Year: 1865

Z


General j. ID. Cor: r'at.i'st = ...a


DEAR SIR-The people of this place, with en-
tire unanimity, sought your nomination for
Governor of Ohio. With equal unanimity we
desire to promote your election. We reloiced
in your nomination because we had perfect con-
fdeHce that your views and sympathies were
in harmony with our own on the great issue
before us-the equality Of all men before the
law We still believe we were not mistaken
But some of rs have been startled by report,
coming directly from Warren, to the effect that
you are opposed togiviDg the elective franchise
to colored people, and that you requested the
editor of the Chronicle to publish your views
on the subject that you might not lose the sup
port of the Union men in the Southern part Of
the State. We do not credit the rumOr, and
yet 1T has so disturbed some of your warmest
supporters, that the undersigned have been Ie-
quested to address you on the subject -
We want to know directly from You, your
views on the following subjects Ist Are you
IN favor of modifying our Constitution so as 10
give the elective franchise tO eolored men? I'd.
In the recognition Of the Southern States,
should the elective franchise be secured to the
coloUed people? '


Among us there is but one opinion on this
subject, and we were never more In earnest on
any political question. We believe that the
distinction made by our Constitution between
white and colored people was made in the in
terestof slavery, and is both wicked and alb
surd. And we believe that TO reconstruct the
Southern States, and idmIt them with constitu-
tiOns excluding the colOred men from the polls,
would give the country and the negro into the
power of the very men who have sought and still
desire to ruin the one and enslaye the other


Deliver the four millions of freed people into
the hands of their former Oppressors, now em-
bittered by their defeat. and they will make
their condition worse than before The copper
heads of the North, with the united South,
would gain control of the General Government,
and in various ways would harrass and OPP
press the negroes and their friends beyond en-
durance. A war of races would be likely to
result. II, as nation, we can be 50 wicked as
to deliver our cOlored soldiers and the millions
whose freedom we are pledged to maintain,
into the power of the most cruel and yindictive
people that ever laid claim to civilization, 2
terrible Tetribution will await us. We speak
strongly. that you may know how we feel on
the subject. sf f-rr .e7 f.-rf--.
1t it be SAID thatth negroes of the South are
ignorant and unfit for the elective franchise,
we answer, grant it; but this has nothing to dc
with the question. Our cOlOred soldiers who
have fought three years for the Union are not OF
this class, nor are those who have always been
free, many of whom have amassed wealth. II
is for these we ask the elective franchise. If it
should take year, or two or three to prepare
the mass to vote, we would be content Tho
we believe our free institutions would be safer
i'm the hands of the colored people as they are
than in the hands of the best half of the white
population of the South. The question is:
Shall colOred people be allowed TO vote2 The
enemies of our country say no. The mass Oi
the loyal say yes. So decided are our people
on the subject, that they could by no means be
persuaded to vote for man known TO be op-
posed to it, The Union party of this cnunty
so far as we know, are unanimous on the subject
and we believe that throughout the country the
party can be rallied on this platform with great
er enthusiasm than on any other. All the pro
miuent religious papers, and with one or two
exceptions, all the leading Republican papers
are in favor of universal suffrage. We believe
that nothing could be more suicidal to our party
and the cause of freedom than to reject this
doctrine.


Please let US hear from you soon. II is no
our wish TO publish your views, unless you de
| sire it. But we wish to have our own mind
relieved and to be able 10 contradict any falls
reports that may be in circulation regarding
your views on this subject


| Very truly and sincerely yours,


E. H. FAIRCHILD,


SAMUEL PLUMB


Committee