
it has forfeited public respect and confidence
by keeping knaves in power and by defending
impudent crimes, it finds in this hour of trial
only hesitating and partial support from the
intellect and conscience of those States which
created it and gave it power. 1t pleads for
enfrancbised men, robbed by most brutal
crimes of their part IN the Government, and
ought TO plead not in vain; but men remember
its frauds and knaveries, and they doubt. III
the Republican party were pure and clean, as
il was in better days, the brutal deeds III
Southern States would long ago have aroused
a feeling only less intense than that which fol-
lowed the fall of Sumter.
But the main question is not whether the
Republican party shall live or die. people
fit to be free can create parties whenever they
need them. The vital question is whether the
share of power granted to the colored voters
shall be seized and used, by those formerly in
rebellion, to overpOwer those who preserved
the Union. Parties and the sins of parties are
insignificant here. Even n just cause has no
right to win by fraud but we must remember
that the Presidential election would have been
settled beyond dispute, on the night the votes
were cast, if all legally qualified citizens had
been allowed to vote freely. The Democratic
party still makes claim and has a chance
only because it has not permitted free bal
lot 1t has stolen the votes of the colored
citizen, and, if it can once secure the power,
will continue to cast those stolen votes as long
as it remains in existence.
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TUE CHARMS or FLORIDA