Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1866-03-26
THE AMNEsTY-sUFFRAGE COM.
PROMISE.

PHOmhSH.
There are many things In human affairs
that sound agreeable and seem plausible on
presentation that win not stand the test Of
criticism and examination. The late pro-
posai to wipe out forever the enormities and
forego the penalties Of treason by comforting
upon portion Of the oolored race In the
Southern States qualified extension Of suf
frage, Is such measure.
We are Of the opinion that the noise
and eelat with which Its enuncistion
was heraided, was premature; that the sud
den endorsement 1t received BY impulsive
Senators and an unrenecting press will be
revoked when the novelty is gone and oslmer
judgment takes tho place Of impetuous en-
thusiasm. Like other phenomena its popu-
lsrity will attach only to Its birth, for its
life will be evanescont.
Universal suffrage to the millions Of hu-
man beings scarcely emerged from the direst
bondage Is q problem surrounded with the
greatest difficulties. To invest whole race
with the highest responsibilities ever con-
ferred upon man, not one Of whom have, till
within two years, enjoyed the slightest ad-
vantages Of civilization, or been possessed
with q solitary right which appertains to in
telligent humanity, might we'll stagger the
crsduiity of the boldest reformer or the most
extravagant philsnthropist.
It would be supposed that rebellion which
took two millions Of the bravest soldiery Of
the earth to conquer; arebellion unparalleled
in the infamy Of Its origiR, the savsgeness Of
its prosecution, and the aendish strocity
which marred its progress, which made half
q million needless graves, desolated one en-
tire section Of the country, sent sorrow to
every household in the land, and piled up a
debt so huge that its payment Is entailed
upon IN innocent posterity, would require
for its perpetrators and instigators at least
some punishment so marked and terrible that
no American would dare to repeat its wicked
ness. And yet It is proposed to purge the en-
tire guilt of treason by the meagre extension
of the right of franchise to the negro. The
crime of the one Is to be Offset with the doubt.
full expedieney Of the other. Are We pre-
pared for this Is It to be the deliberate
and sober verdict Of this people, that a few
thousand ballots In tho hands Of, former
slaves, is to expiate the unnumbered wrongs
which we have suffered, and atone for the
most foul and frightful sins of which there
is any record? Did Mr.. SUMNER know when
he exultingly welcomed the new convert
from Nevada" the mover of the amnesty
suffrage proposition, that he was clutching at
gigantic compromise. and that no was well
coming to bis embrace tho guilty and blood
stained chiefs who had perilled the existence
of his Government, and had stricken down
in death the flower of his countrymen3 Was
he aware that in hailing unlimited amnesty,
on the cheap condition Of suffrage to the
blacks under the uncertain chances of State
regulation, he was prpPsripg to Oil the va
cant seats In the Senate chamber with JRF-
PERSON DAVIS, the civil and RoBERr =.
LEE, the military head of treason; that he
was summoaing to bis side, as his equals
Virginia, the infamous SLIDELL, Of Louis
lana. and thu inhuman FoRBEsr of TenDes:
see ? Did he realize that with the accept;
ance Of that proposition he forbade all right
eous retributioni reserved not one victim In
the whole dark catalogue OF treasoni JET the
violated decencies Of war unredressedi the
fearful massacre at Andersonyille unayenged,
and so completely bound the hands Of law
and justice that honor instead Of disgraoei
place, power and position In lieu Of penalty,
would inure to the leading rebels and most
dangerous enemies Of the country, and tho
hideous inconsistency Of rewarded instead OF
punished traitors would become fact In our
our history And all this concession to
treason to be made II the rebellious States
only frame their laws hsreGtter so that a few
black men may be let into the ballot.boz
With al due respect to the distinguished
Senator from Nevada, such arc soWe Of the
features Of his compromise measure. 70 no
such hateful banquet do we invite our In
jured countrymen,
Let 1t be remembered that tho plan no"
before Congress, while making provisions fol-
the most sweeping pardon and amnesty for
traitors, permits tho States to manage the
suffrage question as they please True, ii
compels them to ignore the distinctions OIL
race and color but they can 90 limit, qualify,
or involve II, that those Of tho colored race
who would receive its boon would be bat q
IK.a Al h. asa In haE i'm