Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-09-01
RECONSTRUCTION.
ADDRESS OF CITIZENS OF BOSTON
TO THE PRESIDENT.
THE ADVANTAGES OF DELAY.

prepared by committee appointed AT large
meeting Of merchants and others held at the
rooms Of the Board of Trade in Boston.
To the President of the United State;
Sir,--The rebellion forced upon the loyal
states long war costly in blood aud treas
ure The military conflict has ended, aud
we all rejoice at its termination. Most OF
the states which we're rebels are held in mill
tary possession. We shall rejoice when this
also terminates. You have repeatedly e1-
pressed and distinctly indicated strong de-
sire to relax and remove your military grasp
of those states. With this desire we have
the fullest sympathy. The sooner peace,
with all its relations and with all its bless
ings, can be established, the sooner will every
part Of this great country be active in promo
ting its own prosperity, and the prosperity OF
every other part and Of the whole.
We believe, however, that no one knows
better than you do, that peace itself will be
only an illusion and mischief, and not that
peace over which may all rejoice, II 1t be
precipitated to the neglect OF those terms AMI
conditions which the safety and security oi
the whole country demand. and whico 1t Is
therefore equally the right aud the duty OF
the whole country to insist upon.
The questions presented by the present at
titude of the states which rebelled against
the nation are numerous, and nave many as
poets. We have no doubt that they, and
whatever may be suggested to you In relation
to them, will receive from you due cuhsidera-
ton. We ask now to offer to you some views
upon the bearing Of some of these questions
upon the safety, the prosperity, and the good
faith, Of the whole county.
The national constitution gave to the white
men Of those states votes for three ftths Of
the slaves. 1t was there, a comPac the
free states admitted its binding force, and
would never have interieTed with the exercise
OF this right in those states had they not
voluntarily renounced by rebellion this and
all their constitutional nights. But we can
not think it would be either just or prudent
to restore to them now those th.ee-hi
and at the same time make them present OF
the other two-hfths. All reasons founded
upon the principles Of free and equal republi-
/ can Institutions are against this and, IN
stead of a necessity for doing it, the whole
/ country appears to US to be under that neces'
sity which due regard TO our safety and Sc
/ curty creates not to do it.
"a e have made the slaves freemen, free
citizens cf the United States. They must
therefore all, at the next and subsequent ap'
portionments of representatives, be counted
among those whose number measures the
right of national representation. 1t nigh
well be asked, Would it be right-we ash
now, only, W ould it be safe-to permit al
the votes of these colored men to be cast
but to require that all their votes should b'
cast for them by the white men living by theil
7 Al 10 uu.,lA ha itfu and US
think there would be insecurity in saying tC
one hundred men OF any OF the loyal states
I You shall cast one hundred votes but
( hundred men in one of the disloyal statel
shall cast two hundred votes, because Their,
/ live among them a hundred men of differ
ent color. The hundred men in that STATE
| will cast, it is true, but one hundred votes
but it is equally true that they will be two
hundred votes in their influence and power
or that those bundled voters will, through
their representation in Congress, exert thu
same influence over the national Legislation
or the national policy as the two hundred
voters who reside in the other state.
For example, let us compare some of the
| Southern states with those of the Northern
states which come somewhat near them II
population on the basis Of the last census. |
we take the whole population Of each STATE
as the number which measures the right o
representation, and suppose that the Whit
men alone of the southern states, brief cal
! culation will show that every hundred of thu
white inhabitants of South Carolina will hgv
as much power through their repres entatlve
as two hundred and forty Of the people o
| Iowa one hundred white men ia Mississippi
will eqaal two hundred and twenty three mel
in Wisconsin one hundred white men il
Louisiana will equal one hundred and ninety
eight in Name one hundred white men il
Allah ana will equal one hundred and eighty
three in Connecticut; one hundred white mel
in Alabama and Louisi ma together will equa
one hundred and eighty-nine in Indiana. |
is therefore apparent that it, as the constitu
ton requires, the colored men Of the Soutl
are all counted in to measure the right o
representation, and are then all disfranchised
this must operate proportional disfranchise
ment Of the people of the North and West
How long can it be believed that this Unequal
ity will be enduredi On what right o
reason does it rest? II it be that the coloret
race of the south are wholly DISTINGUISHED
because wholly unfit for the right OF suffrage
it is also true that the white voters of Soutl
Carolina are about two and half times bette
fitted to exercise this right wisely and patri
otically than the people of lowai
In the above estimate it has been assumed
that the number of white voters bears abou
the same proportion to the whole number O
the white population in all the states. Tn
results above stated would be somewha
affected in some of the free states by the fac
that, in them, colored persons who do no
vote are enumerated to determine the humble
of representatives but in none of them il
their number sufficient to make materia
difference, probably not enough to Offset th
larger proportionate loss of the white men o
the south than the colored men in the war.
The class from whom we should withhold
the right to cast their votes are enthusias tic
ally loyal; and the class whom alone W
should permit to vote, and to whom we ais
give the votes Of the other class, have main
tanned with marvellous unsnimity, and will
remorseless determination, broken only b,
utter defeat, a war which had for it's singh
object escape from that Union which the.
hated. And we are now asked by this las
class TO withhold all political right and powe
from that class whose loyalty is certain, wh'
will vote by it's inspiration on the great ma