Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-06-01
Nsgrs Suffrage.

ed in the abstract rightfulness and pro-
priety of so extending the suffrage; the
other class pay attention also to the ie-
gal and constitutional aspects of the
question. Abstractly, the only true,
Just, and democratic doctrine is equal
rights before the law to all men, without
Observation-Disclosures or color" The quail
fcations of all voters, white and black,
should be the same. If the suffrage Is
given without restriction to all white cit
izens,it should be given without restric.
tion to all black or brown citizens. Again,
there are reasons, growing out of the
present peculiar condition of affairs at
the South, why the freedmen should be
made voters. The disloyal of the lately
rebellious states doubtless constitute a
majority of the whites in each of those
states. Unless outnumbered at the bal
lot-box by the help of negro voters, it
is argued that the control of state af-
fairs may possibly be monopolized by
those who have been active participants
in treason and rebellion, if an oath of
allegiance will alone restore the latter
to the right Of suffrage with the other
rights of citizenship. As a preventive of
this mischief, also, negro suffrage is pro-
posed.
But here comes the practical question,
how to do it This important question
is hardly touched upon by one class of
writers above mentioned, while with
the other it is the chief subject of con-
sideration. 1t has been left to the sew
eral states to regulate the right of suf-
frage and the qualifications of voters
within their respective limits. The Uni
ted States authorities may punish indi-
vidual traitors to the government with
forfeiture of the right of suffrage and
every other right of citizenship, but be-
yond this can they e1tend the suffrage to
those excluded by state constitutions
and laws? Can they insist that negroes
shall be admitted to the ballot-box in a
southern state, when they do not and
cannot insist that negroes shall be SO
admitted in northern state ? The New
York Tribune states President John
sons views on the subject as follows:
President Johnson, as we under
stand him, holds that no State has ever
been ont of the Union-that all acts of
so.called Secession, and all proceedings
OF pretended State authorities thereun-
der-are legal utilities, Of no force and
effect save as they may afford evidence
of the treason of their authors. He
therefore holds that the loyal people of
a State constitute the people of that
State politically, and have right to re-
constitute 1t whenever the hostile forces
OF the Rebellion shall have been fully
Withdrawn or subverted. In such re-
construction, those who were voters I'M
der the State Constitution as it existed
prior to Secession, and who shall be
loyal to the Union and it's Constitution
at the time of reconstruction, will be
the only legal voters, and the question
OF Negro Suffrage, or of any funda-
mental change whatever, must be deci-
ded by them. But, SO far from think
ing that colored people ought not to
vote, we infer from q pretty full exposi-
tion of his views to which we very re-
Gently listened, that the President will
exert whatever influence he believes
himself fairly entitled to in the premises
in favor of such suffrage. The only
ground that exists for imputing to him
hostility inheres in his conviction that
loyal State Constitutions are not. sub
Ject to change by Presidential edicts
nor by orders from the War Depart
ment." .@....,.
The Presidents order for the "recon-
struction' of North Carolina, just pub
lished, confirms the above statement of
his views. That order provides as fol-
lows 3d.
s'No person shall be qualified as an
elector or shall be eligible as a member
OF such State convention unless he shall
previously have taken and subscribed
the oath of amnesty as set forth in the
Presidents proclamation of May 90,
1865, and is a yoter qualified as prescribed By
@tc eoItSkt"ttOfWt~F tNc " TIC otdte o. LfOFtH
Carolina N force Immediately before the goth
day Of Nay, Il. D. 1861, the dale Of the so
sailed ordinance Of secession, and the said
convention when convened, or the leg
islature that may be thereafter as
sembled, will prescribe the qualifications
and eligibility of persons to hold Office
under the constitution and laws of the
State, a power the people of the several
states comprising the federal Union have
rightfully exercised from the origin of
The government to the present time"
The most the President can do, in this
view OF the matter, is Ito exert what
ever influence he believes himself enti-
lied to in favor OF suffrage to the
Blacks" to make such exceptions in his
proclamation of amnesty Gas he has
done) as Will be most likely to break
down the power Of those who have been