Year: 1869

Virginia now counts one of the twenty.
eight States necessary to make negro
suffrage the law of the land. True
that ratification was effected in opposi.
tion to the wishes Of both parties, in
disregard of the pledges of the members
and in violation of the suffrage plant
OF the Chicago platform. Bat these


Republican gentlemen have compelled
West Virginia to speak and speak affirm
atively. Greater force cannot be given
to that expression. The glory, if there
be any, belongs to them; the shame
if there be any, they need not expect
anybody else TO share. Having sue
ceeded in getting the Legislature to
vote to fasten negro suffrage upon us,
they have in effect declared that there
is nothing left to consider but rebel
suffrage, the enfranchisement of the
white man. Now, gentlemen of the Re-
publican party, having exhausted your
power in comforting the ballot upon the
negro, We ask you to stop lodging and
do something for yeur own race. If you
tUiH bring matters to the point that the
negro shall vote and the white man
shall not, the Issue is of yOur own
choosing; face it you must.


Desiring 10 be perfectly fair in this
discussion, we will not overlook the
possibility, apparently recognized by
Republican papers in spite of their We
hement assertions to the contrary, that
the Fifteenth Amendment may fail of
ratification. In that event, they would
like to give the negro the ballot by
State action, and in that connection the
proposition of rebel suffrage for negro
suffrage is renewed. "If you will en-
franchise the negro" say they, eve will
enfrauchise the rebel. If not, not" 1t
does not seem to have occurred TO these
bargaining gentlemen that the enfran-
chisement of rebels may not be proper
subject for partisan dicker or barter, and
that the Democrats cannot be expected
to do one thing or forbear some
thing else to secure that enfranchise-
ment. If the rebels are enfrau-
chised, il will not be as a matter
OF favor to the Democrats. The latter
clearly understand that point. The Re-


publicans are talking about this entran-


chisement because they see no escape


from it; justice to these prescribed cit


izens and the interests of the State, con-
siderations which they can no longer
ignore with safety, are impelling the
Republican party in the direction of a
"let up" They admit that the rebel
ought soon to vote. Now what right
have they to say that the rebels shall
not vote unless the Democrats consent
that the negro shall vote alsOS Sup
pose that diSfranchisement of the negro
is wrong, by what rule of right can you
hold the rebel responsible for it? You
have placed it out of his power to pre-
vent it. Possibly if the question were
submitted to him for decision he would
take the GREELEY platform. Bat un.
fortunately he has no voice in the mat
ter. Now, if it is wrong that the negro
be disfranchised, it's mean and arbi-
irary policy to hold the rebel response
BILE, who is allowed no part in the de-
cision. On the other hand, no blame
can properly be attached to the Demo.
Gratis. Your party, the Republican
party, has the majority to give the
blacks the ballot at pleasure 1t you
won't do it, why ask the Democrats to
discharge your taski Why ask the
DemocrtS to exalt the negro, while you,
his worst foes in his own household, are
divided about giving him this great po
ltical lift, should the question come
back to you for consideration


In conclusion, the questions of
negro suffrage and rebel suffrage
are for the present entirely in
the hands of the Republican party.
If they enfranchise one or both,
acquiesccncc, the alternative of the
minority, is all that is left to the Dem
ocrats. So long as the Democratic party
can neither prevent negro suffrage nor
bring it about, we don't see the propri-
ETY. of insisting that they shall endorse
ii. The only result of such an endorse.
ment, at present apparent to us, would
be to relieve the Republican party of
unpleasant responsibility. If the Re-
publican papers of West Virginia arc
merely manGuvering to get their party
out of defenceless position, we
see little to encourage them in their
labOrs.