The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-07-23

Iarly relates to our sister republics of Spanish
America, as also to our friends the people OF
the Brazilian empire.
The republics of Spanish America are allied
10 US Dy the very closest and warmest feelings,
based upon similarity of institutions and gov
eminent, common aspirations and mutual
hopes. The Great Republic" as they proud
~ term the United States, is looked upon By
thelr people with affectionate admiration and
as the model for them to build upon, and we
snould cultivate between them and ourselves
closer commercial relations, which will bind
all together by the ties of friendly intercourse
ana mutual advantage. Further than this,
oelng small commonwealth, in the military
ana naval sense of the European powers, they
look to us as, at least q moral defender
against system of territorial and other en-
croachments which, aggressive in the past, has
BOT been abandoned at this day. Diplomacy
and intrigue have done much more to wrest
the commerce of Spanish America from the
United States than has legitimate commercial
competition.
Politically we should be bound to the Repub.
ics OF our continent by the closest ties, and
communication by ships and railroads should
Dc encouraged to the fullest possible extent
consistent with wise and conservative public
policy. Above all, we should be upon such
terms Of friendship to preclude the possibility
OF natural Misunderstanding between ourselves
and any OF the members of the American re-
publican family. The best method to promote
uninterrupted peace between one and all would
lie IN the meeting of a general conference or
congress- whereby an agreement to submit all
international differences to the peaceful deci-
sion OF friendly arbitration might be reached.
An agreement of this kind woald give to our
sister republics confidence in each other and
In us, closer communication would at once en-
sue, reciprocally advantageous commercial
treaties might be made, whereby much of the
commerce which now flows across the Atlantic
would seek its legitimate channels, and inura
to the greater prosperity of all the American
common wealths The full advantages of pol
icy of this nature could not be stated in brief
discussion like the present
FOREIGN POLITICAL RELATIONS.
The United States has grown to be govern
ment representing more than fifty million peo-
pie, and in every sense, excepting that OF mere
naval powor, is one of the first nations in the
world. AS such, its citizenship should be val
liable, emitting its possessor to protection in
every quarter of the globe. do not consider
it necessary that our Government should con-
struct enormous fleets of approved iron-cads
and maintain commensurate body OF seamen
IN order to place ourselves on war footing
with the military and naval powers of Europe.
Such course would not be compatible with
the peaceful policy of our country, though 1t
seems absurd that we have not the effective
means to repel wanton invasion of our coast
and give protection to our coast towns and Cit
les against any power. The great moral force
OF our country Is so universally recognized as to
render an appeal to arms by us, either in pro-
lection of our citizens abroad or in recognition
OF any Just International right, quite improba-
Bile. What we most need in this direction is a
hrm and vigorous assertion of every right and
privilege belonging to our Government or It's
citizens, as we'll as an equally firm assertion of
the rights and privileges belonging to the gen.
n nf hi soan
on this continent, when opposed, If ever they
should be, by the different systems of Govern
ment upon another continent.
An appeal to the right by such government
al ours could not be disregarded BY any civil
liked nation. In the treaty of Washington we
led the world to the means of escape from the
horrors Of war, and it is to be hoped that the
era when all International differences shall be
decided by peaceful arbitration is not far off
EQUAL RIGHTS OF CITIZENSHIP.
The central idea of Republican form of
government is the rule of the whole people as
opposed to the other forms which rest upon
privileged class.
Our foreiathers, in the attempt to erect new
Government which might represent the ad-
yancsd thought of the world at that period ND
on the subject of governmental reform, adopt
ed the idea OF the peoples sovereignty, and
thus laid the basis OF our present Republic.
While technically Government of the people,
it was in strictness only Government of por-
tion of the people, excluding from all partici-
patton certain other portion, held in a condi-
ton Of absolute, despotic and hopeless seryi-
tude, the parallel to which, fortunately does
not now exist IN any modern Christian nation
With the elimination, however, of another
cycle of advanced thought, the American Re-
NlI A.4 0rtvT4 81 G.mIf
Government of the Whole people, and four
million human creatures emerged from the
condition of bondsmen to the full status of
freemen, theoretically invested with the same
civil and political rights possessed by their for
mer masters. The subsequent legislation
which guaranteed by every legal title the citi-
zenship and full equality before the law in all
respects OF this previously disfranchised peo-
pie, amply covers the requirements and secures
to them, so far as legislation can, the privi-
leges OF American citizenship. But the disa.
greeable fact of the case is, that while. theo
retically, we are in the enjoyment OF Govern
ment OF the whole people, practically we are
almost as far from it as we were in the antebel-
lum days of the Republic. There are but a
few leading and indispu' able facts which COW
er the whole statement of the case. In many
of the Southern States the colored popnlation
is in large excess of the white. The oolored
people are Republicans, as are also consider
able portion of the white people. The re-
naming portion of the latter are Democrats
In face OF this incontestable truth these States
invariably return Democratic majorities. In
other States of the South the cOlored people,
although not majority, form very consider
able body of the population, and with the
white Republicans are numerically in excess
OF the Democrats, yet precisely the same polit-
ical result obtains-the Democratic party inva-
rlaoly carrying the elections. 1t is not even
thought advisable to allow an occasional or I'M
important election to be carried by the Repub.
lcans as "blind" or as stroke of fiuesse.
Careful and impartial investigation has
shown these results to follow the systematic
exercise Of physical intimidation and violence,
conJoined with the most shameful devices ever
practiced in the name of free elections. So
confirmed has this result become that we are
brought face to face with the extraordinary
political fact that the Democratic party of the
South relies almost entirely upon the methods
stated for its success in national elections
This unlawful perversion of the popular
franchise, which I desire to state disposition
ately, and in manner COMFORTING with the
proper dignity of the occasion, is one of deep
gravity to the American people-in double
sense.
First. 1t is in violation, open. direct and
hagrant of the primary principle upon which
orr government Is supposed to rest, viz: That
the control of the government is participated
in by all legally qualified citizens, in accord
ance with the plan of popular government
buhb IuaJOrltioS must rule IN the decision OF all
questions.
Second. 1t is in violation of the rights and
interests OF the States wherein are particular
ly centersd the great wealth and industries of
the nation, and which pay an overwhelming
portion OF the national taxes. The immense
aggregation of interests embraced Within and
the enormously greater population of these
other States OF the union, are subjected every
four years to the dangers of wholly fraudu-
lent show of numerical strength.
Under this system minorities actually at
tempt to direct the course of national affairs.
and though up to this time success has not at.
tended their efforts to elect President, vet
success has been so perilously imminent as to
encourage repetition of the effort at each
quadrennial election, and to subject the inter-
ests OF an overwhelming majority of our PEG
pie, North and South, to the hazards of illegal
subversion.
The stsreotyped argument in refutation of
these plain truths is, that if the Republican
element was really in the majority they could
not be deprived of their rights and privileges
by minority; but neither statistics OF popula-
ton, nor the unavoidable Logic of the situation
Can be overrdden or escaped. The colored
people of the South have recently emerged
from the bondage of their present political Cd
pressors; they have had but few of the advan-
tages of education which might enable them to
compete with the whites.
As have heretofore maintained, in order to
achieve the ideal perfection of a popular gov
eminent, it is absolutely necessary that the
masses should be educated. This proposition
applies itself with full force to the colored
neOnl6 of the SOuth Thew must have haitian