The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-07-20

LIN y BE- In a L. Uhh1, Ok A1lAHM-iD
There has been much said and written re-
Gently, andno little excitement manifested all
owe; the country, upon the subject of negro
suffrage. Now in surveying the whole ground
and watching the movements in various quar-
tiers, one thing appears quite manifest Pub
lie opinion, both North and South, will settle
down upon this principle, that distinction of
color will not be regarded in determining the
right Of suffrage, whatever notifications or lin
itations may be made in other respects. The
American people will never consent that COM
plexion shall operate to deprive any person of
rights to which his humanity and manhood
entitle him. However much public sentiment
may be agitated on other questions Of quail
fication, or however widely it may differ on
other points, there viii be, there can be-, no
disagreement on this. - ! I'll q tEliltG
The time has forever gone by when such
distinction can be set up and maintained in
this republic. When colored man is made
free, either by his own efforts, by force of cir
ounlstances, by war or by law, he win not be
deprived Of any privileges in this country be-
cause he has colored skin. Such adisqualif-
cation is only skin-deep, and is too trivial to
merit serious consideration. But if the color
Of the skin Is not going to be stumbling block
in the way of reconstruction of the Union on
a firm and lasting basis, the reader may in
quire what win? Let US not anticipate
trouble j. for that unsought, always comes fast
enough. Some have borrowed trouble--un-
necessarily we think--from the programmes
of reconstruction which President johnson
has put forth. But let such remember that
Of the woods yet-not quite out of the grasp
of military power They are not States yet as
they were, and will not be, until the President
proclaims them such, and we may rest well as
sured that President johnson win not issue
proclamations declaring them States with full
powers until they give good evidence Of their
repentance and loyalty. The people of the
once rebeIious States willhardly creep into the
Union with the same powers to do mischief
they once possessed. President johnson will
see to that, and what he don't feel authorized
to do, Congress will accomplish. ~ Asaal
President johnson has been taught some Sc
we're lessons in the school of secession, and
witnessed the extreme lengths to which the
slave power has carried the doctrine of State
rights. No man in our country has been more
thoroughly schooled in these matters than he
has, and he is far from being dull scholar,
although he had not the advantages of an ear
" education. The lessons he has learned dur
ing the last four years viii not be lost upon
him nor, upon his country.
If the rebels have not learned wisdom, pat
riotisni, nor any of those virtues which charac-
telfze good citizens of free country, in the
school of the war if they organize their State
governments with view to get back into the
Union and again commence war against the
government, and place the yoke of bondage
again upon the necks of the negroes; If their
oaths of allegiance set thus loosely upon them
and the war has not taught them any valuable
lessons; in word, if the elements of secession
are still in them and the love of slavery and
the spirit of aristocracy still rule in their
hearts, then we have an impression they viii
knock in vain at the doors Of Congress for adj
mission.
In our view of the case, we think the Presi-
dent has given the rebels good opportunity
to show works meet for repentance. Under
his ruling they have been treated with great
magnanimity, and now we shall see what
amends they will make for their past errors
and crimes. If they continue to furnish evi-
dence of treachery, and show that the lessons
ofthe war have made no change in their opin-
ions and sentiments, we believe that would
not be a mischief without remedy There is
a power somewhere which will be brought to
bear upon them, and with such force as to
keep them from inaugurating any new plans
to re-ensiaye the colored population. or to Sc
riously embarrass the government. We have
said in former article, that the President had
no authority to insist upon negro suffrage as
an essential or necessary preliminary to a new
organization Of the rebellious States. He
could not authorize those to vote who never
had such right under the constitution and
laws of a State, bHt it does not follow from
this that he could not deprive those of the
right of suffrage who once had it. And the
reason is very obvious. 1t is well known
principle that traitors to their government
and heir country, have no rights except the
rightto a fair trial for their lives before the
proper tribunal. They have forfeited all 9th
pr rights, and hence the limitations to voting
"hien the President has proclaimed, Such
power ne mad Alright to exercise, and there
ioic ns gave none but loyal citizens and those
wlo nave taken the oath Of allegiance, the
right to vote in the reorganization Of the
States.
But, be it remembered. the nros,,r,,,t;,,, \
is that all who take such an oath, do SO in Good
iaith !; il they donot and take it as mere mat
ter Of form, and not as binding upon the con-
fcienca for the nnrf1osa of ranairi,,e. .,...,