Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1865-09-14
Negro Sufage,
Is Kielred by Presidea JOHNSON.

rs Yielced By President johnson.
Hon. James Harlan, Secretary of the Interior,
and former Senator from Iowa, in reply to a
letter on the subject, undertakes to give the
views of President Johnson as well as his own.
It seems that the "Union State Convention OF
Iowa" has adopted, as a plank in its platform,
a recommendation in favor Of negro suffrage.
The Democratic State Convention" has endors-
ed President Johnscn's policy for the re-organ-
ization of States, assuming it to be in oppOsi-
ton to negro suffrage. Senator Harlan, there
fore. endeavors to explain. He says:
u beg leave respectfully to state that you
misapprehend the position of President John
son and nv own. as well as that of the Union
party at large. The real question at issue, IN
a national point of view, is not whether negroes
shall be permitted to vote, but whether they
shall derive that authority from the National
Government or from the State Governments re-
speetirely.
President johnson maintains the doctrine
that the Constitution of the United States does
not confer on the Federal Government the right
10 interfere primarily irM the question Of S9-
fraqe IA am State ot'he Union; that the ques-
ton may arise and properly be decided by Con-
gress when Senators and members present them
selves for admission to seats in that body, I'M
der the clause of the Constitution which makes
each House exclusive Judge Of the qualifications
and elections of members and that other clause
of the Constitution of the United States, which
provides that ''the U. States shall guarantee to
every State in the Union republican form OF
Government" | infer that if any State should
adopt a law on the subject of suffrage, which
would clearly show the State Government TO
be other than republican, 1t would be the duty
of Congress to reject applicants for seats, and
TO adopt whatever legislative remedies would,
in their judgement, be necessary to carry out
the guarantees of the Constitution.
The State of Iowa may take steps to extend
the right of suffrage, is not, as it seems to me,
in conflict with this policy, and consequently
those who support the policy of the President
ON this subject are not in antagonism with the
platform of the Union party of Iowa.
The Union party of that State propose that
the State shall modify its own Constitution, so
as TO include as electors persons who have not,
under its present provisions, the right to vote
This. as President johnson maintains, State
NAV do, but that the National Government
would have no right to require Iowa or any
other State to modify its own Constitution on
this or any other subject, when not in conflict
with the Constitution of the United States.
III should be in Iowa when that question is
submitted to the people, fit snail be so submit
ted by the Legislature, | would vote to extend
the right to all classes Of persons possessing the
requisite intelligence and patriotism to be en-
trusted with participation in the management
ofpublic affairs, State or National, without re-
card to their nationality, as | do not believe
that the liberty of any class of people can be
considered safe who are to be permanently de-
prived of the exercise Of this right"
1t will be seen that the Secretary is not will
ling to 90 the whole figure with the Eastern
Radicals. He would have the pre-"requicite
ofmtelligence and patriotism"
The Washington Croniele copies from the
Boston Transcript an article described as taking
"a very sensible view of the subject of suffrage
for woman" If paying taxes be a just title to
suffrage, then woman surely could throw into
the ballot a greater amount of intelligence than
the great horde of unlettered negroes.