Year: 1867




The Republicans of ONO elected their Gov
crnor in 'G5 by 10000 majority, and gave their
State Ticket last Yearly the powerful help
of Andrew Johnson and Mayor MOnroe-a
round 10000 The extra 10000 would probably
have slipped away this year; but, with an
ordinary canvass and no unusual issue, they
could not have failed to succeed on every
ticket 10y at least 10000 majority. They have
not been cursed with corrupt Legislators, as
their brethren in other great States have been
they were little distracted by local issues, save
that personal rivalries as to the pending u. 81
Senatorship were quite likely to hurt their Legis-
lative tickets in several cOuntics-as they did
They had simply to stand still in order to be
sure of an easy canvass and n certain triumph
They chose not to stand still, but to advance.
They were committed to tho principle OF Man
hood Suffrage by the action of their chosen re-
presentativcs at home and in Congress, and 10y
tho logic Of their position. When the Copper
heads were supporting Nallandlgham for Gov
ernOr and doing their utmost to break down
the War for the Union, the Republicans called
the Blacks to do their best in the ranks of the
Nations defenders, and the summons was nobly
responded to. Denied voice in directing the



despised, spit upon, the Negro took mp his mus
ket aud went to the front, while Copperheads
were fleeing to Canada and skulking in every
direction to evade the draft Hence, the late
Legislature of Ohio, by party vote, passed
an Amendment to the State Constitution pro-
viding that Color should no longer be test
of political rights-that Black, if a loyal,
worthy citizen, should vote, and that dcscrtcr
or draft-sneak should not. That Amendment
was properly submitted to the people, to be
ratified or rejected at the late election.


OF course, it was understood that were to
lose by it-hOw much, could only he determ-
ined by the result But the lower half of the
State, and especially the southeastern coun-
ties were originally and largely settled from
Virginia and Kentucky; and ii was notorious that
many of their Republicans would resist Negro
Suffrage, while every Democrat would do his
utmost to defeat it, The Republicans, there
fore, with everything at stake, including MIR.
Wadc's seat in tho Senate, acccptcd-n Tact,
clallengcd-an issue which they might have
postponed, and thus transformed into a hazard
what before was n certainty. They did what
was right and just when they could not fail
to lose by it, when trimming and a low cXpe
dicncy would have insured them against all
danger. They have faults that might have
harmed them, but did not; they suffered be-
cause they nobly dared to do right little
sooner than all who have hitherto acted with
them were ready to do it, They have lost the
Legisature-thcy came very near losing their
State tickct--because they were i'll advance of
their time.


"What fools ~ excam the men wise in their
generation, who can conceive no other end of
political effort but to secure and enjoy power
who test all things by their immediate practi-
cal results" why not at least, put off the
"question of Negro Suffrage to more CON
"venient season ?'-as if party, that has
a genuine life, were not always sloughing off
dead matter and educating the masses to con-
slider Justice first, and Success afterward.
What individual ever acted n0bly without
daring and suffering? Who does not realize
that the best acts of his life were those most
misconceived, maligned traduced, howled at
If the Ohio Republicans did not realize that
Black Suffrage would be heavy load to carry
tbev deserve less honor than we freely accord
them.


But they did know it, They deliberately
chose to be right rather than safe. They
chose to fight doubtful battle for a great
and good end, rather than accept cheap and
certain but relatively unimportant success
And, as the universe is not produc. of Glance,
but under moral government we feel assured
that events will prove them wise as well as
right. We predict that their present reverse
will prove their permanent advantage-that
they will rise from it strengthened and invigor-
ated, and look back on it as we do on the
Bull Run of 'G1 and the Mcclellan Of G2 We
only ask those who doubt to wait and see.