The Portland daily press., 1865-10-21
pre.idsnt johnson and Negro Suffrage.

Senator Doolittle of Wisconsin, one OF those
weak, timid men, who have been disposed for
four years tohande rebels with kid gloves, and
who has been troubled with constitution on
the brain that is, he has been SO airald o.
trenching upon the constitution that he Wouid
see it trampled under foot because he could
not find specific permit to defend it "a man
who was afraid to coafscate rebel estates, and
afraid to arm Enegroes, and afraid to do any
thing really effective in putting down the re-
rebelHon,-this Senator Dcoiittle, we say, re-
Gently made a speech in Milwaukee, the spirit
of which was against negro suffrage, not be-
cause such suffrage is wrong per So, not be-
cause the negroes, by their bravery and patri-
otism and respect for order, have not proved
themselves worthy Of such privilege, but be-
cause of the disturbance it may occasion
among those precious scoundrels who raised
their hands against the nations Life, and ceas-
ed their fratricidal work only when further
effort was demonstrated to be absolutely fu=
tile. sAr oa qn5rah
In the course Of Mr. Doolittle's speech, how
ever. while intending to make President John
son the endorser Of his hating, tinlid, time
serving policy, he made the following valuable
confession, thus bearing testimony to the fact
that President johnson is at heart In favor
of suffrage for the worthy negro. Referring
to the President, he said: E. f
In conversation with him not lone since. he
said to me, that, while he would desire Thai
those states, in the formation of their consti-
tuition, should do as they did in Louisiana
strike out all constitutional restriction upon
colored suffrage, and that the LEGISLATURE
should be empowered to extend, from time to
time, the rights Of suffrage to certain superior
classes OF the. colored people, such as those
who had performed military service. who had
i Tor a long time been heads of families and
supported them by their own industry, and
who had demonstrated clearly their intellect
ual fitness to exercise the right OF suffrage.
while he would be glad to see that coming from
the states themselves, as IS was right which
the states alone should grant, be was decided
lly of the opinion that if he, as President in
the present condition of the old prejudices,
almost hatred, existing between the two races,
were to insist that suffrage should be granted
20 to the mass Of the colored people in those
states as a condition precedent to their being
Z recognized as states in the Union, it would
produce actual war between the blacks and
the whites.
This shows that President johnson person
ally,--a man who, as Ifr. Doolittle says aall
his life has lived in the. South, and knows
what he says, Ills is in facors Of dllosCiny sstf-
.frage to The negro. 1t shows that he believes
the negro may be worthy to exercise this high
est right of citizenship.
No one demands that all the recent slaves.
without regard to attainment, to merit, or to
any other qualification, shall be at once made
voters, though even this would be no more I'M
wise than laws and practises now existing.
under which ignorance, barbarisrn and brutal
ity find free access to the polls, not simply
among the @white trash" of the South, but
even inNeW Y DIRK and other large cities 4u
the friends of negro suffrage contend for, is
the abolition of all caste and clan distinctions,
and those wicked and pernicious dscrimins-
lions based not on Intelligence, or virtue, or
merit Of any kind, but on the mere accident of
color. The very moment law is provided
allowing the worthy and gallant black soldier
TO vote, every black man has placed before
him motive to become worthy and gallant
soldier. Allow the head of negro family
who has supported his family by his own in
dustry, the right Of franchise, and every me-
gro man may then be inspired to become such
an industrious head of family The mo-
ment negro. by demonstrating his intellect
ual fitness to Exercise the right Of suffrage, is
allowed to enjoy that right, the possibility of
what he may attain to becomes an inspiration
to the negro to attain TO that high privilege.
The ayidity with which the freedmen have
learned TO read and write, the anxiety they
evince that their children shall not remain in
ignorance, afford the best evidence that the
possibilities Of manhood and of citizenship
have their full degree. of influence upon the
minds OF this people. Go to the extent Pres
ident johnson says he would go, the extent
that he desires to1see the Southern States go,
and the negro win then have opened before
him road over which he may tra1e, like his
white brother, to manhood, 10 selErespect, to
the condition Of selfgoyerned manhood. To
this extent President johnson would go, and
therefore we put him down as the friend of
negro suffrage.
I Much might be said, had we time and spaces
touching the President reasons for not push
ing this idea, and insisting upon its adoption
states being restored to their normal functions
in the Union. ne have no doubt of the pie
nary poorer Of the general government g do
just what it pleases in the way of governing or
reconshuctlng the southern states, limited
only by the demands ola christian civilization.
we have short way of sustaining this promo
sluon. by treason the southern people forfeit
eaGssnghts under the constitution, and nearly
every man of them might have been legally
proceeded against for high treason, the penal
ty Of which-ne7er yet fnflicted--sis death
Having forfeited the right to lie, inasmuch
as the major includes the lninor, they for
feited all other rights with it, 50 that they en-
joy nothing o-day, not even life, except by, the
cemency of the general government. Occu-
plying this position, how supremely ridiculous
-. to say wehaye no right to dictate the terms
on which their former State relations may be
resumedl -0 IS 80 5sa5If n
Tue resident aSn has i,stegfered htfully-
with the internal policy Of the rebel states and
regulated the Qualifications of the ivote5,-said
who may and who may not exercise tl,a ,ig,,f
Of suffrage. How much greater strstcl' ~
constitutional grant would It be, pray. for. him
to say loyal colored man shan vote tl,a0 -
say disloyal white man sItel NOT voto9
bIood-stained rebel, guilty Of treason and Oh
noxious to the gallows for his crimes asains,
the State, comes to the President, and he. Inv
pardon, makes him voter; and yet we are
told he has no right to make voter of the
loyal man who has fought for the fagand
needs no pardoni If he cannot do this, he
can at least, go as far as the sainted martyr,
Lincoln, would have gone-grant general am Y
nesty coupled with the condition that general
suffrage shall be made the law of the States:
ana who believes the class needing narlon