The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1865-07-14
Correspondence OF She Bs-sos A dvertiserl
THE PREAiDENT ON NEGRO SUFFRAGE

Rn'Wfin4 OF Cong ressmee here IN the lat
ter days Of May, aud tba, they came here
10 instruc, the President in his duties re.
specting he South. These gentlemen
specially and specifically the +" friends Of
humanity came here 10 response TO =
circular scat out BY somebody who be
so elegantly enumerated SOME years ago by
Augustus Schell -" One turn more oil the
scrcv viii fetch en- Who this some
body sas does no, clearly appear, though
there are indications that il was Mr.. jas
N. Ashley, Of Ohio, with shom were a.so-
ciAtrd . member from Iowa. another from
Illinois and = third from Penny lyanis.
They meant mainly, 70 force the President
into extending the privilege Of suffrage 70
the negroes Of the South. He granted
them, inii vidualiy and coll ctivciy. such
interviews as they rsksd and they can at
least comfort themselves with the pleasant
reflection iha, u the f'ws'jen, has Jailed
in hm duty on this question !, IL no fault
Of their. That they were irifle arrogant
aud d,ciaiotial IN manncr and word will
sppesr IroU Mr. Asley's report " told
him we intended TO eru,a every aaa and
every party standing N the way Of nniver,
sal suffrage Report says that The Pres
dent responded good day, gentlemen ;"
The tenor Of the speech IN which he told
The story Of his visi, waaid seem 10 ind
cate Mr.. Ashley i. not wholly satisfied
with the position Of Affair.".
Mr. Sumner is everywhere known to he
in favor of extending the right Of suffrage
to the Southern negroes Me Is by nature
and education iucliacd 10 act alone rather
than with the men who believe in pres,
ure | am sure he has no connection
with this movement am also sure Nv
took early occasion TO give the President
be views upon the great questions NV wed
IN lhr reconstruction OF the South and
that he len the Pres deniinl room. firm in
the belief that there was no esseui al differ
encc OF opinion on the main po ut between
the PrcSiden, and h,isself am quite
confident also that Mr.. Sumner briefly
gave that conclusion BY letter asd 10 per
Sou 10 many gentlemen and that there
grew up, thereupon, In some sections
vague but general expectation that the nc
erocs would h. allowed TO vote IN the re
organization Of all the Southern States
The North Carolina proclamation Of
couf.e showed one 81 two things either
this, ihe Pr, sidcnt hac broken faith With
Mr. ,amnrr. or tina, Mr. sumner had fail
cd 10 comprehend his position. But
said many persons here, " North Carolina
/. his naihe State, and has been stronger
for the Union ihan any other Confederate
State. aud mes be he thought ought 10
give h,f better terms than the Others. le,.
wait and see" The waiting brought the
Mississippi proclamation and now sy,t!,
the President Is opposed TO negro suffrage
10 the south heweycr he may lccl in re
sp' ct TO the abstract question
The mistake often msie in re peet to
Mr. Lincoln is nov made daily in rcspce,
TO Mr. johnson II slavery Is not wrong
iheu nothing Is wrong, Is "A phase 81 NJ,
iarcoins later DAYS. yet the idea was in
his mir 4 md IN h. COZ yvrsalion from the
beg,"ning OF bis Presidency, Knowing
tLi-, a,en said Why don't be IN some
way overthrow slavery Seeing be dbl
mi touch slavery. men sad lie is
weak. OF cosardy or dcctislul' They
would not recognize tha, mans convic-
tiop of wha h. could or Nigh, DO cou d
be a, variance with bis private I'is tnca,
as to What would I've desirable 10 have done
Mr. johnson may Miuh the Southern ne
gro ought. as a matter OF simple jasiice, TO
Il yc tie riel, al su'''age b. mas even
believe thu, public policy vsaid be lur
'her,d by giving him sseh night ; and yet
be may be perfectly honest il hts view Of
power aud limitations --eu'ir ~ sincere IN
believing That isg Presidential office give
him ~ authority for franting hat f'lhl,
have iskeu mncb pains TO lrafn what
the Presidents views upon the questions
Involved are | ON ehtlr' y satisfied that
he would gi7e III negroes who have been
In the arm, and thu more lnseil.aept oncs
II those who have cot, lhe prlylesc OF
vol,ag II I c believed b. bad aulhofi'y na
der The Constitution TO do - What
dc,s the President say sbeat negro sui.
itaec' ! asked OF the Chairman oi ono
oil nnmesous Delegations Of Southosnen
ln tho city Wei be don't sag much .
be asks Us If It -e.m. 'alr TO make The ne
gro SIGHT and then refuse to let him vote ;
and be tells u that pretty much all you
Norileruers ssem to be 10 favor Of letting
him vote. IN North Carolina he may do -
omcwhero else IN respect Ia the IDEA
In thee last words. ina, say that knos
the l'e%i,l@o, remarked TO = high ot'i't-
about The time the North Carolina procia
d 4 - u