The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-06-08
Whatever rights one man enjoys, every

Whatever rights one man enjoys, every
other man. under similar circumstan-
ces, should enjoy also. The colOred
race must enjoy ell the political rights
and privileges Of the white rzce--other
things being equal Whatever excludes
the black man from voting should ex-
clnde the white man also. The whole
countTy VIII recognize these require
ments, and the legislation Of the coun-
t-Y viii hereafter be based upon them.
But the question Of negro suffrage in
the Southern States, AS now presented,
is not settled By those principles. OH
er principles are involved which de-
mand attention, one foremost among
them Is that which involves the right
Of the President or Of Congress 70 de
eide r-hat shEil5e tie qualifications Of &c
t.rs Is tks gcperal States. Hitherto the
National GoEernment has never claim
ed any such power, New York decides
By her own Constitution what men may
vote, and what men may not vote, Sc
her elections Some Of the Western
States permit aliens 20 vote before they
are naturslized. Some Northern States
exclude negro voters altogether-some
require q proper qualihcatIon, and 9TH
ers admit them on the same terms with
whites. lf the National Government
asssrts control of thiz ehols question,
We must be prepared to see that con-
trol exercised everywhere, II the
President may say who shall vote in
one State, he may say who shall vote in
every other. We do not believe the
several States are prepared TO cOncede
to him this power Massachusetts, will
decide fer herself, and viii not permit
the President or Congress to decide for
her. who shall and who shsll not vote
within ne borders.
The same rule must be applied to
Virgins ard to Georgia in this matter,
as 10 Massachusetts, and New York. IL
they are States Of the Union they must
control this question Of voting them
selves; and if they are not States Of the
Union, they have no business to vote at
all President johnson acts upon the
principle that they are in the Union
that they have never been out of it
that their acts Of pretended secession
were null and void and never changed
in the slightest particular the legal re-
Istions of those States to the Union
and this principle, with all its legiti
mate consequences, viii be accepted by
the country as the basis of reconstruc-
tion.
But even if it were competent for
Congress to decide this question Of ne
gro suffrage, there are some consider.
atoms connected with it which Senator
Sumner can scarcely ignore. Conced. /
ing the full natural equality of the two
races, their opportunities for culture
have certainly been very unequal. A
very large proportion of the recent |
slaves at the South were feld-hsnds-
iliterate, ignorant of even the existing
government, and just IS incompetent |
to form opinions on political subjects
as the cattle by their side. In South |
Carolina this class would very nearly |
form majority Of the whole voting !
population. Il it sensible or decent to |
place the political control of that State |
in their hands2 Does Mr. Sumner be- !
lieve that it would be for anybody in |
terest to do so? tits true we have ter.
ribly eheapabed that great and price
less po sess o., the suffIA ye; but is it wise
thus absoiul4ly to degrade it aSd emp
" il Of its 'Hogth2 ~
The day viii come, we trust, JkFhen
every man, black or white, in the'Rhole
country, fit to exercise the right Of yo-
ting, will possess and enjoy that right
But We REQUIRE of ioreigers who come
~ otfr shores s0rna wears of instruction
and preparation before they are admit
ted to its enjoyment The same Ireas-
ons which make this wise, would also
require q similar probation from those
who have but Just ESCAPED from the ig-
norsnce and degradation Of slavery
n J. Tt.ras