The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-12
THE SOUTHERN STATES.
Negro Suffrage RecOmm mended-ReIianee d
Upon Congress.
GOVERNOR BRowNLOw's MESSAGE.

NVhnto9ee AtgtolhJuIe cCeaVeS considerable eX
citement. We present the following extracts:-
AT your extra session in July last i'm the faoe
OF the direct opposition OF the Federal Admins.
tratIoD, and IN defiance Of It's power and
patronage, you ratified the pending Amendment
70 the Federal Constitution. The loyal peopIe OF
nas,vh nave approved the wisdom and APP
plauded the iearlessness of your course and the
Congress OF the United States signi6ed their an
prooatlon by at once admitting to their seats
you chosen Representatives, thus restoring TO
our STATE all the rights and relations that had
people. " ''i
True, you have been abused and denounced
Dy the President and his present folio gers:
WINE lhOse VINO endeaVOred by Revolutionary
acts TO destroy your organization have bee1
hOhOreu and rewarded, yet you have enioyed
the APPRECIATION or your own conscience and
received the plaudits of the patriotic of the
nauOn, and may well go on in the even tenor of
your Way, guided alone by sense of duty
Having in this distinguished manner affixed the
seal ol your appreciation TO this amendment IL
ls proper hat you should mould your leoislation
10 fs sphr and design. While il is true tnat
tnlS an endment leaves with the States as here.
iOlore, the regulation Of tn" elective franchise
~ le equally true that they encourage the
enitanchisement OF all LOYAL male citizens
oi Whatever color. Our own State for in
stance, under the operations OF the amendment
without the enfranchsement of the coIored
cltlSens, Will have but six Representatives
while, with impartial loyal suffrage IL is estI.
mated that she would have nine, thus increasino
her power In the councils of the nation ifty ppr
cent. 10 my message addressed to you In Octo-
Det 1869, the subject OF colored suffrage is dis.
cusBed IN all Its bearings. Upon careful ra.
view OF that paper, still approve the sentiments
tnereln expressed, and respectfully refer Won To
them. An eventful year, however has passed
bulce " was written; and while unforeseen
eyents nave happened, contingencies therein
contemplated have also occurred The cJlofed
race nave shown greater aptitude for learning
th auu InIelllgence than was expected, aud by
tner gooH conduct and steadfast loyalty
nave rapidly won upon the good opinion and
respect OF the white race; while the late
Rebels, under the encouragement OF the presi
dent, nave shown less disposition to return 10
true loyalty than was hoped for. These mani
fesl auons have occasiOned rapid advancement
OF the national sentiment in favor of impartial
suffrage In the message 10 which have alluded
Whlle candidly admitting that negro voting
cannot SUIT my natural preiudices OF caster it
~ yet stated that there is a class of them I
would be willing TO see vote at once" The
opln1on ls also expressed THAT negro suffrage
~ bound to follow as one Of the great results of
Nne heoellon; and that the time would come
When II would be proper and rightn but that
the time had not then come the great objection
Delng to 'the immediate and indlscriminate
entranchisemeDt OF the negroes:" but II is
urectly insisted III the message to which refer
that III Rebels are to be restored to the rights of
eiec'lye franchise, let us no longer deny those
political ri"hts to the slaves who have been
faithful among the aithless1 I still adhere IN
the opinion that ''all this great outcry against
a negro voting IN any contingency, comes from
& lingering sentiment OF dslo yalty in the South
In all the States lately in rebellion, except Ten
ne6see, the Rebels have been fully restored to
the rights of the elective franchise:i and even
IN our own state, under "A some what stringent
Suffrage law, large number OF dsloyal persons
are nnaVoldably allowed TO vote. Whether the
time has come when il Is proper and rightn to
confer the ballot upon the colored man, or
whether that time is approaching at which the
sacred right shall accrue to him, are questions
earnest consideration and dnal
OeclSl0n. The admirers and followers Of the
President cannot, with any show of consistency
oppose the enfranchisement OF the negro
In an authorized and approved statement
Of his opinion, made public by his direction,
long since his accession to the Presidency he
declares that ii he were 'in Tennessee he would
endeayor to introduce negro suffrage" He de-
Clares that he would begin with three classes of
negroes to be admitted to vote at once:-"rhose
who had served in the army; those who could
read and write; and those having a property
qualification OF $500 or $3.50" Thus, by a sys-
tem not very gradual, he desired to extend the
privilege to the entire race. If what is termed
the radical party in the Legislature shall agree
with the President and his followers on the
question OF negro suffrage, it would seem that
an excellent opportunity tor agreement and con-
and that the negro may be enfran.
chsed with unanimity. As for myself,
while l have confessed to those preju-
dices OF caste, resulting from education
huu lAciOuS HdDLlS, du lIce W say JudG 4
desire to act in harmony with the great body of
he loyal people of the Union. | think we
should not, without great and controlling rea-
Sons, sever ourselves from that great national
party whose wisdom and courage saved the life |
Of the nation, and rescued the loyal people of
Tennessee from the hands of the oppressor. The |
franchise law, passed on the Sd OF May last. is |
not set fully in operation. Registers have been |
IN all OF the counties of the State but
many OF them have not completed their labors |
ana made their reports. AS fast as they
nave done so, / have ordered elections
ia compliance with the provisions of the
nave neen generally faithful and firm in
the dlscharge OF their important duty. Except
in the city OF Nashville the late speciSl elections
seem TO nave oeen held substantially in accord
ance with the law. In this city / am informed
that but few OF the judges and clerks of the
municipal election, or OF the successful candi. |
dates for the principal offices, complied with the
law by taking the important oath set forth in
vide O remedy for similar violations OF the law
in the future. You are fresh from your consti-
tuents, and have had better opportunities than
have had to observe the operations OF tue law.
more OF its workings. As no future Legislature
can act upon this vital subject, 1t VIII be your
duty to perfect the law with the utmost care.
This law was not passed from VlndlctlVe or
maleVOlent motives; but in self-defense TO pro-
tect the loyal people from oppression and
the State from misrule. The spirit and
genius OF republican mSLlJuGlons ueulbnu
that every citizen should be allowed TO
vote who may do so consistently with the safety
of the Government. If there be classes dis
franchised by the present law, who are worthy
OF the privilege, you should restore them; and
If there be classes entranchised who are un-
worthy, you should restrict them. II you are
satisfied that in process OF time the disfran'
ohised class will become good citizens by learn
inc to respect loyalty, you may fix limit to the
Operations OF the law by naming some gay IN
tba fntnre when its restrictions shall wholly or
nartiaiIv eease At all events, you should,
Pe.l lNNNy aaio..,uarnont sae 81 nnasihle. that