New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-12

sls , Stfe N reonires 12 600 Of the white people
that fought for the Union to elect RepresentaVe.
In leyyinQ every tax therefore, in making every ap
MP, pratlOn of money In fixing every line OF pupllc
pOlfcy in decTeeing what shall De the rate ana IoI
tune OF the Republic, the Confederate soldier ooush
is enabled TO cast vote that ~ twice as poTeIlui
and twice rs influential as the vote OF the Union
soldier North.
POWER HELD IN DEFIANCE OF JUSTICE.
But the white men of the South did not acquire
and do not hold this superior power by reason OF
law or justice, but in disregard and dehance OF
both The Fourteenth Amendment to the Con-
stitution was expected TO he and was designed to
be a preventive and corrective of all such posi-
bic abuses. The reading Of the clause applicable TO
the case il instructive and suggestive. Hear 1T:
tatives shall he epportoned among the sew
craI st tes accord ng 10 their respective numbers
counting the whole number OF persons IN eaeh stare; ea
any election for the choice Of Eecorsfor President and
Vice Pre- sdcut o. the United States, Representatives in
Congress line executive and judicial officers Of state
or he members OF the Legislature thereof denied TO
t IVY %i t age and 81 zcns Of The United States or
K IN abridged, exoeUt for participation III re-
beIion, or crime, she basis OF representation
iheriH snuIl b. reduced in the proportion which the
number OF such male ciii1rus shall bear TO the whole
STATE.
The patent, uudcuiablo intent of this provision
was that if any class of voters were denied or in any
way abridged in their right of suffrag e, then the
class so denied or abridged should not be counted
in the basis of represent alton: or, in other words,
that no State OF States should gain large increase
of representation in Congress by reason of counting
any class of population not permitted to take part
IN cpCting suCh Representatives. But the cOnStTuC-
ton gwen To tins provision IL ihat before any IoT
eituTe of representation eau Dc enforced the denial
OF abridgment of suffrage must be the result Of
Law specially enacted by the state. Under tins con-
struction every negro voter NAV have MS suffrage
absolutely denied or fatally abridged by the YiO-
lcnCc actual or threatened, OF irresponsible MODS
Tor by frauds and decepIOnS of State officers, from
the Governor down to the last election clerk, ana
them unless some state law can be shown that au-
thOnZs the DENIAL or aDridument the state escapes
all penalty or peril of reduced representation. ms
construction may be upheld by the courts, ruling on
the letter OF the law (Which biejh" but the spirit
OF justice cries alOud against tie evaSlve and afro
cl0us conclusion that des out oppression to the IN
nOcenr and shields the gully IRON the leglllmate
consequences of wllful transgrCssiOn.
The colOTtd citizen Is thus most unhapplly SIT
uated has right Of suffrage ~ tut hollow mock
cry II holds to his ear the word OF promise, out
breaks It always 10 his hope, and he ends Only III
being made tie unwilling instrument OF increasing
the political strength Of that parry from winch ne
received ever-ughtenluR .lotters Wheh ne was
slave and coneupJn0us Ielu'"' OF clNH IIgIs slnCo
he Was made free. lie resembles, InCeed, those uli-
happy captives III the East VINO, deprived OF ther
brLhTight, compelled 10 yield their Tength 10
tue upUuldlng OF the monJrcn nom whose tyFah-
uIcs they most 10 lear, and 20 night against the
power from winch alone uclIycTaHCe might be eX-
pected. The franchise, mttUdeu Iur the shield and
defence of the negro, las boon turned against MN
ana against his friends, and has vastly increased
hope and everything to dread.
POLITICAL POWER UsURPED.
