, 1865-01-05

try law, redujr1ns the name q each voter to
be recorded for given number OF Gays pre-
Jfous to such general election. The time
should be sufficient to secure IN investigation
into he Qualifications Of the voter In every
doubtful case. Laws Of this character. have
bern found to operate well aud meet the ap-
probation Of men Of oll parties who desire to
maintain the purity Of the bAiot-box.
B1ACK LAWS.
OF the black laws have but little to say,
except to n recommend that yon sweep Them
from the statute book with swift, rclentless
hand. Ny opinion Of them cannot be better
expressed than in the Language of 4 resolu-
ecmb1y III Febfnary, 1s49, had the honor in
a feeble minority to advocate, declaring tho
laws Of the State, applicable to neesoes and
mulattoes, tyrannical, ubiquitous and oppEes-
siye upon this weak, harmless and unfottu-
nate class, and unbrcoming the statutes OF q
Tree, nagnanimous, enlfghtenea anu christian
nation." They were originally enacted to
grstify an unjas.ilsbl' puoiie 1SaIP prejudice ass
IN inhuman feeling towards poor, un-
fortunate class Of our fellow.citizens. They
ussu1ned fact, which, to the honor of the
Jeffersonfan ordinance Of 1857, never existed,
that eievcry did Or could exist in the free
State Of Illinois. Section . Of these laws
provides that '.if any slave or servant shall
or her master without n PASS he may be
punished with stripes not exceeding thirty
hvc"-thus by the phrnseolosy of The law
recognizing The existence uf the in-
stitutIcn Of slavery within our bor-
ders and prescribing nn Infamous
punishment. 1t IL nnconstit utional. as dccl-
ded by the Supreme Court In this State, .'in
attempting to lcgislate npon the subject OF
tie +. ndition II fugitive slaves to their mas
tiers, uyer which subject the court decides
that Congress lcs supreme ind exclusive
power" It authorizes q system Of slarery,
by providing TINT every colored man who shalt
1T found IN this State without having
ce7ii}7catt Of freedom" shall be deemed rum
away s1dre or serrdat-'' to be committed to
the Gust tody OF the sheriff of the county, who
shall advertise him at the Court Huuse door,"
and "to hire him out for the best price he
can get," " ,rnm month to month" "for the
space or ons Year" ANY law, thus placing
uny ,nan, white Or black, ln the power OF .
purchaser. for money, il utterly inconsistent
With the humanity Of the age aud the spirit
Of cur free Constitution. These laws are un-
constitutional, because by the laws Of many
Of our States free colorcd persons ate citi-
zens, and the Constitution Of the United
Stutes expressly provides that :" the citizens
Of each State tlaal be entitled to all the PRIV
ilescs of citizens in the several States"
An examina icu Of the various provisions Of
these lava will satisfy This Gencfm Assembly
Of their inhumanity, and the humane and phi
lauthropic will everywhere hall their repeal
with joyful acclamations,
In reply to those who say If those laws are
repealed NC shall have large influx OF free
negroes into this State, hare to answer that
are not Eep; ont ot the Slate by them, Tor 1t
is only now and then. indeed d rare case, that
q man cun tle found who is barbarian enough
10 insist upon the application Of the penalties
imposed b: these laws. And upon the sub
jcct cannot present A1y views Deter thnn ~
January 5tll, 1868. Referring to the cnanci-
ration policy OF the administration, say:
"Lam sure Of two things Flrst-that when
slavery Is removed, this rebellion will di- out,
and not bcf.rc. Second-I believe aud pre-
dict, and commit the prediction in this State
Inrcr to meet the verdict Of my successors In
office and OF posterity, that the change brought
shout by the policy Of emancipation will pass
off In way 80 qut:iy and so easily, that the
world withstand amazed that We should have
entertained suct, fears ofits evils. During the
war, there will 1t. necessarily some suffering
among e., many slaves thrown out of employ
ncnt,. and many, pethaps largo numbers of
them. will seek temporary refuge in the free
States and every man who las d human heart
within hin, will treat them kindly but with
the return of pace. the demand for labor in
the South will BE- greatly increased, and
there will be M exodus not only
Of these fiigitiyes, bnt Of the free col
ored population Of the South. The de-
n.as.d iot lahos In the South will be greatly
increased hy the subdivision Of large farms
into numerous small ones, in the hands Of q
much Ia, GER nn1nbtr Of owners; also by the
reclamation Of immense regions Of fertile
country In all our Southern States, waiting
only the },last!c touch Of free labor, the set
tleIncnt Of which hns been retarded by the
existence of slavery, tending, Us 1t always
has, and necessarily always will. to disc''ur-
age the immigration Of free white citizens.
