Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-11-18

EQUAL SuFFRAGE.-A meeting Of the
National Equal Suffrage ASS citation was held at
the Unitarian church last evening.
Mr.. Sayles J. Bowen, the President OF the As
ISOLATION, called tho meeting to order but excused
himself from presiding on account OF not being
we'll, whom Mr.. A. NJ. Gangewer was called to tho
Chair.
Tho Chair stated tho object q tke meeting, and
then introduced to the meeth Gov. Hahn, Of
Louisiana, who proceeded to address the audi
snce, and In the course OF his remarks said, that
the nation had just gone through physical war,
aud war Of ideas Is now commencing
One OF these grand ideas was universal sur
frage, but before this was attained many other
questions would have to be considered. Gov
Hahn argued that slavery In the South was not
yet extinguished. Theoretically Il had been
abolished, but practically it was still in exist
enee in more outrageous and Ubiquitous form
than before the war. Especially was this the
case where the troops had been withdrawn and
near where there was no freedmen's Bureau.
They say they recognize the death OF slavery,
but their practice does not agree with their
words; and after the constitutional amendment
AboIishing slavery Is ratified there Will be sla-
very still, unless Congress, by law, throws
proper guards around 1t. In many towns In
Louisiana the member Of councils, after taking
the amnesty oath, have established the most
odious slave codes, and have instituted most
complete system OF slavery, without tho name
thereof.
In order to prevent those wrongs, the speaker
thought II was the duty of Congress to enact such
laws as that, In appropriations by the Legisla-
lures Of States for the benefit Of the poor, there
should be no discrimination between the whites
aud blacks; that cOlored children should not be
excluded from schools and the bonents Of educa-
ton that when the militia Of the several States
were enrolled, the colored man should not be In
eluded that the institution OF marriage should
be secured to them, and guarded as sacredly for
the colorod man " for the white man and that
IN Rhpropr atoms for tho benefit OF the children
OF those who have suffered ip the war, no dis
erimination should be made against tie child Of
the oolOred man. "
among which was the one that they lacked In
telliyeuce. lie argued that Intelligence was not
all, but that morality must 20 with II. lie had
lived In the South for over twenty Ave years,
aud he had carefully observed the negro char
actor, and was satisfied that u they had chance
they could learn by the book as rapidly as the
white. As a school director in New Orleans
the speaker had observed the progress made In
the white schools, and he had since noted the
colored schools established by General Banks,
and bo knew that the colored 'ohools surpassed
those OF the whites. II the whites DID not look
out, In few years the number OF c0lored people
who could read aud write would exceed the
white. But Intelligence was not all Patriot
Ism should be OJhBidered In granting this right
OF suffrage, aud the man who fought for the
country Ia as much entitled to the right OF SUI
fTage as those who strOvo to break down the
Government
The people Of the District have 1t In their power
to do much In the contamination of this great
work. Congress first nterfer0d here, and not
elsewhere, for the abolition Of slavery aud their
action gave Joy to the whole country and tb o
example set had most beneficial effect. II the
ball for universal suhrage were set In motion
here, It would be an act which would have a
glorious effect. Mr. Hahn then highly cOmpli-
Inented the colOred population here, and thought
they were second only 10 Intelligence, morality,
and industry to the colorsd population Of New
0rlsAus,