The political power thus appropriated by South
ern Democrats by reason Of the negro population
amounts to thlrty-fve Representatives IN Congress
1t is massed almost soiidly, and offsets the great
State of New-YOrk or Pennsylvania and New-Jer-
sey together: or the Whole of New-England; OF
Ohio and Indiana united or the combined strength
of Illinois Minnesota, Kansas, California, Nevada,
Nebraska, Colorado ana Oregon. The seizure OF
this power is wanton usufpaGon; II Is Migrant out
rage; is violent perverson of the whole theory OF
republican government. IL lnuTes solely 10 Inc
present advantage, auG yer, believe, 70 the per-
anent dishonOr, Of the Deu OcratIc party IL Is by
reason of this tramplDg down Of human rights, tins
ruthless seizure of unlawful power that the Demo-
cratic party holds the popular branch OF Congress
to-day, and Will III less than ninety days have con-
troll OF tins body also, thus graspng tie entire legs
latlve department OF tue GoVcfhment through the
unlawful capture of the Southern States. IL the
prescribed OF the south were cast as IT'S lawful
owners desire, the democratic party cOuid hOt gam
power. Nay, if II were not counted Oh the other
side against the instincts and the interests, against
the principles and the prcJudlCes OF IT'S awful own
ers Democratic success wOuu be hopeless. H. Is
not enough, then, for modern Democratic tactics
that the negro vote shall be silenced; the demand
goes father and insists that 1t shall be counted on
their side, that al the Representatives, III Congress
and all the Presidential electors aPpOtroned by rea-
son of the negro suall be 50 cast aud so gov
eTned TO insure DenOcfdIlC suCCeSS-IekhulS5s
of Justice, in defiance ol law.
And this injustice is wholly unprOvoked. doubt
if il be III the power OF the most searching nyesga-
tion TO show that in any Southern State during the
perlOd of Republican control any legal voter was
ever dcbarred from the ireest eXelese OF his sur
frage. Even the revenges winch would have leapod
INTO life with many who despsed the negro were
huried out of sight with 1nagnanlmlty Whlcn the
"supenOr race fail to follow and seem reluctant
To recognize. know il is said III retOrt OF huch
charges against the Southern elections as am now
reviewing that unfalrness # equal gravity preVas
IN Northern elections. hear ~ III many quarters ana
read it in the papers that in tie late exciting cleo
ton in Massachusetts intimidation and bull
doZlng, if not 50 rough and rancOrous as IN tine
South. were vet as widespread and elective
| have read-and yet l refuse to beleve-that
the distinguished gentleman who made an
energetic but unsuccessful canvass toE the
governOrship of that State has Endorsed and
| approved these charges and | have accord
| ngly made my resolution broad enough to
| include their thorough investigation. | am not
| demanding fair elections IN the South without
| demanding tair elections III tue North also. But
venturng to speak for the New England states, OF
| whose laws and customs know something, dare
assert that III the late election IN Massachusetts, or
! any of her neghbOnng COmmonwealtbs, IT will be
impossible to ind even one case where voter was
driven from the polls, where voter did not have
the fullest faIrest, treeSt opportunity TO cast the
ballot Of his cholce and have it honestly and faith
fully counted III the returns. Suffrage on this con-
tlnent was first made universal III New England,
and IN the administration OF their affairs her people
have found no other appeal necessary than that
which is addressed to their honesty of conviction
and 10 their intelligent self-lnterest If there be
ANYTHING different TO disclose pray you show 1t 10
Us that we may amend our ways.
But whenever feeble protest IS made against
such injustice as have described III the South the
response we get comes to us In the form of tant,
What are you gong to do about it ~ and How
do yOupropOse 10 nep yOurselvesp This is thester-
eotyped answer of defiance which entrenched wrong
always gives to inquirlng justice; and those who
imagine it to be conclusive do not know the temper
of the american people For let me assure you that
against the complicated outrage upon the right OF
IL representation lately triumphant III the South,
there will be arrayed many phases OF public Opln-
ion in the North not often hitherto IN harmony. Men
who have cared little, aud affected to less for
the rights or the wrongs of the negro suddenly find
that vast monetary and commercial interests, great
N nniIIs of InrIl VnsL in