Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-30
MARCH so. 1883.



Of the southern States the negro vote is
unconstitutionally suppressed. The fol-
lowing is specimen paragraph OF Mr..
WArrERsoN's well-considered article:
"The moment the North ceases to be
sectional the South will cease 20 be solid.
But MS long rs there is a party OF the
North which urges an interference in the
local affairs of the South which would
be tolerated by no northern community
as applied to itself. there Will be found
al the South the first and highest OF all
motives for united resistance, that OF an
inextinguishable recchood. If the en-
tire white population Of Mississippi
could be by some miracle transplanted
elsewhere. and its place supplied by an
equal number of white Republicans from
the Western Reserve OF Ohio, the case
would he no wise altered Within a
wear the same antagOnisms would spring
up, and the same need OF self-protectlon
Nould compel a union Of the white mi
nOrity, representing intelligence and
property, against the black majority, re-
prcscnting ignorance and brute force.
The Government cannot police the
States. Maine may not make laws for
Texas
Fir. WATTERsON recognizes human ma
ture rs il is. What he says Of Negro
rule would be just as true of Chinese
rule-the white race will not submit to
il, and there is no use in talking as if
they could be forced to do it. The ex-
pertinent was thoroughly tested in recon
btruction days. The South was overrun
with carpet-baggers, who came to this
section because they knew that the ne
Proes had no better sense than to elect
them to Congress, and TO fiji elective State
Offices. Numbers of them were elected
to CONGRESSIONAL from Virginia. But
their rule and their sojourn amongst us
lasted no longer than the presence Of the
military. They have departed never to
return. In other words, the Caucasian
has asserted his primacy amongst the
races Of the earth. In the southern
States be maintains it as against the
Negro. in California he maintains it
hs against the Mongol. Always and
everywhere be viii maintain it as against
any other race.
Mr.. HALsTEAD endeavors in his paper
to parry the blow Of Mr.. WATrERsoN. In
commenting upon the extract quoted
above he says:
"All that Mr.. Watterson does in get
ting up this paragraph is to ignore the
Constitution Of the United States and
the history of his country.
" Ii is too late to discuss the propriety
OF the suffrage Of colored people. 1t is
guaranteed in the Constitution Of the
United States.
"The reconstruction OF the Union
nftor the war was upon the basis Of the
restoration of the civil rights OF the con-
quered Confedsrates and the enfranchise-
lnent of the emancipated blacks 1t was
upon this condition that Mr.. WattersOn
himself resumed his place as a citizen of
the United States, which he had for
feited by participating in the rebellion. "
There is history falsifed, and there is
q repetition Of the old fable Of the lion
and the lamb. The southern people did
not muddy the water. They could not
because the water ran from the northern
people towards them. 1t was the north
ern people who had the brute strength,
and who, exercising that brute strength,
compelled the southern States to make
voters out Of negroes totally unfit to be
Entrusted with the right of suffrage.
This outrage upon free institutions was
the work OF unbridled ambition and
politicians totally destitute of patriotism.
The fifteenth amendment, which made
voters of the negroes, was forced
into the Constitution. Mr.. HALsTEAD's
own State of Ohio at first rejected
the fifteenth amendment So did
Georgia, which afterwards ratified il. So
did California. Delaware, Kentucky,
Maryland, New Jersey, and Oregon,
which never ratified il. New York did
better. She first ratified it, and after
wards rescinded the ratification. Count
ing Georgia New York, and Ohio,
against the amendment, twenty-seven !
States ratified it, and ten rejected it.
So that in point Of fact, the fifteenth !
amendment never was ratified by three
1ourths Of the States, and 50 never
was ratified in tho manner provided
for in the Federal Constitution.
So deeply impressed was Mr.. Sc
WARD, then Secretary of State,
with the facts we have just stated, that
he recited all Of them in the proclamation
made by him declaring that amendment
in force He saved his reputation as a
constitutional lawyer by telling just how
the fifteenth amendment was not rati-
fled. And Mr.. WATTERsoN predicts that
before many years shall have passed over
our heads Mr.. HALsTEAD Will be found /
advocating the disfranchisement of the |
negro
Again: Mr.. HALsTEAD falsifes history |
in respect Of another matter. The If
teenth amendment had nothing TO do
with "the restoration of the civil rights
OF the conquered Confederates. 1t was
declared ratified after the shining States
had been admitted TO representation in
Congress. 1t was not declared ratified
until 1870, whereas Alabama, Arkansas,
Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Car
DINA. South Carolina. and Tennessee all
voted in the presidential election OF 1868.
What shall be said Of Mr. HALsrRAD's
truihfulness9-or was it ignorance
----a------~---~r
Notes About Gas.
.ai .ao. Al. -.