Year: 1868

POLITICAL rights" Our language is
/ distorted in order that we may be
/ placed IN a false position.


/ Il Is evident, IN reading the para
/ graph quoted, that it refers only to
/ the late rebel States, and not to the
/ whole United States. It would be
absurd to require the people in the
! late rebel States to guarantee rights,
/ Justice and protection outside of their
respective States as a condition of
their admission to fellowship and


representation In the Union. Only a


very careless or very unfair reading


could justify such construction.
The expression relative to the ex-
| tension Of political rights to all per-


sons alike IN the late rebel States is
perhaps not sufficiently explicit. {Of
course it was not meant that. t.political
rights-the elective franchise, for in
stance-should be extended to mi
nors. women, Indians, idiots, insane
people, and persons disfranchised for
crime. 1t was not deemed necessary


to be so exact IN the use OF language


as to except all of these classes in
terms. 1t was thought that the or
dinary manner of expressing such
ideas in newspaper writing was sufh-


cient for our purpose.


1t was, however, meant by the
writer of the communication, that as a


preliminary and requisite in recon
struction the adult male negroes az


the tate rebel States should be allowed


to vote when not disqualified by some


of the causes above stated. There are


certainly few, if any, Republicans who


will not insist that the negroes there


shall have his posent ard efectual


means of protecting their rights and
perpetuating their freedom. With
out negro suffrage in the late
rebel States, as a means of keeping
the element lately In rebellion in
check, and giving the people who


were loyal during the rebellion some


chance TO protect their rights, [ think
reconstruction would be farce and
an outrage on those people, white and
| black, who have stood by the : stars


and stripes" / pity the Republican


who is so squt amish and prejudiced
on the subject of negro suffrage that


he is not willing to see it exercised


even in such desperate circ umstanees


as exist in the South. Because


we are willing to see it exercised
| there, it does not follow that we


are in favor of its extension all over


the Union. That is a question for
each State that did not forfeit its con


troll of the subject by the crime of


rebellion, TO determine for itself In its


own way. The question is not up for
| discussion In Indiana, nor is it likely
to be soon. The hullabaloo that our


po itical opponents have raised and
are raising about it, is merely intended
/ to throw dust into the eyes of peo-
pie whose prejudices are stronser
| than their reason. Let no thinking
| Republican be deceived. s.d -
/ The leading idea, in writing the


paragraph on Reconstruction, was to
/ disabHse the minds of those who
think or pretend to think that the
1 Republican party intend to prevent
/ the late rebel States from being rep
| resented Ia Congress, and to debar
/ them from an enjoyment of the bene-
/ fits of the Union, until after the next
| Presidential election. We do not be-
/ lieve that any considerable number of


the party, if any at ali, have such an
| intention or desire. So far as : Six
/ IO0puDllCals are CO1cGI4eQ We
would not, for mere party pur-


poses, if We could, prevent the


" reconstruction - of those unhappy
and perturb bed States a moment lon
ger than the interests of humanity, the


welfare of the whole people and the
/ perpetuity of the Union require. We
/ say hasten reconstruction, but do not
t hasten so fast as to outrun the rights


Of man and the eternal justice of God.
/ If we do, reconstruction is only an
other term for oppression to the loyal


element in the South, and decay


aud death to our whole political


system. After all that has passed


the negroes in the late rebel States are
| entitled to the elective franchise.
/ It Is right and necessary


that they should exercise it to Offset


the votes Of inveterate, unrepentant


and implacable rebels. Without it
/ their freedom, which cost so much
/ blood and treasure, would, like
/ Dead Sea fruit, turn to ashes on their
lips and be mockery in the sight


Of Heaven. ONE OF THE SIX


A Card from the City Surveyor.


Editors Journal:


Will you have the kindness to pub


lish the following correspondence and


communication, in justice to one who,


when assailed, is denied the privilege


of replying in the columns of the
/ Daner making the attack