Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-20
INTELLIGENCE THE BASIS OF
SUFFRAGE.
MIR. John H. Rsngan's Letter.


We have heretofore announced that Mr..
RBAGAS, late Postmaster General Of the Con
federacy, had proclaimed himself in favor o
impartial suffrage. We now give the more
important portions Of his address to the peo,
pie Of Texas. He proposes as follows:
First, extending the privileges and pro,
lection Of the laws over the negroes as they
are over the whites, and allowing them 10
testify in the courts on the same conditions,
leaving their testimony subject to the rules
relating to its credibility, but not objecting
to its admissibility And in this you will
conform with the wise current Of modern legis.
lation, and the tendency of judicial decisions
in all enlightened countries.
"And, second, by fixing an intellectual
and moral, and, If thought necessary, q prop.
erty test for the admission Of all persons to
the exercise of the elective franchise, with.
out reference to race or color, which would
secure its intelligent exercise.
"My own view would be;
First. That no person now entitled to the
privilege of voting should be deprived of it
because Of any new test. would recog-
nze in this the difference between takin Z
away q right not heretofore exercised, and
the comforting Of right not heretofore exer-
cised. q
Second. That to authorize the admiss,Ca
Of persons hereafter to the exercise of TIE
elective franchise, they should be fT:.
third citizens Of the United States; four.h,
should have resided in the State one year,
and in the district, county, or precinct six
months next preceding any election, at
which they propose to vote; fifth, should be
able to read in the English language under
standingly; sixth, and must have paid taxes
for the last year preceding for which such
taxes were due and payable, subject to any
disqualification for crime, Of which the per-
son may have been duly convicted, which
may be prescribed by law"
Coming down to purely internal State af.
fairs, Mr.. REAGAN recommends revision of
thnt system of frequent elections, which, he
thinks, has been carried to a vicious extreme,
thereby producing great evils. His reasons
for these opinions it is not necessary to re-
capituiate, since they have been often urged
by others, and indeed suggest themselves
naturally to any inquiring mind The prac-
tical recommendation in this regard made
by Mr.. REAGAN, are as follow:
First. To lengthen all terms of Office,
which are now two, to four years.
Second. To require all general elections,
rs far as practicable, to take place during the
same year, and at the same time.
And, third, to provide: |. That the State
Treasurer, Comptroller, Attorney General,
and Commissioner Of the General Land Office,
shall be appointed by the nomination Of the
Governor, and confirmation Of the Senate, as
the Secretary of State now is. 2. That the
Clerks of the District Courts should be ap-
pointed by the several Judges, as the Clerk
rof tho Supreme Court is by the Judges Of that
Court. 8. That the County Courts should
appoint their Clerks, and the Sherifs, Coro-
ners, Assessors, and Collectors Of Taxes,
County Treasurers, County Surveyors, and
the Constables for the several precincts of
their counties. 4. That the Mayor and Al
dermen or Councilmen of all cities and towns
should appoint their Clerks, Marshals, Treas
urers, and other officers.
The following are among the closing para,
graphs Of the address:
With these two lines of policy adopted
think, notwithstanding all your recent mis-
fortunes, you might look with hope and con-
fdence to the future. The negroes will, it Is
hoped, gradually difuse themselves among
the greatly preponderating numbers Of
whites, in the different States and Terrific
ries. Many Of them will probably go to
Mexico, and other countries, in search Of
social equality; and a few or none of their
race will be added to their numbers by ac-
cessiOns from other countries; while the
steady and rapid influx Of great numbers Of
white races from other countries will gradu-
ally decrease the disproportion IN numbers
between them and the whites, and so render
this new element in society and government
innoxiOus, or at least powerless for evil, II
they should be so inclined.
But from the general docility OF their dis
positions we may expect tho most Of them to
be orderly, and many Of them industrious
and useful citizens. But to secure these de-
sirable ends it must not be forgotten that 1t
Is an essential prerequisite to confer on them
their reasonable and necessary rights and to
adopt policy which will prevent them from
becoming an element Of political agitation
and strife and danger.
And we must bury past animosities with
those of our fellow. citizens with whom we
have been at war, and cultivate with them
feelings of mutual charity and fraternal good
will. And it will be grectly to your advan'
tage, in many ways which / cannot trespass
on you to mention now, to hold out induce
ments to them and to emigrants from other
countries, to come and settle among you,
with their labor and skill and capital, to as
sist in the diffusion Of emplOyments, the in
creRse Of your population, and the develop
ment Of your vast resources into new crea'
tions Of wealth and power.