Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-10-27

equal suffrage at the North, seven year, ago,
and we must remember that the changes at the
South have been more rapid, and they have
been obliged to accept more unpalatsble truth
than the North has We must give them time
to digest part, for we cannot expect such large
affairs will be comprehended and digested at
once. We must give them time TO understand
their new position.
have nothing TO conceal in these matters,
and have 10 desire or willingness to take indir-
ect cour es to obtain what we want.
Our Government is a grand and lofty struc-
ture /; in searching for its foundation we find it
rests on the broad basis of popular rights. The
elective franchise is not a natural right, but
political right l am opposed to giving the
States too much power, and also to a great con-
solidation of power in the central Government.
fl interfered with the vote in the rebel
States, to dictate that the negro shall vote, |
might do the same thing for my own purposes in
Pennsylvania. Our own safety lies in allowing
each State TO control the right OF voting by its
| own laws, and we have the power to control the
rebel States If they go wrong. II they rebel,
we have the, army, and can control them by it,
and, if necessary, by legislation also. If the
General Government controls the right TO vote
in the States, il may establish such rules as will
restrict the vote TO q small number of persons.
My position here is different from what it
would be if was in Tennessee.
There l should try tointroduce negro sutfrag
gradually; first, those who had served in the ar
my those who could read and lite, and per
| haps a property qualification for others, say
$500 or $3.50.
1t will not do TO let the negroes have univer-
sal suffrage now ; it would breed war OF rsces
There was a time in the Southern States when
the slaves of large owners looked down upon
non-slaye owners because they did not ows
slaves the larger the number of slaves then
masters owned, the prouder they were, and ihi'
has produced hostility between the mass Of til,
whites and the negroes. The outrages are most
| ly from non-slaveholding whites against the ne
| gro, and from the negro upon the non-slaye
holding whites.
The negro will vote with thelate master whom
he does rot hate, rather than with the non
slayehOlding white, whom he does hate. Uni
verssl suffrage would create another war-no
against us, but war Of races.
Another thing: This government is the frees
| and best on the earth, and feel sure is destneS
to last but to secure this, we must elevate sn,
purify the ballot. | for many years contende,
at the South that slavery was a political weak
ness, but others said 1t was political strength
they thought We gained three-ffths Representa-
ton by it; | contended that we lost two-fifths
If we had no slaves. we should havehad twelv
representatives more, according to the then IA
ito Of representation Congress apportions re
presentation by States, not districts, and III
State apportions by districts.
Many years ago | moved in the Legislator
that the apportionment of Representatives I
Congress in Tennessee should be qualified vc
tiers.
The apportIonment is now fixed until 1882
before that time we might change the basis {
representation from population to qualified vol
ers, North as well as South, and in due cour.
of time the States, tCithout regard Of colol
might extend the elective franchise to all VIII
possessed certain mental, moral, or such othe
qualifications rs might be determined by an er
lightened public judgment.