Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-01-29

HI
the Saates-C0ngress and the
.smssaA President. ~ aA4A
[FrOm tbs ksw York Times, January 22.l
AS our readers are aware, the bill es
tablishiDg universal negro suffrage in
the District Of Columbia, passed the
House of Representatives on Thursday
last BY vote of ll6 ayes to 81 nays.
1t will probably also pass the Senate by
decided majority. 1t is generally as
sumed that 10 will receive the Presi-
dents signature and thus become law;
but we regard this as by no means GER
tain. It is said to have been asserted
by Judge Kelley on the floor of the
House, while the bill was upon it's pas
sage, that be knew the President would
sign it, end this statement probably had
some effect in swelling the vete in it's
favor. Whether Judge Kelley pretsnd-
ed to speak from positive, personal
knowledge OF the Presidents intention,
or only By waylof inference from his. DO
sition and presumed opinions, we are
not aware. sis,s ~. 49,
The passage of the billin the House is
claimed by the Tribune as q decided
triumph of the radical majority" The
claim is perfectly just. But whether
that triumph was achieved by a fair ex-
ercise of its strength, or By an adroit
and somewhat unserupnlons alliance
with the Democratic minority, may be
open to serious dorbt The bill was
originally introduced BY Judge Kelley,
Of Pennsylvania, and was referred tc
the judiciary Committee, of which Mr.
Wilson, of Iowa, is Chairman. 1t pro
vided for universal negro suffrage in the
District. Mr.. Wilson reported it back,
and the House entered upon its disc US.
sion. After this had gore on for a few
days, q conference of the Union mem.
hers of the House was called to consult
MS to the proper course to be pursued.
After full discussion, it was decided,
by vote of more than two to one, that
the bill should be re-committed to the
Judiciary Committee, with instructions
TO amend it, so as TO require all persons,
both white and black, who should here
after be admitted to vote in the District,
to be able to read the Constitution of the
United States, or else to have served in
the army, or to pay taxes on personal OF
real estate. This was distinctly UNDER
stood by all parties to be the decision Of
the Union party and BY none more dis
tinctly than by Mr.. Wilson himself. No
one pretended that it bound any one to
vote in any particular way; but Il was
supposed that il would have weight with
Mr.. Wilson and his associates az to the
form in which the case was submitted to
the action of the House. A very large
majority Of the Union members desired
the vote to be taken upon granting the
colored men Of the District O suffrage
qualified BY the ability to read; and
they supposed that, in Difference to their
wishes, TINS distinctly expressed, this
would be done. They were mistaken.
Mr.. Wilson and his associates voted
with the Democrats against the recom.
misment, and thus brought the vote
directly upon the question of universal
negro suffrage in the District. and
the great body Of the Union majority
preferred TO vote together rather than
separate upon this issue thus forced upor
4 them. Whether they acted wisely or
not, will be determined By results: bu,
| we know that they acted from a para,
mount desire TO save the Union part,
from dissension and disruption. .Iffhel
had been met. in this effort By CORE
1 spending desire on the part Of Mr.. Viii
SON and his associates, the prospect O
ultimate success would have been NOR
hopeful than they seem at present.
II this question were confined to tn
District of Columbia, it would DO of les
Importance than IL is. Congress ha
within that District the unqnestione'
power of exclusive legislation, and how
ever oppressiyely and unwisely that pow
or may be exercised, the injury iaAiote'
is confined within narrow limits. Bu
this step ia but nm entering wedge to
general system Of legislstion seoncern
| ing the negro race. The ayowal has re
peatedly been made BY those known a
radicals in the Union ranks, that it
main purpose was to establish prfnct
pie IN the District which should after
ward be applied to the several States