The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-22
M Presidenf nd Reeoaslruelionf

Inc President and Bec9nstrucl1onT
The question IS to whether the Federal
government has the power, either through
Congress or the President or both, to decide
what shall be the qualification Of voters in
affecting the return to their allegiance of
ststee recently in rebellion, hiss been a great
stumbling-blOek to many truly loyal men.
The subisct is particularly worthy the con-
alteration of those who abstain Fl ON taking
decided position on the question Of negro
suffrage through fesr of appearing to
oppose the administration. Some journ-
ais have plausibly argued that the CUES
sion IF suffrage is left by the cOnstitu-
ton to be settled by the states that the
rsballion hiss not taken the states out of the
Union. though It has deprived them Of
loyal governments snd iha. therefore the
former state laws on the subject of suffrage
are still in force and the Federal Govern
ment hiss NJ power to interfere. Ithas been
sid that this is the position of President
johnson. It can be demonstrated, how
ever, from the language Of his recent PrOcla-
nations providing for the reconstruction of
North Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia and
Texas, that President Johnson's views are
exactly Che reverse Of these.
In the proclamation of May 29.h, reor-
ganizing North Carolina 1--WE refer TO rTIH
merely because it was first issued, as the
others are copies of il, word for word) the
President twice exercises the right to pre-.
scribe conditions of suffrage, and gives
specific directions for their strict enforce
ment by the military authorities, In the
first instance the proclamation prescribes
that the convention for altering or
amending the constitution" shall be
Hchosen by that portion Of the people Of
said State who are loyal to the United
States, and no others " and, in the second
shat Hno person shall be qualified as an
elector, or shall be eligible as q member of
such convention, unless be shall previously
have taken snd subscribed the oath of
amnesty as set forth in the Presidents
Proclamation of May 18th, 1865" In
making these Just and essential regulations
it will be seen that the President distinctly
and specifically assumes and exercises the
power to regulate and prescribe conditions
of suffrage in the reorganization of loyal
governments in formerly rebellious States.
Now, in view Of these Indispensable facts,
can it be successfully urged that the Pres
ident, with the same sanctions, constitu-
tiouHi or otherwise, might not have order.
ed thst all '4oysl citizens,'' without dis
finctioR, should be eligible as electors and
IS members of the Convention If the
President has the right, growing out of
the recently disturbed relations between
the State and Federal Governments, to
prohibit all disloysl persons from voting,
has he not the same right to insist that sill
loyal persons, black as well as white, shall
be allowed to vote. If the submission of
the State to the Federal authority has dis
covered q new condition OF things in the
n case, g hss it in the other. The same
line of argument which will justify the
first viii be equally conclusive in estab-
fishing the last.
Another instance in which the President
has assumed the right to interfere with the
constitutional rights" of the rebelIious
States will readily be recalled. The right
of the people of tho several States 70
choose their " Governors has been IS
carefully and jealousy asserted and main
tanned as their right to regulate the elective
franchise. Yet, bysn ost unnecessary exercise
Of power, against which no one dreams o.
Directing, the President has appointed
provisional governors of North Carolina,
Georgia, Mississippi and Texas with the
full powers of legsDy-chosen governors,
to act as such, until the people of the AfOre.
said states are fit to govern themselves.
In each of these esses the dogma Of
State Rights has been infringed upon jusI
IS much as it would have been by the ad.
mission of negroes to the polls. The Pres
ident is evidently hostile to this fats.
heresy, and no one need hesitate to de
nounce it from q mistaken fear that In
doing SO he opposes the administration
Arguing from the basis of these Proclama
lions, the right of the Federal Government
to insist upon negro Suffrage as a condition
of reconstruction is clearly demonstrsble