No rtasonab.ehars OF competition with the
fee labor Of the Northern States need be
entertained, because. the. emancfpatcd slave
will have protectionA6nd employment upon
The soil which he las heretofore cultivated
in bondose. Emancipation does not increase
tle pEmber OF negroes by M additional one.
There will not be d single acre of land 1rss
for cultivation, but great deal more Will
p,ol,ub!y bc cultivated; there will be the
same md an inc' easing demand for the cul-
trre Of cottoa, ~..cco, sugar, and rice, for
which tl,c negro is peculiarly adapted the
Southern climate will remain unchanged,
conCcnial to Lis constitution p; aud it Is In the
viii leave the State Of his nativity, where his
labor Is In demand, where he understands.
better than any one else, the business to be
done. and whore the climate ia adapted to
l.i,n, to seek the cold climates Of the North,
10 face tho strong competition OF Northern,
skilled frer-labor, 10 encounter the prejudice
against his color, and the pauperism and nc
glcct which would meet him on every hand.
will not say that legislation will not be
necessary uls'n this subject Of the residence
Of free negroes i'll our midst; but will say,
that whatcvcr is necessary should be freu
from political prejudice, having. regard to
the welfare Of oar ewu, free. white citizens,
and, ct the tame time. marked with humanity
and due regard to TINT unfortunate class OF
our fcll,w beings whom Providence, in ita
wise and insc,Iti5le plans, has placid in our
care.
sUD1Eas' VOTING.
In my l:st message I recommended, 1t,
strong terms. the Importance and justice oi
sn enactment extending to our citizen sol.
diers, ina r field, the right OF en!frage, but
no action wns had npOn tue same. During
the last two years the subject has been fully
considered ard acted upon tn many Of the
loya! States, and although the constitutions
of the States have been framed without refer
undergone the scrutiny of the highest judi
cisl tribunal, and the right to take the YATES
l uf the soldiers in the field has been clearly
recognized. J.nws passed for this purpose
| have been carried into operation and fonn1
! to operate well, without any public injury.
Gnu sec nothing in our State constitution
| which prohibits the passage Of such law
Section 1, Art. Q of our State constitution
| provides as follows: :" In all elections, ever,
| white male citizens, above the age OF twenty
one years, having resided In the State on
year preceding any election, shall be ent'tlet
| ia vote at such election; aud every white
| male iuhnbItant, OF the age aforesaid, wht
| r.ay be resident at the time OF The adoptiol
! OF this constitution, shall have the right o
| voting as aforesaid but no such citizen or sn
| habltapt shall be entitled to vote except il
| the district or county in which he eha1l actu
| ally reside nt tn, time of such election" i
| IL evident, from this clause, That TIE electo
cannot yole in any other precinct than tina
| in which he ac:un'ly resides.
| Section 4, Art. & Of the constitution of thu
United States, provides that "No elccto
shall he deemed to have lost his residence il
| this State by reason Of his absence on TIL
business of the United States OF Of this State.
t r Under this latter clause, minister Of tn
United States TO a foreign court, though ab
sent Tor years, Is IN actual resident of th
district or county in which he resided whel
| may be said of the soldier who hos left I'll,
| county Or district. because he Is absent o.
the BUSINESS Of The United States, and there
fore docs not lose his residence. Now, Is /
reasonable to presume TINT the trainers 3
our constitution, while thus preserving th
residence Of the soldier, evidently for tn
purpose of securing to him the right Of SUI
fsnec ut The same timc meant to prohibit th
Legislature 1auking my provision to enabl
him to exercise that right9 While tho elce
tor is required "to vote In the district u
county, in which he resides, it is not nccesss
riiy required thai he is to be present IN prr5o
at the polls, ard cast his vote. The object c
the frainers o, the constitution was to PRE-
serve the purity Of the ballot boz, and to pre-
vent the voter from. voting more tha
once, or in more places thar ono, Q
the tame election. The object evidently vas, t
one district OF county in which he resided. Ho'
the Constitution, md the object 81 its famers a.
fully complied with, when the COLDER has cast hi
ent, md cast bis rotc there In person, Or whethe
the ballot is deposited there BY hfg attorney, u
der the proper checks md rcssrtctfons-as to al
qualifications nf are, residence, etc.--or Whethf