Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1865-12-14
Nuuber.4
Ifreedmen the President,s yiews are

freedmen the Presidents views are
clear and unmistskabie. He says:
The relations Of the General Gov
eminent towards the four millions
of inhsbitants whom the war has
.oalled into freedom, having engaged
my most serious consideration. On
the propriety Of attempting to make
the freedmen electors by the proc
lamation of the Executive, / took for
my counsel the Constitution itself.
the interpretations Of that instrn
ment by its authors and the cotem-
poraries, and recent legislation by
Congress. When, at the first move
ment toward independence, the Con-
gress of the United States instructed
the several States to institute Gov
ernments oftheir own, they left each
State to decide for itself the eondi-
tions'fo the enjoyment of the cleo
tive franchise. During the period
of the Confederacy, their continued
to exist q very great diversity in the
qualifications Of electors in the seye-
raj States; and even within . State q
distinction OF qualifications prevailed
wiih regard to the officers-sho were
to be chosen. The Consultation of
the United States recognizes these
diversities when 1t enjoins that in
the choice of members of the House
of representative OF the United
States, the electors in each State
shall have the qualifications requisite
for electors Of the most numerous
branch of the State Legislature. "
After the formation of the Constitu-
ton, it remained, as before, the uni.
form usage for each State to enlarge
the body of its electors, according
to its own Judgment and, under this
system, one State after another has
proceeded to increase the number of
its electors, until now universal SUI
frage, or something very near it. is
the general rule, So izen was this
reservation Of power in the habits
of the people, and so unquestioned
has been the Interpretation Of the
Constitution, that during the civil
war the late President never har.
bored the purpose-certajnly never
ayowed the purpose--of disregard
ing it; and in the acts Of Congress,
during that period, nothing can be
found which during the continuance
of hostilities, much Jess after the
close, would have sanctioned any
departure by the. Executive from 9
policy which hsslso uniformly OBJ
tanned: Moreover, q concession OF
the elective franchise to the. freed
men, BY act OF the President of the
United States, must have been ex-
tended to all colored men, wherever
found, and so must have established
a change of suffrage in the Northern,
Middle and Western States, not less
than in the South and South western.
Such an act would have created 8
new class Of voters, and wonld have
been an assumption of power by the
President which nothing in the Con
stitution or laws of the United States
would have warranted.
On the other hand, every danger
of conflict is avoided when the set
tlement of the question is referred
to the several States. They can,
each for itself. decide on the meas
ure, and whether it is to be adopted
at once and absolutely, or introduced
gradually and with conditions. lu
my Judgment, the freedmen, If they
show patience and manly virtues
will sooner obtain = participation il
the elective franchise through thu
States than through the Genera
Government, even il it had power t,
intervene. When the tumult of emo
tions that have been raised by th'
suddenness of the social change shal
have subsidized, it mayProve that the!
will receive the kIndliest usage from
some of those on whom they hsv'
heretofore most closely depended.
But while l have no doubt tha
now, after the close of the war, it il
not competent for the General Gov
ernment to extend the elective fran
chise in the several States. it j!
equally clear that good faith requires
the security OF the freedmen in theil
liberty their lives and property, thei
right to labor, and their right to CLAIM
the just return Of their lsbor, | can
not too strongly urge dispassionst,
treatment of this subject whicl
should be carefully kept aloft from
all party strife. We must equally
avoid hasty assumptions of any natu
raj impossibllity for the two race
10 live side by side, in state Of mu
tual benefit and good will. The ex
pertinent involves US in no inconsist
ency; let US, then, go and make tha
. experiment in good faith, and no
be too easily disheartened. TIL
country is in need OF labor, and th
i. freedmen are in need OF employment
culture and protection. While thei
! right ofyoluntary migration and ex
patriation is not TO be questioned,
, would not advise their forced remoya
and colonization. Let US rather en-
courage them to honorable and use
: full industry, where it NAV be beDe
, fetal to themselves and to the coun
/ | try; and, instead of hasty anticipa
Il tions of the certainty of failure, lie
, there be nothing wanting to the fai
; trial Of the experiment. The chang
, in their condition is the substitution