Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-12-06


The full assertion of the powers Of the
General Government requires the holdings OF
Circuit Courts of the United States within
the districts where their authority has been
interrupted. In the present posture of our
public affairs, strong objections have been
urged to holding those courts in any of the
States where the rebellion has existed; and
it was ascertained by inquiry, that the Cir
cult Court of the United States would not
be held within the District of Virginia dur.
ing the autnmn OF early winter, nor until
Congress should have ian opportunity to
consider and act on the whole subject" To
your deliberations the restoration of. this
branch of the civil authority of the United
States is therefore necessarily referred, with
the hope that early provision will be made
for the resumption of all its functions. 1t
is manifest that treason, most fagrant in
character. has been committed. Persons
who are charged with itscommission should
have fair and trials in e'highest
/ civil tribunals of the country, in order that
the Constitution and the laws may be fully
vindicated; the truth clearly established
and affirmed that treason is crime. that
! traitors should be punished and the Offense
made infamous; and, at the same time, that
! the question may be jndicially settled,
finally and forever, that no State Of its own
will has the right to renounce its place in
the Union.
The relations of the General Government
towards the four millions of Inhabitants
! whom the war has called into freedom, have
engaged my most serious consideration. On
the propriety of attempting to make the
freedmen electors BY the proclamation ofthe
Executive, l took for my counsel the Consti-
tuition itself, the interpretations OF that in
I.s nd fhair nfaFn
raries, and recent legislation by Congress-
When, at the first movement towards inde-
pendence, the Congress of. the United States
instructed the several States to institute
governments of their own, they left each
State to decide for itself the conditions for
the enjoyment of the. elective franchise
During the period of the Confederacy, there
continued to exist very great diversity in
the qualifications of electors in the several
States; and even within aState distinction
of qualifications prevailed with regard to
the officers who were to be chosen. The
Constitution of the United States recognizes
these diyersities when it eDjoins that, in the
choice of members of the House Of Repre-
sentatives of the United States, the cleo
tors in each State shall have the qualifica-
tons requisite foe electors of the most nu-
merous branch of the State Legislature. y
AIJbT bu6 1OTudllOu vi buO SOubblOuGlOuJ IL
remained, as before, the uniform usage for
each State to enlarge the body of its
electors, according to its own Judgment
and, under this system, one State after an
other has proceeded to increase the number OF
its electors, until now universal suffrage, OF
something very near it, is the general rule,
So fixed was this reservation OF power in the
habits of the people, and 30 unquestion-
ed has been the Interpretation of the
Constitution, that during the civil wal
the late President never harbOred the
purpose = certainly never ayOYed q. the
purpose --sOf disregarding it, and in
the acts of Congress, during that period
nothing can be found which, during the con
tinuanee of hOstilities, much less after th eiI
close, would have sanctioned any departure
by the Executive from 4 policy which has SC
uniformly obtained. Moreover, a concession
of the elective franchise to the freedmen, by
act of the President of the United States
must have been extended to all colOred men
wherever found, and so must have establish.
ed a change of suffrage in the Northern
Middle and Western States, not less than in
the Southern and Southwestern, Such an
act would have created new class of voters
and would have been an assumption of pow
er by the President which nothing in the
Constitution or laws of the United States
would have warranted. ,1Ll .AIUL5
On the other hand, every danger of con
flict is avoided when the settlement of the
question is referred to the several States
They can, each for itself, decide on the meas
ure, and whether it is to be adopted at once
and absolutely, or introduced gradually and
with conditions. In my judgment, the
freedmen, if they show patience and manly
virtues, will sooner obtain participation in
the elective franchise through the States
than through the General Government, even
if it had power 10 intervene. When the tu-
multi Of emotions that have been raised by
the suddenness of the social change shall
have subsidized, it may prove that they will
receive the kindlest usage from some Of
those on whom they have heretofore most
closely depended. ,-a yr.r-srr
But while have no doubt that now, after
the close of the war; it is not competent for
the General Government to extendathe cleo
tive franchise in the several States, it is
equally clear that good faith requires the se-
curity of the freedmen in their liberty and
their property, their right to labor, and their
right to claim the just return of their labor
l cannot too strongly urge dispassionate
treatment of this subject, which should be
carefully kept aloof from all party strife
We must equally avoid hasty assumptions OF
any natural impossibility for the two races
to live side by side, in state of mu-
tual benefit and good will. The expert
ment involves us in no Inconsistency
let us then, go on and make that expert
ment in good faith, and not be too
easily disheartened. The country is in
need of labor, and the freedmen are in
need of employment, culture, and protection.
While their right of voluntary migration
and exDatriatiOn is not to beruuestiOned,
would not advise their forced removal and
colonization. Let us rather encourage them
to honorable and useful industry, where it
may be beneficial to themselves and to the
ieountry and, instead Of hasty anticipations
of the certainty Of failure, let there be moth
ing wanting to the FAIR trial of the expert
ment. The change in their condition is the
Substitution of labor by contract for the
status of slavery. The freedman cannot
fairly be accused of unwillingness to work, SO
long as doubt remains about his freedom OF
choice in his pursuits, and the certainty OF
his recovering his stipulated wages, In this
the interests of the employer and the en-
ployed coincide, The employer, desires in
his workmen spirit and alacrity, and these
can be permanently secured in no other way.
And if the one ought to be able to enforce
the contract, so ought the other. The pub
lie interest will be best promoted, if the sew
eral States will provide adequate protection
ami remedies for the freedmen. Until this is
in some way accomplished, thereis no chance
for the advantageous use OF their labor and
the blame of illsuocess will not rest on them.
j know that sincere philanthropy Is earn
est for the immediate realization of its re-
motest aims bat time Is al ways an element
in reform. 1t is one of the greatest acts on