Year: 1876

gulitifal Matters.


THE NORTH AND NEGRO SUFFRAGE.


-asa= III. v. Redheld in Cincinnati Commercial


We are told that it is always probable that
improbable things will happen. Certain it is
that hear whisperings in the South, and not
90 very soft, either, to the effect that the next
party to disturbpolitics and distribute patron
age will arise in the North, and have for its
corner stone the disfranchisement of the blacks.
Wade Hampton, the king white man of South
Carolina, says that it will require the united
effort of the South to maintain negro suffrage
in the future! He predicts that q powerful
party will arise in the North, demanding the
disfranchisement of the negroes, because their
enfranchisement is giving such political power
to the South that she will soon control the
National government. He thinks this will be
the next great battle, and that the Southern
white men must defend black suffrage with
all their might, for if it is lost, the South will
cut no figure at all in the National govern.
ment having but about eighty-6ve electoral
votes. -..,--,,.,. -. G--ZIIIIl[. Is A.


Behold what great power negro suffrage has
given the South 1t has increased their rep
resentation SO largely that, with the aid of
New York, Connecticut and California, for
instance, they can control legislation, elect
the President and administer the government
machine as they may see fit. The rest of the
United States can whistle. The solid South
and the three States named, will be the gov
ernment in all that the term implies.


The North will not relish this. Indeed,
there are signs that they do not relish the
prospect now, and hence the very great effort
to hold New York to the Republican party.
The far.seeing men in the South, or those who
are esteemed as far.seeing, declare that moth
ing can prevent the South from having con-
trolling voice in the government but the dis
franchisement of the blacks. And they argue
that this will be the next great question which
will agitate the country, the North contend.
ing for black disfranchisement, in erder to
keep the South from running the government.


It is plain, very plain, that the blacks will
be made subservient to the whites in every
Southern State, and that so far from enabling
the North to hold the government, this en-
franchissment is having precisely the opposite
effect, giving the South so large number of
Congressman and electoral votes that this Sec
ton. will virtually hereafter be the ruling
power at Washington.


Look at Georgia. The white population Of
that State is but little in excess of double the
population of Cincinnati, yet Georgia has nine
Democratic Congressman, two Democratic
Senators and eleven electoral votes A pop.
ulation but little above twice that of Cincin-
natl has all these, and throws them in solid
lump, in the interests Of the solid South. So
far as the blacks of the State are concerned,
they have no more voice in the National gov
ernment than so many black stumps. The
fact that every Senator and member of Con.
gress from Georgia is a Democrat-and not
only a Democrat, but a Southern Democrat
Georgia-born Democrats evidence that
the blacks of that State are without voice at
Washington. For all practicable purposes,
you had as we'll give every black stump in
Georgia the right to vote as every negro. The
other mud cou'oqaentl nro nroR R1rfoctfy welt sat=
is6sd with negro suffrage, as it gives them
nine Congressman and eleven electoral votes,
which they throw in solid chunk. In fact,
they are beginning to love negro suffrage, for
it will as surely give the South control Of the
National government as the years roll round.


ANOTHER CHEERFUL EXAMPLE.


Look at South. Carolina. The white popu-
lation of that State is now almost precisely the
same as Cincinnati. Yet this white minority
will surely control the blacks hereafter, and
throw the seven electoral votes with the soliG
South. They will yet have all the Congress.
men and both Senator'S. It is but question
of time. The wealth, intelligence, property
and moral force of State will as surely con-
troll it, as the sun shines when this agency is
without opposition, except from the negroes
race that have never been able to stand out
against the whites in any particular for any
length of time.


Disfranchise the blacks and reduce the rep.
resentation down to the white population, and
South Carolina would have two Congressman
instead of FIVE, and four electoral votes instead
of seven. And Georgia would have FIVE Con.
gressmen instead of nine, and seven electoral
votes instead of eleven. And Alabama would
have four Congressman instead of eight, and
six electoral votes instead of ten.


The South might be "solid" then without
the least fear that they could ever control the
government or have a voice in its affairs
amounting to dictation.


The South sees this now, and they would
not give up negro suffrage if they could.
They will cling to it as they did to slavery,
for it will give them larger voice in govern
ment than ever slavery did. Nor will it in.
terfere with the regulation of their domestic
concerns" for they have internal and exter-
nal control of the concerns of every Southern
State but two, and these will come under their
sway in time, and probably in very short
time. It seems strange to me that any one
knowing the history Of the negro race in At
RIGA and America, would suppose that black
party, no matter what the majority, could
stand out for any length of time against a
white party. Nature has ordained otherwise,
and when joint resolution of Congress is set
up against q law of nature, we find to our
modification that the legs of the joint reso-
luton (so to speak, are too weak for equal
combat. In other words. nature has the ad-
vantage.


1t is true that there is a solid South, and
that this solid South will eventually dictate
the policy of the government. But I do not
believe With some that great disaster will fol-
low this, or that the debt will be paid, or any
attempt made in that direction, or any of the
results of the war lost. So far as negro suf
frage is concerned, and that it is justly es-
teemed result of the war, you may be sure
the South will never interfere with that. 1t
happens to be, as they have found out, and as
va ara finding out. the very thing they want