Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-12-06

| willingness TO cas-. the disorders of the past il
oblivion: and that on the other the evidence
| sincerity in the future maintenance of the Unto
| shall be put beyond any doubt by the ratification
| the proposed amendment to the Constitution, whc
provides for the abolition of slavery forever With
the limits of our country. 80 long the adoption
this amendment is delayed, so long will doubt an
jealousy. and uncertainty prevail. This is the measur
which will cthee the sad memory of the past; this
| the measure which will most certainly call pOpula
ton, and capital, and security to those part of tn
Union that ne e It, them most Indeed it is not to
| their places III the family of the Union to give thi
pledge Of perpetual loyalty and peace. Until it j
| done. the past, however much may desire il, wi
| not De i'fsqtten. The adoption of the amcudmen
reunites us beyond all power of disruption. 1t heal
he wound that is still mprrfecty closed: il remove
slavery the element which has so long perplcXed
| dILldGd the country; it makes Of us once more
| united people. renewed aud strengthened, hount
| more than ever to mutual affection and >unport
| The amendment to the Constitution beiGgadopted
It would remain for the States, whose powers have
Geen SO long IN abcyance. TO resume their places il
Ihercby complete the work Of Restoration. Here it il
Tor you, iellow.citzCnS of the Senate and for YOU
ieiow-cti2ens of the House of Representative. t.
Judge each Ot you Tor yourselves, of the elections
juIliS, and qualifications Of your members
The iuil assertion Of the powers al the General
GoNeinment requires the holding of Circuit Courts oi
ne tnltcd States within the districts where THEN
authority has been Interrupted In the present pos
urged TO holding those courts in any of the States
Ther9 the rebellion has existed: and itwas ascer,
States would not be held within the District ot Nir-
gina dunng the autumn OF early winter, nor until
Congress should have IAN opportunity to consider
and act ON the whole subject.
To your deliberations tho restoration ofthis branch
Of the civil authority of the nite1 States is there
fore necessarily retcrrc with tho hope that early
provision VIII he nSic tJT the rcsupmion Of all It's
functions II Is manifest that treason most ia grant
~ character has been commit ted. Person. who are
'hl9ed Witl rs COMMISSION -houid have far and III
partial trials in the highest civil tribunals of The
country, ia order that III" Constitution and the law
may be fully viuGicatcl: the truth clearly A
gtl and affirmed that treason = IL that tr@itOr-
should be punished and the offence made infamous
and, at the same time that the question NAV he
udic.ay settled, finally and forever. that no State of
Union.
The relations of the General Government towards
lh9 four millions "i Inhabitants whom the war has
called into freedom, have engaged my most serious
consideration. On the proprlety OF attempting to
make the freedmen electors by the proclamation of
the Executive, | took for my counsel the C0n,titlI
ton itself the interpretations of that instrument by
It's authors and their contemporaries and recent le-
gisation by Congress. When at the first movement
towards independence, the Congress Of the United
states instructed the several states to institute
rrnmentS of their own they left each State TO decide
ir lsei ne c"! l1r the cnJ9Hncnt 81 the cleo
tive franchise During the period OF the COnfeIcrl-
ry there continued 10 exist very great diversity in
the Qualifications OF electors IN the several States
and even within state distinction OF qualifications
prevented with regard t" the officers who to be
chosen. The Constitution Of the nitcd States re-
cogniHes these dvcrstes when it enjnins that in the
choice Of members of the House of Representatives of
be United States. the electors in each State shall
most numerous branch Of The STATE egisIatiITe
After the formation of the Consttuti6n, il remain
ed before the uniform for each State to
large the body of it, electors. according to il; own
Judgment; and, under this system, one State after
after another has proceeded 10 increase the number
Of its electors until now universal suffrage or some
thing very it, is the general rule. SO fixed was
this reservation of power III the habits of the people
and 50 unquestoncd has been the Interpretation of
the Constitution, that during the civil war the late
President never harbored the plIrposc-certainy
ney or oyowed the nurno.e-of li.rrror,iing il ond i;
-hn p.ts Of Il hat
be found which. during the continuance of Lostili-
ties, much less after their close would have sane
toned any departure BY the EX ccutiye from policy
which has so uniformly obtained Moreover u con-
ccsson of the elective franchise to the freedmen by
of the President of the nit ed States must have
been extended to all col0red IN Ell, wherever found
and so must have established change of suffrage in
the Northern. Middle and Western States, not less
than in the Southern aud Southwestern Such nm
act would have created Il now eli ass of voters and
would have been an assumption of power BY the
President which nothing in the Constitution ar lews
nr ti,r nitad ~talrs would b,vc ,,.arr,ntcJ - '
On the other hand every danger of con gj.t is
avoided when the settlement If the question is re
lerred to the several States hey can each for ITSELF
decide the measure. and whether il is 10 a,iupt
cd ut once and absOlut Is. or introduced gradually
and with conditions. In my Judgment the freedmen.
