The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-26
SUNDAY. APRIL IS. 1908.
DR.. ABBoTT's VIEW.


before the Education Conference ny
LYMAN Abbott was noteworthy !"
eevera1 respects, but particularly IN
That oonfesees that there had
been a change OF opinion IN the NORM
\ with respect to negro suffrage.
Or. Abbott Is the distinguished editor
az the Outlook, 70 man Of keen ooserVa-
ton and wide experience IN puono ~
fairs and was an original aboHtion'st.
IJo said the northern people are begin
ming to learn that suffrage is prerosa'
tive and a duty, rather than right ana
that manhood suffrage means manhooo
,rst and suffrage afterwards" we are
beginning to learn in the North ne aou-
Cd what It seems to me ought always 70
have been an axiom that no man mas
right to govern his neighbor who has not
the Intelligence and the conscience 10
govern himself" While he spoke or THIS
view as thing lately learned on the
part Of the North. 1t was not so' ne
rontended, because President Lincoln ana
Henry Ward Beecher and others were OF
that opinion when the question OF recon
struction first arose.
Very true And II the views OF Lincoln
haa preyailcd--cven II Andrew Johnson
had had his way-thc Southern states
would have been treated as II they had
never been out OF the Union. and, under
certain limitations, would have been al
lowed 60 regulate suffrage to suit them
selves But the extremists In Congress,
having become very bitter toward Pres
ident Johnson. resolved that they Woulo
rule or ruin. Possibly Lincoln might have
led them, but Johnson could not do So
He wus southern man and was charged
with wishing to put the "old rebels" back
into power again. The result was Il war
between him and Congress. And q further
result was tho reconstruction acts! Just
there the South became great sufferer
by the death of Mr.. Lincoln. He might
have appeased the Radicals; Andy John
son only intiamed them.
DR.. Abbott quoted Henry Ward
Beeche. as saying that .nu tho laws in
the world cannot lift man higher than
the natural forces put him" Tho Doctor
was satisfied that while the country
ought to claim for the colored man the
right OF elective franchise, they would
never be pble to secure 1t and maintain
it for HIN. except by making him SO
intelligent that men cannot deny 1t to
him"
If the Ogden education movement had
accomplished nothing more than directing
northern public attention to tho negro
approval and hearty praise, 1t Is a great
point gained when a man like Dr. Abbott,
representing the constituency that ha
does, and viewing tho case from the
standpoint that.hs occupies. substantial
ly admits that in dealing with negro
suffrage the South has been In the right
and the North in the wrong, AS The
Times-Dispatch has heretofore pointed
out and emphasized tho new Cbnstitu-
ton of Virginia In It's educational quail
fication offers TO the colored man n
strong stimulus 10 qualify himself as a
voter, The time Will come when the In
tellgent Virginia negro instead of resent
NE inc suffrage hfllClt OF inc new Con-
stituuon win recognize 1t as the greatest
incentive ever held out to his race to &C.
quire education.
We are glad to find Dr. Abbott occupy
Ing the position that no does, He Is a
man OF great intellectual force, and is
in a position OF influence, We are salts
fed too, that he is the spokesman of q
very large number of Thoughtful and pa
triotic men in the North, who have hat
their eyes opened lately on the subjec
y of negro suffrage. and who are resolved
TO do what they can to let the soutl
deal with the question in its own wa,
and It's own time, Along with man,
other happy utterances made by tn
learned Doctor night before last wa
one wherein he approved DR.. McKelway'
tribute to Jackson and Lee, which h
said brought tears to his eyes--a senti
ment that WAS received by tho audlenc
with great applause.
S-=-=====----====