The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1865-11-10


not expect to keep out all who were
excluded from the Amnesty, or even
u large number OF them, but intended
they should sue for pard IN, and so re.
alize the enormity Of the crime they
had committed.
You could not have broached the sub
ject of equal suffrage, at theNorth sew.
en- years ago, and we must remember
that the changes at the South have
been more rapid, and they have been
obliged to accept more unpal atable
truth than the North has, we must
give them time to digest a part, for we
cannot expect such large affairs will be
comprehended and digested at once
We must give them time to under
stand their new position.
have nothing to conceal in these
matters, and have no desire or will
lingness to take indirect courses TO OBJ
tain what we want
Orr Government is q grand and
lofty structure; in searching for its
foundation we find it rests on the
broad basis Of popular rights. The
elective franchise is not natural
right, but a political right. l am OPP
posed to giving the State too much
power, and also II great consolidation
Of power in the Central Government.
If interfcred with the vote in the
rebel States, to dictate that the
negro shall vote, | might do the
same thing for my own purposes in
Pennsylvania Our only safety lies
in allowing each State to control the
rights of voting by its own laws, and
we have the power to control the
rebel Stats, if they 80 wrong. If they,
rebel we have the army, and car CON
troll them by it, if necessary, by leg.
islation also. If the General Govern
ment control the right to vote, in the
States it may establish such rules as
will restrict the 70 elo q small number
Of persons and thus create q central
deSpDtism.
My position here Is different from
what it would be if was in Tennessee.
There | should try to introduce
negro suffrage gradually; first, those
who Lad served in the army, those
who could read and write. and per-
haps property qualification, others,
say $500 or $3.50.
1t will not do to let the negro have
universal suffrage now, it would breed
war Of races.
There was time in the Southern
States when the slaves of large owners
looked down upon uonslaveowners be-
cause they did not own slaves; the
larger number of slaves their masters
owned the prouder they were, and
this has produced hostility between
the mass of the whites and the ne
groes The outrages are mostly
from non savcholding whites against
the negro and from the negro upon
Tho misunderstanding whites
The negro will vote with the late
master whom he does not hate, rather
than with the non slavchOding white,
whom he does hate Universal sui
rage would create another war, not
against US, but Il war o. races.
Another thing. This Government
is the trecst aud best on the earth
and feel sure is destined to last but
to secure this we must elevate and
purify the ballot. | for many years
contended at the South that slavery
was n political weakness, but Others
said it WAS political strength: they
thought We gained three tifths repre-
sentation by it; | contended that we
lost two-ftths,
If we had no slaves, we should have
twelve representatives more, accold-
ing to the then ratio Of representa-
ton by States not districts, md the
State apprrtions by districts
Many years ago | moved in the
Legislature that the apportionment
Of Representatives to Congress, in
Tennessee, should be qualified voters.
The apporlionmcnt is now fixed
until 1872 before that time we might
change the basis Of representation
from population to qualified voters,
North as well us South, and in due
course Of time, tho States, ,oithoW re-
gard to color, might extend the cleo
tive franchise to all who possess
certain mental, moral, or such other
qualifications, rs might be determined
by an enlightened public judgment.
BosToN. Oct Is 1865 The above
report was returned to me by Presi-
dent Johnson with the following Gu.
dOrscment.
GEORGE l.. STEARNs.
az HAVE READ THE WITHIN COM
MUNIATION AND FIND 1T sUBsTANTl-
ALLY CORRECT.
] HAVE MADE SOME VERBAL ALTER.
ARrIONs. (Signod) A. j."
nD,. Private letters from Western
Texas say the COniUderates who went
To Mexico when tho Trans. Mississippi
army surrendered are returning, dis