II they show patience and manly virtues. viii sooner
obtain participated. in the elective franchise
through the States than through he General Govern
nent. even if it had power to intervene. When the
tumut of emotions that have been raised by the sud-
denHess OF ne social change snail hayc subsidized, II
from some OF those on whom they have heretofore
"t2 IS 'IG'e;y TIgpthuru
pHt MHn' Inv ~ 4oupt liial ROW aiiel me crosse
III, ~ w. t - ill., Iii e. 'Lip ~ - w"
~ =: ' - a. ~ li'' N
" .5., II - i 49, 80 80 'iist SUI! i,l'ti %
'.no ii} - te ~ az ~ tttI 10y: y anu tii?
tI"ittb lt'l IiHt ~ ilpot, anu le'f Ilshi 'ocllih
the JUST ItlIH " fp@Li laot' c,linot 700 strongly
urSe VI u'l9 S""eC'' Nilcn
Sioiu NC ciLeiuS Ell "iopt i4glh AZ party strife.
W mus! equi!iA ayGia nt,y ls'eHp1t2hS q any
nauf. ol tlS tM2 lneSs I" nv Si"g ,y
~ % n ma in n %t1 sio m! me
- III VI = IA II" iIieol9istehtI icy Us
theh, go on ana lhake thaI experiment ~ good iatn,
;ilu ny DC 100 eaSly "isieS4 t&Ied Inc country +
cmon 0s cuI n amy rroo III T. aoe o G
~ aG pi"tootloi. " Hiie men
to be Questioned wsuid not advise their forced re-
n'2, al anu tI I in,'tton. ~ a., =, 1.,, 81
fii ;1,drstr ,yhcrc "a mo- Lo i ~ f; a. i'
sol, ~ ond IN tbo cnrntr. "pd irstsnd az w
inotioms IF he Cerisny of fra cf tbcra he
rilT ~; W 49,; a. ~ 80 W "u H. ~ .hle "
b crgr IN t6eiy cnndion 81 ii The eng Of
ihr W. cntract fr The stains 1f ai@TnrW The
rreedmon cannot fairly he accused of nnwinSness 10
~, sr H. a. a In,,ht rotoins oLont lie frnoI',
W hnicc u, his ,,mrsnifs and i cnrtaintv of ~
cnI2rin his Siinuiafcd wa%cs In his he interests
9 L n,,n7,i,Hor MI o,,,'Inyoi c,;nr;l NJ. ~
i ;iiS il, his ,vortmeI Snir;t and ,Iocritv and
No. H. ,,srnarnntI%, snnrrcd H.; ' tb ,,'
And II the one ought 10 re ape 10 enforce inc con-
iraft' ~ ousilt .Ie ~ IN l LII n ;i VIII
J ptSs Pfomoleu II tme edaI ie e VIZ ptpnlue
a!tt!u! Pl9.eolpl anu ioiieiv> III ny ceuut''
hl Hs : IA I'M wa ~ thtlc Il nv
chanee lcf tl9 suV ahtage9s usc 9, zen 'p"r; anu
~ '''''i'~ - @'N-4NNo -
know that sincere philanthropy Is earnest Tor the
immediate realization of its rem5te2t aims; but time
is always an element in reform. 1t is ons Of the
greatest acts record to have brought four millions
OF people into freedom. The of free industry
must be fairly opened 10 them; and then their future
prosperity aud condition must, after all rest mainly
on themselves: they fai and 80 perish away, let
be careful that the failure shall not be attributable
to any denial OF justice. In all that relates TO the
destiny OF the freedmen, need not be too anxious
to read the future many incidents which. from
speculative point OF view, might raise alarm, will
quietly settle themselves.
Now that slavery Is at IN end, or near its end, the
greatness Of its evil, IL the point Of view of public
economy, becomes more and more apparent. SLAVE cry
was essentially Il monopoly of labor, and as such
locked the States where ii prevailed against the in
coming of free industry. here labor was the pro-
perry of the capitalist. the white was excluded
from employment or had but the second best chance
of finding il; and the foreign cmlgrant turned away
from he region where his condition would be soPTc
cariou-. With the destruction of the monopoly. free
labor will hasten from aii parts of the civilized world
TO assist in developing various and mmea urabe re-
sources, which have hitherto lain dormant.
Inc elgGt OF hlhe states nearest the Iuli OF eXic
nave Il scll Oh eNupeTaiiL lSftLty climate friendly
to long he, ana can sustain denser population lnah
Is ounq as yet IN any part OF our country. And the
future influx Of population TO them Will be mainly
from the NORTH, or from the most cultivated nations
IN Europe. From the suherlngs that nave attended
them during our late struggle let US look away tothe
future when sure 10 DC iaden iQr them with great
er prosperity tan mas ever oefQFe been known. Inc
removal OF the monopoly Of SlaYe labor Is pledge
thar those regions VIII pc peopiea nT numerous ana
euterprlslng pVpuiatloh Whlch VIII VIE with any III
the mon IN compactness inventive genius. wealth,
and industry.
Our Government springs from anu was made Tor