Year: 1870

The Negro--A Voice from the Tombs.


1n the House yesterday the negro question
and Federal relations occupied much Of
the day. The Democracy made another Of
those unfortunate and amusing blunders
which II seems they never will learn to
avoid. A bill was put on its passage au.
thorizing the male citizens Of Berkeley
county over 81 to vote on the question Of
asubscription to o railroad, It's terms being
similar TO those Of the Jefferson county
bill on which they got mixed last Friday.
The niggcr in the woodpilc was discov-
cred after they had all voted for him; and
then it became necessary for the sake Of
the record 10 take II oil back and go over
to the other side; which they did, ono at n
time, like flock Of sheep jumping into
well. 1t Is indeed very difficult for these
gentlemen to keep their record straight in
reference to the "nigger;" and some find 1t
1


impossible Some who voted 10 let tho
negroes vote In Jcrferson voted yesterday
that he should not vote on precisely the
same kind of u question in Berkeley.
Where the consistency of this comes in
We don't see These gentleman arc begin.
ming to get suspicious; and for the rest Of
the session will look out sharply for these
traps and pitfalls tllat seem to beset them.
Hereafter, we understand, in order that
they may not be caught in this way any
more, they will insist that every bill shall
be read at length. They don't intend
that any more negro suffrage shall be
sInuggled through under their frank
II they know It. Yet some Of them
would seem to be getting little shaky
OH the subject. Mr. BELrzHoovER
surrendered the whole case when he ar
gled that black man who owned pro-
perty liable TO taxation evidently oughtto
be allowed 10 vote whether his proper
| ty should be taxed to build u railroad.
If he should have u voice in the impOsi-
ttOn OF taxes for this purpose, why not for
other purposes and all purposes? If hc
Is to be taxed for a bridge, or for school
house, or for court house, or to make
roads, he Ilas exactly rs much right to
a voice III their imposition as in the case
of tho railroad. Concedc two things: 1st,
that taxation without representation Is
tyranny; and, I'd, that the negro is u man
and Is taxed, and how cNn you escape
from conCeding his right to representation,
which means simply voice in the impo-
sittOn and expenditure Of the taxi The
Democrats COncede both these PROPOSE
tiOns; then how can they escape the other?
They cannot. They arc driven by their
common sense and by their instructive
sense Of Justice to concede the negro Tux.
payer voice in isolated cases, when there
is precisely the same incxorable logic for
conceding 1t to him in all similar cases.


But Mr.. DAVIS Of Harrison, one Of the
ante dcluvians, makes no such conces.
sions. Hc took occasion yesterday to an.
nouncc conspiCuously that he was unaltGr.
ably opposed to the exercise Of tile SUI
Cragc by any man whose skin was not Of
tho same color Us his own. He denied
and always would deny the Negroes right
to vote. He must therefore deny. one
ofthre things. Hc must deny first that
taxation without representation is tyran.
ny. As that is very ancient and sound
democratic doctrine, he will find 1t pretty
hard TO upset. We don't believe he can
golack on It Ifnot, then hc must deny
that the negro is q man or that hc Is
taxcd-both Of which are simple fhCts
that don't admit Of denial. Mr.. DAVIS Is
therefore driven to the necessity Of avow.
ing himselfin favor Of tyranny-that is
taxation without representation, or he
must declare for the ncgrO's exemption
from taxation.


Mr.. DAVIS avowcd opposition TO negro
sufIngc blossomed into full blown har-
Nngue on State rights, in Ills discussion of
the FLICK Amendment, which came up on
second reading. lie declared that the
18th amendment had not been legally and
validly ratified; that the ratification of
the Southern States had been obtained by
coercion and violence anil would not
stand; and that furthermore the COnstitll.
ton Of the United States could not bC
amended SO as 10 confer suffrage on the
blacks, even by the voluntary action Of
three.l0urths of tic States In the manner
prescribed in the instrument ITSELF be-
Cause it was mot in accordance with the
genius of our institutions" that the
negro should be voter. The idea that
1t is not in harmony with the genius Of
Republican government that all It's citi-
zens, who bear arms for It's defence and
are taxed for Its support, should exercise
the suffrage, when tho whole theory OF q
Republican form Of government Is that
they shall exercise It, sounds rather
strange in this day aud generation; and the
declaration only shows the speaker to be
a genuine fossil, whose political theories
have never risen above tho dead level Of