New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-03-26
AMNESTY AND SUFFRAGE.

! AMNESTY AND SUFFRAGE.
There seems to be some little excitement q
Washington over proposition Of compromise
between the two parties, whereby to settle all oul
present political troubles. The proposition has foi
its apparent sponsor certain Mr.. Stewart one o.
the Senators from the new State of Nevada, and
son.nlaw of the irrepressible Henry 8. Foote, for
merly Of Mississippi. The plan proposed is this
That all arebels', shall have full and free "par
DOM for their terrible crimes, provided they will
& agree, everywhere, to confer upon the freedman
! the precious boon of suffrage. In other words
"amnesty in exchange for suffrage is the new
cry of the radicals and they profess that they are
very magnanimous and generous in conceding ever
I so much as that.
i Perhaps they are. Looking at the question from
4 their point of view, and animated by the passions
which possess them, they must think it rather
liberal thing that any "rebel should escape witt
his neck. But. then, inasmuch as one rebel i
hardly more criminal than another, the question
is how to hang one without hanging all. If hang
ing is to be undertaken, the thing must of cours
be impartial, and no favoritism can be shown. Tn
hanging remedy, therefore, being slightly incon
venient, when the gallows will have to be erecte,
for eight millions Of people, it is not surprising
some escape from the difficulty should be pro
jected. Equally Objectionable with hanging is thu
plan of universal coniscation. So far as that has
been tried, its success has not been particularly
promising. It is very true that the scheme has
4 worked well in despoiling the citizen, in many
cases, of his property. but when the net re-
suits which flow into the treasury come to be CON
lnslx AZ l.I. 49,
counted. .Confscation. therefore, is clearly not
the remedy, unless some more efectuai system can
be devised by which the money thus realized may
find its way into the public treasury, instead Of
being absorbed by those patriotic leecnes 70 Whom
the handling Of it is entrusted
| 1t has been customary, in all ages, IN all conn-
tries and under all sorts Of governments, TO grant
pardon for political ofenses. This is done as an
act of the highest wisdom and state craft, without
much reference to the generosity and magnanimity
of the act. It disarms opposition, allays discon-
| tent and restores that unity among the people,
which; however strong government may be, it
is better to have than to be without Recognizing
the wisdom Of this course, Mr.. Lincoln issued an
amnesty proclamation long before the close of the
war, and one of the first acts of Mr.. johnson, on
ding to the Presidency, was to issue another.
OF those who were accounted as ''rebels," more
than ninety in every hundred have taken one or
the other Of these oaths, received full and com
plete absolution and entire restoration to all per-
s0nal rights. Those who are still excluded from
amnesty by reason of coming under some of the
exceptions of the Presidents proclamation, do not
number, all told, through all the South, more than
q few thousands. And yet the radicals have the
GOODNESS to propose compromise which would
make popular elections in the South, for all time
to come, q humbug and a farce, on the suppose
fion that their opponents will surrender this point
for the sake of removing the disabilities under
which these few thousands of our people now
labor.
The scheme of g universal Suffrage by which
is meant negro suffrage, never had its origin in
any special love for the negro, or any regard for
its rights. On the other hand, it is not opposed
on account Of any indisposition to coneede those
rights. The negroes right to vote is opposed on
the broad ground that he is intellectually equal
10 proper use of that important weapon the
ballot. We do not permit minors to vote, nor
women, nor foreigners unacquainted with the 4
orms Of our government and the spirit Of our
avs, although we are, in this country more liberal
u the ballot than In any other country we know
Of Most Northern people think we hate the me-
gro, and, therefore, deny him suffrage but there
never was greater mistake. II we know any
thing of public sentiment here, it wishes well to
the freedman desires to see him happy and pros
porous, and working out the destiny for which
Providence designed him. But if we conclude
that he is not morally and intellectually fitted to
exercise the right of suffrage, we only do what the
unanimous voice Of the civilized world has upheld
as the right and correct thing from the beginning
Of time. There have been slaves, both white and
black, in many countries emancipation, in no
single case that'We know oil, has ever been fol. I
owed by universal suffrage even where the eman
,ipated were. white. s5sss IN
The real motive Of seeking to make the negro
IN eecter is, we have no doubt, political, and has
cfereneefo future political power. If this coun-i
~ continue to grow and develop as it has done,
he day is not far distant when there will be no
ltical enlancipa Jon when the teeming millions
yilo live west Of the Alleghanies will at laatrid
themselves Of the incubus of New England ideas,
nd defeat the selfish and restrictive policy which
1ew England has always managed, in greater or
ess degree TO impose upon the country. The PEG 4
lie OF the northwest, of the great Mississippi val
ey, and Of the extreme Western States, will not
lgays submit TO be ruled by an Eastern policy
yliich plumbers and Expresses them, and Ii is a
knowledge Of this which makes Sumner SO anxious
Q make bargain which, without conceding any I
hing of value, secures longer lease of power to
he party which sustains his peculiar IDEAS In
lany districts of the South the negro vote would
ntnumber the awhite-and every snch district
'ould AMMAN of the Summer stripe to Con
ress. Hence the proposition to give universal
nanesty (Which we almost have now for negro
lttrage. Hence the tender of d compromise,
hich, Ike most political compromises, enures to
g benefit of one sdesaonly. We have no idea
at the Democratic members of Congress, much
y The President, will lend ear to this ne device
1 the radical leaders to accomplish their wicked
ID revolutionary purposes. 800 :. = -.
TIE PErRoLRuM VAPoR ESropE.4- That very in
resting novelty, Gray,s petroleum yapor stove.
as been on exhibition during several weeks mast,
! No. LOG Camp street, It is well worth q minute
Its smplicity, efficiency and economy
lnnot pc surpassed or perhaps in this age Of pro
ress, we would more correctly say, has not beenj
rpassed company, with ample capital, has
cen organized for the manufacture Of these
owes, N New Orleans, and the Investment cannot
Y 70 prove profitable one, for as culinary in Il
fnmentIt must speedily come into general use
VIII please the servant for it saves labor. lila
y please the housewife, because Of its
1arIa l,tn5 IL. L.,