Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-07-06
The suffrage QUESTION.

which the papers have been teeming lor
a few week past, on the subject OF Negro
Suffrage. There is far from being uni
cormity OF opinion among its advocates
and champions, either as to the precise
OBJECT to be accomplished, or the means
70 be used, or the time when it shall go
into effect. The New York Tribune not
only differs from Robert Dale owen ana
.hetsolid men of Boston" but contradlcts
itself. On Friday last the editor OF that
paper expressed himself thus in refer
ence to President Johnsons policy tow
ards the seeded States;
Here are the first fruits OF recon
s.ruction.' The rebel comes back TO
nower and citizenship, his hands red
with loyal blood. He has every induce
rnent to come back. Heis offered home,
property, crops, lands and help from the
Government. He can make the negro
work for him without wages, and, II the
negro objects, q convenient PROVOST
Marshal awaits his bidding. by one
brief oath, he becomes as much part
Of the government as though ne Aad
never attempted to destroy 1t, and next
year we may have him in Congress.
Thus we reward his treason The negro
comes back from Fort Wagner or Port
Hudson. covered with the scars o!
wounds obtained in the defense OF the
dear old flag. After lighting and bleed
ing for us--sleeping in the same 0ivouc
and marching in the same column with
our sons and brothers-we quietly dis
miss him without even bounty, and
send him back to Tennessee, where his
oath will not be taken nor his children
educated-at North Carolina, where the
Provost.Marshal may put him into the
corpfield---or to Virginia, where he can
not travel from town to town without
pass. Thus we reward his loyalty !"
On the Monday following the Editor
discoursed as follows on the same sub
ject:
.If we differ somewhat with Mr.. Ow-
en-. still more with the solid men OF Bos-
ton, it is on this point; They assume
that our only hope for justice and en-
reimbursement to freedmen is based on
Federal authority and interposition we
trust, on the contrary, that the ruling
caste at the South may be prompted to
dowhat is Just and needful by their. own
enlightened convictions Of justice, Sc
curity and wise policy. And, if the end
in view can be thus attained, all will
mite in deeming it preferable to any
other. If the South shall voluntarily
onfranchise her own freedmen, or large
portion Of them, proffering like enfran.
chisement to the residue on conditions
which they may, by industry and fru-
uality. fulfill, this will certainly be much
better, more satisfactory, more endur'
ing, than if imposed at the bayonets
point by Presidential uhosa or Congress
sjonaI act. And, if threats that enfran
chisement shall be imposed from with
ont tend to obscure prospect OF III
being deliberately accorded from WITHIN
then they surely should be sparingly
INDUCED or utterly forborne."
From which it is apparent that
change has come over the spirit Of some
thipg-either Of the rebels, or tn
Tribunes dreams--for whereas thos
who "came back to power had on FIR
day, their Glands red with blood" tn
same persons, on Monday were 'promp'
ed by convictions Of justice, integrlt
and wise policy g.
ga Although there was apparent ma
monv and unanimity in the deliberatloI
of the Faneuil Hall orators, yet carer
reading of the speeches then ana the'
delivered will show some dlscrepanc
II is a pretty well settled opinion
least in Massachusetts,, that every OF
who ia allowed to-exercise 1.-THE electl'
franchise ought to be twenty-one yea
of age and able to read and write Y
Mr.. Henry Ward Beecher gave the "soi
men" distinctly to understand that
does not believe in any such restrlctlC
Ee believed that ordinary common ser
was all that was necessary, and ne e
IDENTIFY differed from those who suppos
IL might be necessary to walt Wh
nefore granting universal suffrage.
We would remark that there is
point in which nearly all enlightei
and fair minded persons are suostai
ally agreed, and that is that no one ou'
10 De upDdTTtu LIOh NOshhS -
of mis- color. Another point, on "h
there would seem to be very little TO
for difference is that supposing the re
-.r states to have never been out Oh
Union, and consequently their const
lion and laws never to have ceased u
in force, the citizens Of those states n
the exclusive control OF the subject
franchise. We may perhaps 90
:. further and say that all candid
agree in scishisg that in their WofS
reconstruction, the citizens of the sc
could lay aside all their prejudices
admit all without distinction OF c.
70 the polls who were suitably q
fed.
But what would be suitable quaIl
tons, how long time ought to be
voted to the work Of preparation,
would be the consequences to the pa
Immediately concerned, and to the "