Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-25
NEGRO gutlraGe.

NEGRO ruiTase-
when Joegru 0s old was sold into slavery
his brethren had 81 course no expectation
Of ever seeing him again. much less OF
placing him IN position whence bc would
be elevated to the highest Office in the gin
Of the King Of Egypt. "Thcy buiided
better than tlicy knew" rs the history Of
The world ;raeses us that so many other
persons have done.
Tho rcmsrk IL The Warreninn 7i7,c IN
DER that u regards Jr. BIAIsE's Augusta
speech ~ u disguised attack upon negro
suffrage su.gcsts the thought that ncgTo
suffrage has not proved itself to be The un-
mixed evil which sixteen years aga the
southern people expected 1t would i'c, nor
The unmixcd good somc northern people
then expected II 10 be. Both sections OF
the Union have been disappointed at the
outcome. The Reconstruc;ionists In Con-
gress "bu,ided better than they knew"
The northern people have moi only never
understood the negro character, but seem
10 be incapable Of understanding it. The
RICH, OF suffrage was conferred upon the
negroes by The northern people not as an
act OF Justice 10 them, but because the
southern people were 80 generally and 80
sircnuousiy opposed 10 II. MAcAuIAr says
that the puritans opposed bear-baiting
not because II was wrong, but because It
Afforded amusement TO the spectators.
so old Than. STEVENS was enabled
10 force negro suffrage upon the South
because the northern people considered
the measure as punishment OF the south
ern srehe:s.' We might almost say that
The negroes would never have been freed.
much less made voters, II the malignant
Republicans In Congress in reconstruction
days had foreseen thai The first Democrat
TO occupy the presidential chair after The rat
iilcsiion OF the thirteenth and fourteenth
amendments would owe bis election TO The
fact that the cnirancbiscd negroes had be-
come paI, OF the basis OF representation
In tho House OF Representatives. aud con-
sed,,ently In the Electoral College.
Again II would not have done 10 have
basis Of representation. Think OF TnAp.
S1IvESs Us proposing The scheme that re-
snlted 10 the election Of GnoysR CLgvE-
LAND 10 be President OF the United STATES.
We take il that rs we have just said every
body will concede that but for the expccta.
lion that the negroes would be made voters |
As n consequence OF the ratification OF the |
fourteenth amendment, that part ri that /,
amendment which provides that they shall |
lie included in the basis of representation |
in the House of ReprcSc natives would |
never have been Incorporated into the Con-
siiiuiion, hut would have provided just the
contrary. II reads now Representatives |
shail be apporiioned among the several |
states according to their respective num- |
bers. counting the whole number OF per |
sons in each state. excluding Indians not !
taxed" We repeat that bat for the expcc- !
ta,iou that the fourteenth amendment, I
wculd compel the southern States -
make voters oil them. and would thus re-
snit 10 the benefit Of the Republican party.
that amendment. II proposed at all, would
never have read rs i: does. This is proved
,iy the fact that that amendment. rs Il now
stands, provides that II any state shall re-
fusc TO allow the negroes 10 vote lis repre-
sertation M Congress shall be reduced in
prepo,tion TO the number OF negroes in such
state. The fifteenth amendment rendered
this provision of no effect, but its animns is
Evidenced by the provision just described.
our Warrenion contemporary IS right IN
regarding BIAINr's Augusta speech as q
disguised or rather Implied attack upon
negro suffrage. not that BLAiNE or anybody
else l. 20 foolish ss 10 suppose now that the
revolution OF the decade Of 1860 20 can 90
hackw ards and the negro be deprived OF
his vote. but because all that BiAiNE SAYS
on the point we are now discussing was
based upon the assumption that the negroes
werc afraid to vote The Republican ticket.
ard did not vote II boeausc all, or nearly
alt. the white mcn 10 The States named by
Mr.. BiAixE were opposed TO their dong so.
We wish the negro Ia understand that
his freedom and bic right 10 vote are Sc
cured 10 him not only hy the Federal Con-
siitu,ion. but by the fact that the white
people Of the South will never willingly
give up the thirty-odd electoral votes to
which they have become cuiitlcd as con-
sequence Of the emancipation OF their
slaves. II tho fifteenth amendment, making
the negroes voters, were stricken out OF the
Constitution, the fourteenth amendment
deprving the South OF those electoral votes
In case the negroes were not allowed to
VOTE would stand and insure the right Of
suffrage 10 them.