The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-01-25

TIE UNFORTUNATE DHrRIcr OF C0Lu1Bh.-a
The "white folks" Of the District Of Columbia
are beginning to have pretty clear percep-
ton Of that solemn warning, "put not your
trust In politicians" Under the federal con-
shtution Congress has over said District "ex-
elusive power Of Legislation In all cases what
soever." This power has become great con-
venience to the radical abolition reformers o.
Congress in their experiments for the elevs-
ton of the black race; but 1t il the story Of The
frogs in the fable to the victims Of these merry
pastimes. The census Of 1860 gives to the Dis
trict embracing Washington, Georgetown ana
the margin Of the District territory around
them, q total population of seventy-hve thou
sand, Of which Washington city had slxty-ons
thousand, including some fifteen thousand
blacks, bond and free. The late rebellion has re-
suited in adding, perhaps, not less than twenty
thousand blacks to this element, chiefly from
the adjoining late slave States, and has also
resulted in abolishing slavery. There are
therefore now in Washington some thifty-avs
Thousand free negroes, more or less, against
about seventy thousand whites. In other
words, the black element constitutes one-thind
of the population Of the national capital. aad
is largely made up from. the ignorant, creda-
Ions and destitute refugees from the late slsvs
plantations of Virginia ana Maryland.
Upon these people the House Of Represents
tives has passed bill comforting the right q
suffrage without qualification. Leaving orr
of the question the almost unanimous remon-
STRANGE of the whites Of Washington, the ques-
ton recurs, is this the way Of wisdom, humanity
or safety? Are the property rights Of tho
people Of Washington entitled to no respect
Are these whites entitled to no consideration.
as the majority Of the people Of tho
city? Are the distinctions of race and color.
cultivated by Congress and established In tho
federal constitution for three-quarters Of q CEN
fury, TO go for nothing? Can these distinctions
and prejudices of race and color, old as the pyra
mids of Egypt, be abolished in day by acts Of
Congress? Are not all wholesome revolutions
the work OF time and gradual ameliorationsf
The whites and the blacks of the District Of
Columbia may well inquire, what is next to DO
our portion? Will 1t be a Congressional com
mission, or major general with five thousand
bayonets to maintain law and orders It Is said
that the people Of Washington ought TO bs
thankful in being fed directly from the public
treasury; but they are made to feel II in being
subject to the whims, caprices and experiments
of legislative body with supreme power over
them, made up of strangers, here to-day ~
gone tomorrow, and without even tho repre-
sentation Of . Territory. No wonder that since
the return Of peace the Substantial citsens q
Washington ore beginning to csst assut fse
some more desirable iocestsn for tho aaAxsa-
tases ofa repnblicaa form of government ~
this rate the natisaa1 osaiti viii ,.ssea b
nothing else than osravanssry Of odles aslA-
ers, Office seekers, vagrants gamblers and Vega
bonds, and negroes under the care of the Freed
mems Bureau.