New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1878-11-03
AMNESTY AND SUFFRAGE,

w SAO w Va Am
pOrtance to Louisiana Republicans.
He recalls the fact that by persist
emit policy of suppressing suffrage
adopted by the Southern Democrats,
TIVE mtg electoral votes were lost to
the Republican party, and twenty
more called in question. He dis
misses this subject with the remark
that the one amnesty was given
on the occasion and for the sole
reason of the other (franchise.)
Amnesty and colonel franchise
were twin measures. The first was
eagerly accepted by the Southern
Democrats. The other grudgingly
and sullenly acquiesced in, ON the
ground, we suppose, that it would
not be prudent to ignore the consid-
Grafton for which amnesty was given
by the very first vote which it en-
abled it's recipients to cast. But
lapse of time is a sore enemy of
gratitude, and knowledge of even
the most substantial favOrs scarcely
ever survives two political cam
paigns. No sooner had the Southern
Democracy worn off their fit of sulks
which succeeded their severe casti-
cation, than they set about to defeat
by force the new given right of the
colored man to exercise the fran
chise. How well they have succeed
ed the twenty lost electoral votes
and the like number of disputed
ones; Democratic majority in the
lower branch of Congress dimin-
ishing majority in the Senate;
Democratic Governors in the truly
Republican States of Louisiana,
South Carolina, Mississippi, Arkan-
sas, Florida, North Carolina and
Alabama only show too well, De-
feated in the field and the cabinet;
worsted in every fair and open fight
for eighteen years, the Democracy
have at last fallen back to first prin-
ciples to corrupt and turn aside the
sources of sovereignty-the fran
chise. They have greedily, AFRO
gantly, thanklessly accepted amnes-
ty, and murderously repressed
colored franchise in every State in
the South.
Sou thern Democracy can not be
made to let go it's hold upon the po-
litical power it has seized by its per-
sistent piracies--by any other than
heroic treatment. 1t can not be lee
tured out of it, it can not be shamed
out of it. So long as the negro will
allow himself to be ignominiously
driven from the polls or made to vote
at dictation under penalty of death
80 long will the Southern Democracy
dominate in this section. So long as
Mr.. Evarts and gentlemen of his high
character cOnfine their resentment Of
such outrages to polite complaints
that such things are wrong, without
suggesting remedy, so long will the
negro remain a chattel in the South
and the two fifths "of all others" give
the Southern Democracy represen-
tation of twelve OF more members of
the House to which they are not en-
titled.
Amnesty and franchise as prac-
ticed now have made the South suf-
ticiently solid, while Mr.. Evart's i'm
mediate constituents are divided
upon the very principle which makes
the cohesive power. Northern DEM
ocrats belong of right to Southern
Democrats, and never dare to vote
against them in essential controver-
sizes. Northern Republicans rely al
together upon what they deem should
be sense of gratitude for amnesty.
They moreover expect the negro, nom
combatiye by nature, and cowed into
submission to the white man by
many generations. of misery and
slavery, to assert his manhood in
mass and in detail against those
whom they have always been taught
to regard as their superiors in con-
flict. The negroes are neither armed
nor accustomed to thezuse of arms
They have neither the habit nor the
ability to form themselves into hos
tile parties for the purpose Of con-
quering their neighbors in riots,
rencOnters and scuffles. The South
ern Democrats, on the contrary, have
great numbers of men of all ages and
various fortunes, who are at home
on horseback, skillful in the use Of
arms and made perfectly bold by the
harmless character Of their nom
combatant cOlored neighbors and
fellow citizens.
We trust to the wisdom Of our
Republican friends in the North to