The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-09-29
NEW SERIEs-NO. 6IS
a Republican Born. os1.ovarnu,sp..

The New York Jouvnos of Commerce
has the following eminently lust and seusi-
be article upon this subject:
In his letter to Governor sharkev tn.. p..,
dent remarks that the people must be t,mstod
with their goyernment" Good! But Who Are
the people NzWdHne. ss-,e ~-..
A most Important qusstion. and mo.
which goes to tho very foundation Of the.
whole system Of our government. There
has been great deal sid Of late about
the duty Of the United States to guarantee.
10 republican form of governments to each,
State, and there 10 q prevalent notion,
among large class of the population that
. republican form of government means q
government in which "every one votes"
This Is the general definition. But the
most radical man, when cornered, admits
that "every ono is phrase which re-
quires modification. He excerpts children,
under 6xed age. He rather assents to
the idea that tweuty-one is a good age at
which to give the privilege Of voting,
thoues he cannot say why q uniform rule
is necessary. He thinks that women ought
TO vote but whether he would grant tie
ballot to blooming sixteen, or to young.
ladies of eighteen in the splendor of thaE
charms, he has not quite decided. he,
does not think that the Indians ought
to vote, and in general he. would
exclade all immigrants, and especially
the people of a conquered nation,
where we acquire power BY conquest, at
least until they have had some opportu-.
nifty to learn our ways, and, understand
our politics. It is an unfortunate cha: =
ateristic OF the radical however, that
withstanding general principles, Is ),
usually in favor Of granting the rig ii
suffrage to every mar or woman wiz, he
thinks will be likely to vote with him.
But it is plain that nc. .one can be found
who regards the whole human race inhab-
iting country, as without exception the
fit Governors of it. Even the Tribune.
in the ns1t sentence to that we have quot
ed, asks, "Who are the people ?-white
men who fight against the government, or
black men who fight for it ?"-implying
clearly its views that among the
people who ought not to govern.
but who ought to be governed. are
those white men. 1t is conceded on all
hands then, that a republican form of gov
eminent does not necessarily mean one in
which all men possess equal political rights.
"The people whom the President intends
to trust with their government, however.
are class easily defined. They are the
voters under the laws Of theseveral States
as they existed before the rebellion, so far
as subsequent events have not effected q le-
gal forfeiture of the right. But there are
great many persons who desire to change
this governing population and substitute
another.
"The people of the State of Mississippi"
is phrase which has definite nearing.
we'll understood in law and we'll known To-
every man of common sense. But if the
government at Washington should nullify
the old laws of Mississippi, and impose a
new definition on the phrase, or should
place the power in the hands Of another
class of men not before part of the gov
erning people, it is very hard to see how
that would be guaranteeing to the State q
republican form of government. On tho
contrary it would be depriving the State
OF its republican rights. President John
son seems to understand the matter
clearly.