Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-12-08


States. whose powers have been SO long
in allegiance, to resume their places In
the two branches of the National Legis.
lature, and thereby complete the work
of restoration. Here il is for you, fell
low-citizens of the Senate, and for you
fel!ow-citizens of the House Of Repre-
sentatiyes, to judge, each of you foI
yourselves, OF the election returns and
qualifications of your own members.
The full assertion of the powers o,
! the General Government requires the
holding of Circuit Courts of the United
States within the districts where theil
authority has been interrupted. Innthe
present posture of our public affairs
strong objections have been urged t.
! holding those courts in any ofthe States
where the rebellion has existed; and i,
was ascertained, by inquiry, that the
Circuit Court of the United States wo'd
not be held within the district of Nir-
ginia during the autumn or early win
ter, nor until Congress should have IAN
opportunity to consider and act on the
whole subject 70 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 tiagrant
| i'll character, has been committed. Per-
sons who are charged with is commits
sion should have fair and impartial
trials in the highest civil tribunals OF
the country, in order that the Constitu-
| ton and the laws may be fully vindica-
ted; the truth clearly established and
affirmed that treason is a crime, that
traitors should be punished, and the Of
| Tense made Infamous and, at the same
time, that the question may be judic-
tally 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 Govern
ment towards the four millions OF in
habitants whom the war has called into
freedom, have engaged my most serious
consideration. On the propriety Of at
tempting to make the freedmen cleo
tors by the proclamation of the Execu-
tive, took for my counsel the Consti-
tuition itself, the interpretations of that
instrument by its authors and their CO.
temporaries, and recent legislation by
Congress. When, at the first movement
towards Independence, 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 Coniederacy, there con
| tinued to exist very great diversity in
the qualifications of electors in the sew
eral States and even within State a
distinction of qualifications prevailed
with regard TO the officers who were to
| be chosen. The Constitution of the Z.
/ :. recognizes these diversities when it
enioins that, in the choice of members
Of the House of Representatives of the
! United States, " the electors i'm each
State shall have the qualifications req
uisite for electors of the most numerous
branch of the State LEGISLATURE After
the formation of the Constitution, it re.
manned, 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
another has proceeded to increase the
number of its electors, until now uni.
versal suffrage or something very ncai
it, is the general rule. So fixed was
this reservation Of power in the habits
OF the people, and so unquestiOned has
been the Interpretation of the Constitu
ton, that during the civil war the late
President never harbored the purpose
certainly never avowed the purpose-o
disregarding it; and in the acts OF Con
gress, during that period, nothing ear
be found which, daring the continuance
Of hostilitIes, much less after their close
would have sanctioned any departure
10y the Executive from a policy which
has so uniformly obtained recognition
Moreover, concession of the elective
franchise to the freedmen, by the act o
the President OF the United States
| hnI tur inI 70 Of
men, wherever found, and so must hay,
established change of suffrage in TIN
, Northern, Middle, and Western States
, not less than in the Southern and South
western. Such an act would have crea
) tel new class of voters, and wOul'
have been All assumption of power b,
the President which nothing in tn
Constitution or laws OF the Cnitei
states would nave warranted.
On the other hand, every danger o
conflict is avoided when the settlement
OF the question is referred to the severn
States. They can, each for itself. decld
on the measure, and whether it is to b
adopted at once and absolutely, or iii
trOduced gradually and with conditions
In my judgment, the freedmen, ii the,
show patience and manly virtues, vii
sooner obtain participation III the eleC
tive franchise through the States thai
through the General government, eve
il it had the power To Intervene. Whe,
the tumult OF emotions that have bee
raised by the suddenness OF the socia
change shall have subsidized, it ma
f prove that they will receive the kindli
/ est usage from some of those on wh0r
: they have heretofore most closely dl
} pended. ... ... ~ i
/ But while | have no doubt that now
after the close of the war, it is not com
petent for the General Government
extend the elective franchise in the scN
eral states, it is equally clear that goo
faith requires the security of the freed
; men in their liberty and their property
: their right to labor, and their right
A; claim the just return of their labor.
. cannot too strongly urge a dispassionat
, treatment of this subject, which shoul
be carefully kept aloof from all part
5 strife. We must equally avoid hast
> assumptions of any natural impossible
; ty for the two races to live side by sid,
in q state Of mutual benefit and gooC
= will. The experiment involves us i
I no Inconsistency: let us then go on an
{ make that experiment in good faiti
and not be too easily disheartened. TIL
. country is in need of labor, and til
| freedmen are in need of employment
= culture and protection. While the
| right of voluntary migration and exp,
t triation is not to be questioned, Iwoul
e not advise their forced removal and co
4 onization. Let us rather encourage thel
: to honorable and useful industry, whel
= it may be beneficial to themselves an
5 to the country; and, instead of hast
anticipations of the certainty of failuv
D let there be nothing wanting TO the ia
f trial OF the experiment. The change
. their condition is the substitution
f labor by contract for the status of 81;
' very. The freedmen cannot fairly
: accused of unwillingness to work, {
4 long as doubt remains about his fire.
!. ; dom of choice in his pursuits, and II
! certainty of his recovering his stipula
, ed wages. In this the interests of I'll
I employer and the employed coincide
= The employer desires in his workme
f spirit and alacrity, and these can |
. permanently secured in no other wa,
= And if the one ought to be able to el
/ force the contract, so ought the othe
:: The public interest will be best prone
f ted if the several States will provide a,
f eeuate protection and remedies for Il
Y freedmen. Until this is in some wa