The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-09-30


.sI want those who have been in the south 70
bear testimony to the condition of these freed
groes. My opinion 10, that they are not tt- !
ted for the exercise of the franchise Loud ap-
labor, but do think they are fitted 10 take
part an the legislation Of the country" Renew |
ed cheeiing.
Gov. Perry, of South Carolina, In his mes
sage To the constitutional convention, thus al |
ludes TO negro suffrage:
"To extend this universal suffrage to the Greed |
men, IN their present ignorant and degraded con-
dtlon, would be little less than folly and madness.
1t would be giving to the man oil wealth ana iase
landed possessions the state most undue lhnu-
ence IN all elections. He would be enabled TO
march to the polls with his two or three hundred
freedmen employees, voting as he directed
and control electens. The poor white man IN
the election districts would have no influence, or
their influence would be overPowereo by one man
| OF large landed estate
Senator Doolittle, of Wisconsin. in a letter
| Just published, says, the policy of President
Johnson is the only just and wise policy, and
| is 10 accordance with the letter aud spirit of
| the constitution" he also says
81, is almost incoaceIv able that any federal adj
mnistratIon should attempt TO enforce universal ne
gro suffrage where for hundred years,
| the negroes have been degraded by savery, WHILE
| at the came time, nearly two-thrds oil the Tree
| who have been educated as freemsn, among ifee-
me a. with the thoughts, habits and responsibilities
| of ireemen.''
GenT F. P. Blair, in recent speech, at
Louisville, KY, said:
"Now regard this question of negro suffrage
| as the most important In its national aspects,
| in the forms which il will assume in the pubic
discussions, it will be whether congress shall AS
sumo the power to dictate who shall be electors,
or whether the states sh.ll enjoy that power aud
privilege, and decide for themselves who snail De
| their electors shall be allowed tie privilege
| OF voting in the states. The gentleman who pre-
ceded me read paragraph from the constitution
of the United States, which confers upon the
states the power of declaring who shall be elect
ors, because it says the qualification Tor electors
for president and vicepresident of the United
States, and for members of congress, shall be the
same those required for electors tor the 10" er
branch OF the legislature in each state. That
confers the power, by the plainest language posi-
| bic TO be employed, upon the states, TO deterH-
inc who shall be the qualified electors IN each
state. Now, we know that the little state oil
| Rhode Island does not permit foreigner to vote
AN Irish, a German born citizen, or French
man although he may have been Eaturazed aud
declared a citizen under the constitution OF the
| United Slates,-it does not permit him TO vote
unless he owns II certain amount OF real estate
de may be possessed of bank shares TO Che am
cunt ni SlUO OOn; be NAV any other kind OF
pei sonai property to the amount OF millions, but
unless he "A certain portion of the soil of the
state of Rhode Island, he Is not permitted to IL
at all VINO heard of the congress of the
| United States attempting to interfere IN favor o
that large class OF our adopted citiz RS in the
state OF Rhode Island"
And the Cuicaso Jourmai On the 20th Of
June, said
There is pretty general expression for or
/ T,,a
consider .tion, think of the points invol
we'd in TIE c.se. Ia the FIRST place, the qualifica
Jtol- OF voters rests, 0y TIE constitution of the
United S,ates, witu the states exclusively. aGC
NJ WHOM Is" people M iarge have not and Tan
! uoJ ttv, tytning 80 do. The requisites 10 b,
/ eli -jhe u the Gle tive franchise Offer in TIA,
! different states. Thus, in Massachusetts, a for
/ cigHer must be resident wars after natur
? aiiZdJ,on TO %, Il voter. In Illinois, foreigner
who are not ngtura!!z,G but vino were RESIDENT
before lS4s entitled There coul,
- ! UDt we'll be a broader distinction than this.
R But those VINO argue for universal n"Sro sui
r. fr ge even if we're practicable, do not anpra
/ 10 -. to vi hit il wouli lead The re;tliIun ha
r. crushed out tte z g"HtIc arIStocTacy OF slavery
. G.,e UNIVERSAL svlfra2e to the negro, and We T,
vIvc an ari~tuUraCy Ia scarce Jess hateful form
{ Tue planter will return TO his plantation AM
q, hire the negroes he formerly owned. Whel
! "a ccction comes of he will march ms fOrme
! chartels to tht polls to enact his will, and W
q shall have southern nabDhs with thousan
If votes piece, and able 10 control state AS vel
8 as national elections. Instead of extending pow
er to the many, it will have a tendency TO bestu,
IL 1t upon the lev. IL .il be the rotten borough
/, system of England in the most odIOus form.
: The president has no power To confer the e
ectiVe franchise upon the black man, in state
that Orga .E-a, elsewhere. The function
L II state governments have been suspended b
the rebellIut, not uOHc away with altogether
| n tZ1Ll IL IrC u-Er as
the pppuiar p.ra-e--the president can declar
+ who have forfeited tueir rights TO the eIectiy
= franchise, but he cannot confer these rights upo
Others.
l. 1--WE would have the right TO vote withheld
b from all who have participated in the rebellion
o until they shall have proved themselves worth
to exercise it; but If the power existed we Shout
} protest against such exercise of II as woul
e give to the loyal or dslOyal the Tremendous an
n dangerous right to march the negroes from the
cotton aud rice plantations to WELD the weapo
10 - "Sur,T set,
l. And better that the bayonet"
The Washington Chronicle, edited by tn
= clerk of the United States senate, Col. Fol
s. ney, who is anxious his paper should be cor
/, sidsred the organ of the administration, put
fishes formal admonitory appeal warnin
o the republican party against the measures c
d the radicals. He says:
"TEe republican party cannot be a nations
party if is makes negro suffrage test. Belong
It ing, th.t subject does, to the states it b'
Il left the states. To attempt to force it on the
south is simply to embitter the south, and endaI
| ger the republicans in the north for 1t must no
o be forgotten that until the rebellion bI oke upo
!, US in not a single free state not even in Massu
chusetts, were the few colored men allowed tn
unqualified right to vote. Nor can YOU build