National Republican., 1878-12-12

1
pation ~ rebe'ton or other crime hc basiso ~ rep.
Fascination therein shall be reduced in the proper.
lon which the number Of such male citizens shall
bear To the whole number of male citizens twenty
one years OF age In such State
The patent, undeniable intent Of this proyi.
sion was that II any class Of voters were denied
or In any way abridged In their right Of suf.
frage, then the class so denied or abridged
should not be counted In the basis of repre-.
sentation; or, In other words, that no State or
States should gain a large increase Of repro-
sentation In Congress by reason Of counting
any cl US Of population not permitted to t1kh.
part In electing such Representatives.. Buttho
construction given to this provision Is that be-.
fore any forfeiture Of representation can BE-
enforced the denial or abridgment Of su frrpse
must be the result of II law specifically enacted
| by the State. Under this construction every
| negro voter may have his suffrage absolutely
denied or fatally abridged by the violence,
actual or threatened, of irresponsible mobs, or
by frauds and doceptions Of State officers from
| the Governor down to the last election clerk
and then, unless some State law can bo shown
that authorizes the denial or abridgment, the
State escapes all penalty or peril of reduced
| representation This construction may be up
held by the courts ruling on the letter of the
law, which killeth," but the spirit of justice
cries nlGna ass'ast Tue s,ss.ss and atroc9ss.
nocent and shields I he guilty from the Iegiti-
| mate consequences Of willful transgrossion.
| The colored citizen is thus most inha ppily
situated; his right Of suffrage is but hollow
mockery II holds to his ear the word Of prom.
ise, but breaks II always to his hone, and he
ends only In being made the unwill ling instru.
mcnt Embarrassing the political strength OF that
party from which he recelved ever-tightening
| fctters when he was slave and conf emptuous
refusal of civil rights since be was made free.
He resembles, indeed, those unhappy, captives
In the East o,:leprived Of their birthright
nj Patt, tt..I jail eI...f.
upbuilding of the monarch from whose tyran-
MES they have most 10 fear, aud to fight against
tho power from which alole deli verIuc, MIGHT
be expected. Tho franchise intended for the
shield and defense Of the negro has been turned
against him and against his friends, and has
vastly increased the power Of those from whom
he has nothing to hope and everything to
dread.
The political power thus appropriated by
Southern Democrats by reason of the negro
population amounts to thirty-fve Representa-
tives In Congress. 1t is massed almost soidly
and offsets the great State of New York or
Pennsylvania and New Jersey together; or the
whole of New England; or Ohio and Indiana
united or the combined strength OF Illinois,
Minnesota Kansas, California, Nevada, Ne.
braska, Colorado, and Oregon. The seizure of
this power is wanton usurpation 1t is fragrant
outrage 1t Is violent perversion of the whole
theory of Republican government. 1t inures
solely to the present advantage, and yet, be-
lieve, to the permanent dishonor of the Demo-
| cratic party. II Is by reason of this trampling
down of human rights, this ruthless seizure of
unlawful power that the Democratic party
holds the popular branch of Congress to-day,
and will in, less than ninety days have
control of this body also, thus grasp.
ing the entire Legislative department
Of the Government through the unlaw.
ful capture of the Southern States. IL the
prescribed vote of the South were cast as its
lawful owners desire the Democratic party
could not gain power. Nay II It were not
counted on the other side against the instincts
aud the interests, against tho principles and
prejudices of its lawful owners, Democratic
success would be hopeless. 1t is not enough, |
then, for modern Democratic tactics that the
negro vote shall be silenced the demand goes |
further ard insists that It shall be counted on
their side, that all the Representatives In |
Congress and all tine Presidential electors ap.
portioned by reason of the negro vote shall be |
so cast and so governed as to insure Demo- |
Ocratic success-regardless of justice, in def |
ance of law.
And this injustice is wholly unprovok ed |
l doubt II 1t be In the power of the most |
searching Investigation to show that In auy |
Southern State during the period of Repubi- |
can control any legal voter was ever debarred |
from the freest exercise cf his suffrage. Even |
the revenges which would have leaped into |
life with many who despsed the negro were
the superior race" fail to follow and seem re-.
luctant to recognize. | know II is said in re.
tort ofsuch charges against the Southern cec.
dops " ] am now .teviawing that unfsi irness
oiSeQial gravity lpreyails in Nofthern. cleo
tions. hear it in many quarters and read IT
In the papers that in the late exciting election
In Massachusetts intimidation aud bull -dOzng,
If not 50 rough and rancorous rs IN the South,
wore yet rs widespread and Effective.
Ihave read. and yet refuge " believe, that
th9diang'ishetls lscntlenlanwlo madc nncl,
ergetic but Unsuccessful CANVASS for the Cover.
nOrship OF that State has indOrsad and approved
these charges, aud have accordingly made my
resolution broad enough TO include their thor.
Ough investigation. | am not demanding fair
elections in the South without demanding fair
elections In the North also But, venturing to
speak for the New England States of whose
laws and customs | know sonnet hing, dare
assert that in the late election In Massachusetts,
or any of her neighbOring Common wealths, it
will be impossible TO find even one case where
a voter was driven from the polls, where u
voter did not have the fullest, laircst, frcest
opportunity to cast the ballot of his choice and
have 1t honestly and faithfully counted in the
returns. Suffrage on this continent was first
made universal in New England. and in tho
of theig AHA rs her people hayc
found no other appcsll necessary than that
which Is Addressed b. Lheir hon esty of convic.
lion aud 10 their Int sliigent self intrrest.E IL
tnefc uohhythihB ulncront 70 usclose pray
you show IL TO us, that we may amend onr Y,
ways.
But whenever u feeble protest is made
against such injustice rs ! have described in
the South the response we get comes to us in
the form of a taunt What are you going to do
about it2" and "llow do you propose to he lp
yourselves2" This is the stcrcotypcd answer
of defiance which intrenched wrong always
gives to inquiring JUSTICE and those who i'm.
agine it to he conclusive do not know the
temper of the American people For lot me
assure you that against the complicated out
rage upon the right of representation lately
triumphant in the South, there will be ar
rayed many phases Of public opinion in the
North not often hitherto in harmony Men
who have cared little and affected to care less,
for the rights or the wrongs Of the negro sud.
denly find that vast monetary and COM
mercial interests, grent questions of revenue,
adjustments Of tariff vast Investments
in manufactures IN rail ways, and in
minos are under the control of Demo.
cratic Congress whose majority was obtained
by depriying tho negro oi bis rights undvr II
common Constitution and common laws, Men
who have expressed disgust with the waving
of bloody shirts aud have been offended with
talk ahOllt uryru paualif ~ nr hrrinniu,, In mar