Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-06-06
rr-om N. New York Timesl
u TUW Eue 1NCW IVIA HIIIIVoI
NEGRO SUFFRAGE IN THE S0U7

From the New 1 0rk llmesl
NEGRO SUFFRAGE IN THE SOUTH.
Senator Sumner, Wendell Phillips and
otbers declare that unless the negroes In the
Southern States are at once allowed to vote,
the war will have been waged in vain-and
ALI the blood and treasure 1t has consumed
will have been lavished to no purpose what
ever. 1t is not easy to see how sane men,
protesting TO be patriots, can permit them
selves to use such language as this. That
Mr.. Phillips should declare such sentiments
is not perhaps surprising. He is not an
American citizen-disclaims all political al
legiance to the fundamental law Of the land
and has said publicly within a month that ne
would sooner lose his right hand than swear
10 support the Constitution of the United
States. To him the maintenance OF that
Constitution and the preservation Of the
Union are nothing. They are not objects for
which he would contend a moment. II no
sustained the war at all, he did it from other
motives and sought by it TO attain other re-
suits, But Mr.. Sumner is not in that cate
CORY. He is an American citizen, and claims
IN yalue the Union, and to stand by and de-
fend the Constitution. The war has pre-
served the Union--has crushed rebellion
against the Constitution, and has extinguish-
| cd slavery forever. How can Mr.. Sumner
believe or say that il has been waged "ln
vain" even ii some other desirable results
are not at once attained
The fierce obloquy which Mr.. Phillips pours
upon President johnson for not comforting,
by stroke of the pen, the right to vote upon
all the negroes OF the Southern States, is
characteristic of his relentless and arrogant
temper. He visited President Lincoln with
the same tempestuous wrath, as he does and
will every public man who fails TO come up
to his standard OF public duty. No ability,
no uprightness of character, no public SER
vice can shield from his voluble yirulence
any man who fails to comply with his de-
mands in regard to the negro. And these
demands just now, ignoring every considera-
ton of Justice and public policy, exact from
President Johnson that he shall giv1 the ca
franchised slaves complete control of the
Rebel States.
Probably the great mass of our people will
concede that political rights SHOULD IU .Ouger
depend upon color. Whatever risn. one
man enjoys, every other man, .uIder SINH
lar circumstances, should enjoy 50. Tle
colored race must enjoy all the political
rights and privileges Of the white race
otner things being equal. Whatever ex-
cludes the black man from voting SHOULD
exclude the white man also. The whole
country will recognize these requirements,
and the legislation Of the country will
hereafter be based upon them. But the
question of negro suffrage in the South
ern States, as now presented, Is not set
tied by those principles. Other principles
are involved which demand attention, and
foremost among them is that which involves
the right of the. President or OF Congress TO
decide ,chdt shall be the qualifications Of
UoterS in the several States. Hitherto the
National Government has never claimed any
such power. New York decides by her own
constitution what men may vote, and what
men may not vote, at her elections. Some
of the Western States permit aliens to vote
before they are naturalized. Some Northern
States exclude negro voters altogether
some require a property qualification, and
others admit them on the same terms with
whites. If the National Government asserts
control OF this whole question, we must be
prepared TO see that control exercised every
where. If the President may say who shall
vote in one State, he may say who shall vote
in every other. We do not believe the seye-
raj States are prepared TO concede 10 him
this power. Massachusetts will decide for
herself, and will not permit the Presiden. OF
Congress TO decide for her, who shall and
who shall not vote within her borders.
The same rule must be applied TO Virginia
and to Georgia, in this matter, as to Massa-
chusetts and New York. Ii they are States
of the Union they must control this question
of voting themselves and If they are not
States OF the Union, they have no business
to vote at all. President Johnson acts upon
the principle that they are in the Union
that they have never been out Of it-tbat
their acts Of pretended secession we're null
and void, and never changed in the slightest
particular the legal relation Of those States
10 the Union and this principle, with all its
legitimate consequences, will DO accepted by
the country as the basis Of reconstruction.
But even if il were onfpetent for Congress
10 decide this question of negro suffrage,
there are some considerations connected with
il which Senator Sumner can scar cely ignore.
Concedng the full natural equality of the
two races, their opportunities for cul-
ture have cer ainly been very unequal -
A very large proportion of the recent slaves
At the South were field. hands-llliterate,
iynorant of even the existence Of gov
eminent, and Just as Incompetent to form
opinions on political subjects as the cattle by
their side. In South Carolina this class
would very nearly form majority of tho
whole voting population. Is It sensible or
decent to place the political control of that
State in their hands, Does Mr.. Sumner be-
lieve that it would be for dnybodyS interest
to do so 1t is true, We have terribly cheap
ened that great and priceless possession, the
suffrage; but is it wise thus absolutely To de-
grade it and empty it oil all its worth
The day will come, We trust, when every
man, black or white, in the whole country,
fit to exercise the right of voting, will pos
sess and enjoy that right. But We require OF
foreigners who come to our shores some
years of instruction and preparation before
they are admitted to its enjoyment. The
same reasons which make this wise, would
also require a similar probation from those
who have but Just escaped from the igno.
l..s ia