The national Republican., 1866-07-24

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TUESDAY noREtIa Ia;:;;!:::..Ei July a isss,
TIE SUFFRAGE QUEsrIoN. 90
We can sttentioH 70 an article which ,ap.
peated IN tkb paper IN April last, and dwbich,
with the best intentions, sought 10 induce
CongrcSvo- take aposition on the question
Of ofsuarSse that would receive the sanction
and cooperation Of TIE PsEsrDEsr, and meet
the demands Of an enlightened and liberal
age. This overture on our part to do Justice
to the colored population Of this District, and
to settle the franchise question forever, 50
far as national responsibility ID concerned,
has been met on the part Of Congress with
silent contempt, There are but two reasons 10
explain this conduct. Either the Thirty
Ninth Congress intend 10 hold this matter
over until the short session, in order to I'M
pose suffrage upon the people here without
reference to their will or consent, or they
dare not give TIE PREslDExr and his friends
an opportunsty to demonstrate their assent
to a just disposition of this impo1tdnt sub
jea, for fear IL piH strengthen him before
the people this fan. The policy Of the radi.
Gals is to put the Administration in false
position upon all issues important to
the American public. No man in this
country is more devotedly in favor
OF protecting by all the forms Of law the per-
sonal and property rights Of all men, white
and black, than President JOHNSON; xyet the
Civil Rights bill was framed with such nm
wise, unconstitutional and undemocratic ae-
compartments as to compel veto, which
veto has been heralded rs an sntagonism to
the civil immunities Of the freedmen. The
policy Of The PREsIbEsr with reference to
the admission Of members from the States
once in rebellion has invariably been to rec
ognize the loyal and reject those disqualified
by disloyalty, SO that loyalty might be hon
ored and "treason be made odious." Yet
the outcry Of malicious partisans has en-
deavored to teach the people thai. The Pres
1DENr was desirous to bring into power
''rebels and traitors" The same course has
been pursued with reference to the constitu-
tional amendment. President JOHNSON OBJ
jects to making the passage of that amend
ment the condition Of recognizing the valid
ity Of the States to representation. Believ-
ing those States in the Union and subordi-
nate to the Constitution, he regards the
representative rights Of the States inaliena-
BILE and sacred; demanding, however, that the
representative should answer the utmost test
of loyalty. Yet an unprncipled press and
IN unscrupulous horde Of ranters undertake
to charge upon him opposition TO the sane
tity Of the national debt and rectification
Of the basis Of representation. Another part
of the same unrighteous programme is the
systematized Misrepresentation Of the
Executive upon the suffrage question.
On this matter his record is clear
and unmistakable. His position is broad,
progressive, statesmanlike, and Chris
tian. Maintaining that extended suffrage is
only valuable to the negro when it is the
voluntary act Of the community in which the
privilege is to be exercised, he seeks to i'm
press the people of the States with the i'm
portance and necessity of proper action. In
his dispatch to Gov. SHARKKY, in his conver-
sation with Major STEARss, in his addresses
to the colored population, in his private con-
versations, he openly avows his individual
advocacy Of the. boon Of suffrage to the in
telligent, the patriotic, and the property
holding negro. The article we have referred
to reveals what we understand to be his po-
sition on this question for this District The
president believes, and we believe with him,
that the States have absolute control over
this subject within their limits, and that the
enforcement Of franchise upon one section OF
the land by another, through the arbitrary
authority Of Congress, and at the point oi
the bayonet, is not only in violation Of the
Constitution, but would track the path to the
ballOt-box with blood, and would prove both
unavailable and fatal TO the black race. Ii
this great and inestimable privilege is ever
granted to the colored people Of America, it
will be in accordance with thepolicy initiated
by The President; that is, by the assent ol
the States. Then it may prove blessing to
those who receive it. The education eleva-
ton, and enfranchisement Of the freedmen
by Christian methods has had no earlier and
will have no sincerer advocate than the Pres
dent OF the United States.
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