The Portland daily press., 1865-06-23
The Suffrage Question-Lstter from a Pub
licist ktAl w

negroes, Mr.. sLawrence's opinion smust have
great weight with certain classes. The Eoen-
ing Post says Mr.. Lawrence is by no means
an lnnovator. he was one of those men who
did not harmonic with or approve the policy
Of the administration in relation to the war;
yet In considering by what process we shall
restore the local government In those States
10 which it has been subverted by the events
Of the conflict, he takes the most broad and
liberal, and, as we conceive, the most states
manlike views. He is in favor of laying the
foundation Of the new locat organizations in
the recognition OF an equality of rights In all
the loyal population. He would have every
class, whatever its condition or color, repre-
sented in the deliberatiye body charged with
framing ihe government under which they are
to i've"
The following extracts from his letter to
Mr.. Sumner will be read with interest by those
who realize the vital Importance Of questions
discussed by him; vital to the future safety OF
the South no less than to the future safety of
the republic. Mr.. Lawrence says:
ssAs you are aware, / have hitherto differed
from you toto cglo on all the questions grow
ing out OF The existence of two races differing
In physical conformation in the same country,
and that,while not denying th at there were great
objections to the then established system,
opposed, in every way open to a private indi-
vidual, disruption OF those relations, on
which conceived, owing to the peculiar pro
ddcts OF the slave labor of the South, the ma
terial prosperity OF the world depended, as well
as the common interests Of both classes.
4
'Were the status Of the population of the
United States, North and South, white and
back, what it was in 1889, there is nothing
which then urged on public attention that
should feel disposed to change. 1t would,
however, now be absurd to argue against the
irrestioe logic of facts. No one can deny
that, practically, African slavery in the Uni
ted States Is at an end. Those who doubted
the policy or expediency Of emancipation may,
therefore, well unite with the most ardent alb.
olistionist ia the adoption Of such measures as
may best comp0rts with the new order OF
things. e cry friend'o of humanity must desire
to advert from the freedom of the South that
I. fate, which. owing to the powerless condition
OF the enancipated northern slave and the ex-
ceptional relations between the two races, has
constituted the strongest argument against
the abolition OF the old system. We are call
ed on now to solve the problem howl two dis
tinct races can co-exist 10 the same country
without the individuals o. the one being sub
ject to The will of the Individuals of the other,
and this problem Is 70 be solved on the most
gigantic scale. , 49, .s.i-.,o
the sole question is, whether four millions
Of people who possess The same freedom from
personal restraint and the same liberty Of do
Ing what they please as the other inhabitants
OF the country, and who compose, in certain
localities, population equal, If not greater
than that Of he party to whom the political
power is attributed, shall be an integral por-
ti0n of the body politic-0r whether for all
purposes of government, including those Of
self protection, they shall remain practically
Aliens si9ss : %. 81 ssssA4sns -st
sit is only by sharing in the right of elect
ing their rulers that those avenues to iknowl.
edge, by which their moral and intellectual
standard is to be elevated can be secured
1t is the only way by which they can be pro-
tected from that exclusion, even from meehan-
ical pursuits, which so long embarrassed the
emaucipated slaves OF the North. Without
the franchise 1t ay be- doubted whether the
partial Acknowledgement Is not positive injury
instead OF benefit, as they may be entirely
at the mercy Of hostile legislature. Objec.
tionable as were in macy respects the ancient
relations between masters and servants, under
ordinary circumstances the latter had In the
former, at least against third parties, pro
lection, which can now be supplied by ths
Power OF the individual to prQteeA himself a'
"As matter of policy can have no doubt
OF what expediency would dictate, and ii the
horrors which marked the transition from
slavery to freedom 10 San Domingo are to be
averted IN our extreme Southern settlements,
1t can be the most efiectnally done BY making
the emancipated slave at once comprehend
that ne has already everything that he can
nope TO gain BY an insurrectlonary movement
well remember. many years since, to have
been deeply impressed by q remark made to
me at my house in New York, BY Mr.. Phillips.
soi Salem, then q member OF Congress. as 10
the efficiency Of universal suffrage as q pro.
lection against lawless outrages. He ascribed
70 it thai absence from riots for which our
great American cities were then Justly dis
tingu shed. The ballot box, he said, operated
IS safety valve, through which passed thou
SANDS OF real or imaginary grievances, which
might otherwise have vented themselves in
open tumults. ssWsa-s .s9ssw
- n n ~
"But there is another pointiin connection
with this subject, for which commended when
saproposltion was made here some years ago
for a constitutional convention. i mean the
right OF every member Of the community to
participate In the formation OF the organic
law, and which is the grand principle on
Which all our institutions, rest. You may
place what restrictions you please, not incom-
patible with the federal constitution, on the
future right Of suffrage, but the State constf-
tuition must originate with and be assented to
by majority of all the people, including as
well those whom 1t dsfranchises as those
whom it invests with the suffrage. Such was
the course, gou will recollect, as TO the plebfs
cate, on which the title Of Napoleon Ill. rests,
as well as In the case Of the annexation of the
several States OF Italy to the government of
Victor ImmanueL 1t may also not be unin-
structive to notice that the same principle was
recognized on two occasions, la the State of
New York; and the present constitution, as
well IS the previous one, was made by q con-
'vention elected by universal suffrage, and
without regard to the qualifications required
for voting by the then existing constitutions
The fact, believe, is the same in reference TO
the constitutional conventions of other States.
IL seems 10 me that as TO the colored people
at the South taking part in the conventions
which may be called to form or modify exist.
ing constitutions. the sole question Is, are they
citizens OF the United States ? II so, their
right is perfect. % III ~
by the by, the term citizen, in the sense in
which we employ il, is unknown to English
law, and Attorney General Cushing, equally
with Attorney General Bates, was unable to
give satisfactory defntion OF what was
--,,~1 ~ oSiu1ou VI bn6 Y ntteu STATES. We
must, therefore, look else where for it.. In tina
constitutional governments OF Europe voter
ana cl.lzen are equivalent The right Of cit
zsns1lp tdrott dc cite). says the Dutch pub
licist fnoroecke, is the right Of voting In the
government o. Tue local, provincial or nation
al community of which one IS MEMBER
at was, as you well remember sba d,ss.
bilities to which the free colored nsonle ~sra
subjected ir the free States which Induced
Chancellor Kent, in his Commentaries 10 de-.
ny to them the right of 'citizens,' and to iis.
tinguish them as native subjects, II Is sol-
ecism to call those citizens who are perpetual
lly disabled from aspiring to the elective fran.
chise; and declaring person & citizen logi-
cally carries with it all the attributes attached
to that character SO fa.arsa
81 have written the preceding calanao cur
rente, but though my language has not been