The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-06-04
The Impartial Suffrage Meeting in
BOSTON.

,,ortial suffrage meeting OF ultra radicals in
PPoston we find tho following
1.-THE exercise by Congress Of tAe power to
sxelude the whole people OF the rebel states
from representation, involves the power to
arclude a part and to admit part"
"All loyal men, without regard to race or
,o,or are entitled to equal rights as citizens Of
. government which derives its just powers
f,e an the consent of the governed"
~Tbanks to Congress for its courage, firm
,oso and fidelity in resisting the admission OF
rebels to Congress"
We presume it will not be denied that the
roonle of the South are a portion OF the peo-
prle who are governed" that they are
tf;tewise citizens of the Government" The
octs of the Legislatures of their States since the
war, politically make them so, granting that
thew had forfeited the right of citizenship by
anticipation in the rebellion. Ihey are
therefore no longer 'rebels," but citizens, not
outstanding the denial of this character to
them by the dominant party in Congress, and
tbo;r snpporters out of it, such, for example,
as comnosed the impartial suffrage meeting in
Roston f AS citizens, therefore, of the Govern
ment" they are Justly entitled to equal rights
With other citizens in "a government which
derives its lust powers from the consent Of the
This popular dogma, however, which lies
~ tbe very foundation of the structure of
orr Government, was not only ignored by
tha attempt to coerce the Southern States,
Init if is now practically abolished as a fun
damental principle of democratic republican,
ism For. to exclude the Southern States
from representation in the councils of the
nation is clearly and indisputably a denial
Of the fundamental dogma that the Govern
ment derives its just powers from the consent
of the governed" because the consent of the
Southern people cannot be given under our
form of government except by and through
their representatives The power, therefore,
which is claimed for, and exercised by Con-
gress, to exclude the whole people of the
Southern States, is in violation, not only Of
every principle of right and justice, but it
is to trample under foot the Constitution,
which forms the very Government itself 1t
is, in fine, to govern without the consent of
the governed"
To designate the meeting in Boston as an
impartial suffrage" meeting, was, therefore,
misnomer; because its resolutions favored
{ and approved course of Congressional ac-
ton dramatically opposed to impartality,
and denied the principle, which it protested
4 to entertain, of the Consent of the governed
Il from which, it is admitted, our Government
derives its ''just powers" The admission,
therefore, of this principle, by this impartial
suffrage" meeting, may justly be character
ised as illogical, if not hypocritical; and was
on,1rk g. Al.
mostly which is still entertained towards the
Southern people, by the extreme Northern
radical party.
At this meeting it was also resolved that
sectional animosities had their origin in de-
nying equal civil and political rights to all
men before the law" President johnson hav-
ing been severely denounced" while Con-
gress was complimented. If the origin OF
sectional animosites is to be traced to the
cause assigned in the above resolution, is
mexpugnable evidence OF one or the other of
two indisputable facts.
These are, either that the Constitution
which was framed by our fathers and which
was claimed by Mr.. WEBSTER and other
prominent politicians and statesmen North
and South, to have made us zone people,
ought not to have been framed and ratified
oy the States-or, that Andrew johnson is
right, in the position he is understood to oc-
eGapy, In his opposition to negro suffrage.
FOR, the Constitution, when framed, did not
recognize equal civil and political rights to
all men,-negroes having been excluded from
many OF those rights which were guaranteed
70 White men. If, therefore, sectional ami
alosltles had their origin in denying equal
civil and political rights to all men," that
origin" Is to be traced in and to the Consti-
luton itself which formed the government,
winch was indeed the Government, after rati-
acatlon by the States. President johnson,
therefore, instead of having been denounced
iof his adherence to the great compact of the
constitution, in this matter, should have been
eompllmented for his frmness in adhering to
the obligations of his oath of Office to support
the Constitution, and Congress should have
received the denunciations, (which were so
uaustly uttered against him. for its disregard
Of the provisions of the instrument, and the
attempt to inaugurate negro suffrage in the
oouth without the consent of the Southern
people, whose social and political system will
Ut most affected by such a measure.
Neero suffrage may be characterised as an
A. >0h Va 1AC NdiuC Vi q pOiltiIdl iChlC-
~ w.. Inc malady of the negro is ignorance,
"ni9n totally units him for the franchise and
t ,sa MS political exclusion proper just as
s sae smali pox renders proper the social ex-
fusion OF the patient. The symptoms of the
a naaiaoy OF ignorance are admitted by these
h i@elcal negro worshippers; but the disease
t =" ne Their political skill In attempting
tb fl enect What they conceive to be remedial
t tney are aggravating the disease by their
t;p ea,lnent; To apply the language Of dis
Lang SSu!sned writer upon the condition of Scot
Of ~ III The fifteenth century, when speaking
oI the injudicious attempts of politicians tc
e .W what they conceive to be great good
tb I'eIactlon on one side, produces reaction Oh
t tno o'her BY the shock of conflicting in
Nests the scheme of life is made insecure
Kew hew animoslties are kindled, old ones are EN-
a "l''efed, and the natural jar and discordanc
me aggravated, simply because the rulers o