The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1865-12-14
PLYMOUTH, INDIANA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER H. 1865.

should have fair and impartial trials in the
hi4hesJ civil tribunals cf the country. in
order that ;he Constitution and the laws
may be fully yindicatci: the truth clearly
established and affirmed that treason is
crime. that traitors should be punished and
the offence made infamous and at the
same time, that the question Ilay be Judi
ciai'y settled. finally and forever. that no
State OF It's own viii has the right to re.
nounce its pace in the Union
The relations Of the General Govern.
ment toward the four millions of inhabi-
tants whom the war has called into freedom.
have engaged my most serions considera-
ton. On the pro9riety of attempting to
make the freedmen electors bv the procla-
nation Of the Executive, ] took for my
counsel the Constitution ITSELF the inter,
pretations OF that instrument by lis authors
al! their contemporaries. and recent leg
lsiation by Congress When. at the first
movement towards independence, the Con-
gress OF the United States instructed the
several States to institute governments of
th-;r own. ikey left each State to decide
for Itself the conditions for The enjoyment
of the elective irancIii-c.
Daring the period Of thc CoufeleracT.
thero continues to exist very great III
vers.ty IN the qualifications Of electors in
the several States and even within Stale
4 distinction Of qualifications prevailed
with regard to he officers who were to nc
chosen. The Constitution Of The Unite;
states recognizes these diycrs:t;cs when ii
ca jo.ns ihdt in the choice Of members ofthe
House OF Representatives of the United
States, "the electors in each State shall
have the qualifications requisite for eIcc-
tors Of thc most numerous branch of the
State Legi>lature'
After the formation Of the Constitution.
it remained as before, the uniform usage
fer each State to enlarge ,he body Of lis
electors, according to lis own Judgment,
and: under this system, one State after
another has proceelcl to increase The
number of its electors until now universal
suffrage, or something very near it, is the
general rule. So fixed was this reservation
Of power IN The habits OF The people. ana
50 unqncst;onei has been the Interpretation
OF the Constitution that daring the civil
wlr the late President never harbore1 the
purpose certa;n never avowcd the pi.r-
pose-oi disregarding IT and in the acts
Of Congress, daring that period, nothing
can be found which. during thc cont;n-
uaHce oi h95tliit;es, much less after their
close. woui; have sanctioned any departure
bv the EXccut.ge from q policy wI.ich has
50 uniformly oL4~iuol Moreover . CON
eess;on o. The elective irauch;-o - the
freedmen, BY act Of The President Of The
United States must haze been extended to
all colorol men, wherever found, and so
mast have established a change of suffrage
in the Northern, Middle, aud Western
States, not less than iii the Southern and
Southwestern Sach an act would have
created new class Of voters. AMI woall
have been an assumption os power by the
President which nothing in the Constitu
ton CT laws of the United States would
ha,e warranted.
On he other hand. every dancer u con,
diet Is avoided when the settlement Of the
question is referred to the seyeral States
They can each for itself. decide on the
measure, anl whether il IS to be ador jcd
at oace AMI absolutely. or in'ryluce;
gradually anil. wifi conditions. In ms
judgment, the tree4men, If thcy show
patience ana manly virtues. will sooner
obtain Z participation in the elective fran
ch!sc through the States than through the
Gcne.Al GpTeramcnt. even # it had power
10 intervene. When the usm,slt OF cmo
tions th 1t have been r,iscd by the sudden.
ness Of tle social change shall have sub
s'dcl il may prove thac they viii receive
The kindiic=t usage from some OF thasc Oh
whom they have h-rs.1Sste mos: c'ose'y
depended
But while have no loubt Ihat now |
after the close Of the war, it is MT compe
.cnt ,or the General Government to extend
the elective franchise in tie several ) ,:.tes,
II IS eln.ily celr t'nt g1ol fl n requires !
the sccGtii : Of the ire s.Aea Ia theit Ab
erty aal theit ptnpsr.y their r.,at -
labor, aal their right % claim the iu-s
return Of their labor. caano, too sfronE,
y urge dlsPas,'onate tres-ia II: Of th:> !
,utjeci, wn;ch should be carcla,ly kept
aloof from AL party strife. We M
equally AVOID ha,,y assumptions o. any +
natural impos.iDility for the w, rlee, t.
live side By side. in a state Of matu,i
benefit and good VIII. The experiment.
involves u in NJ Inconsistency lei u,
then, 90 on ana make thlt experiment il
good faith. AMI not be ioo cqaily olson
hcartenel. The country j. in nacl OF
labor, AMI tlic FREE lmea are in neel ofI
employment, culture AMI proe,t'on.-
While their rishs OF voluntary migration
and expatyiA.i5n IS not to be questioned.
| would not aly.se their forced removal
aui colon zl.ion Let Us rather encourage
them to honorable and useful industry.
where it may be beneficial to themselves
and to the country and, instead OF hasty
Of the certainty OF failure lei
there be nothing wanting - the fair trial
Of the experiment. The changc in their
is the substitution of labor by
contract for the status Of slavery. The
freedman cannot be fairly accused Of un>
willingness to work, SO long as a doubt res
mains about his freedom of choice in his
pursuits ani the certainty Of his recover,
lng his stipulated wages. In this the in