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

pated slaves to the right Of unqualified,
universal suffrage 10 The rebel States, is
put forward by them rs an Indispensable
eondiii6n to the re-admission Of these
States to the Union. Judge Kelley, of
Pennsylvania, the author Of this bill, de-
declared recently, in debate with Mr..
Kasson, of Iowa, that Congress had the
right to prescribe the qualifications of
voters for the most numerous branch
of the Legislature in every State in
the Union-in other words, that, not
withstanding the explicit language Of
the Constitution, Congress had supreme
power over this whole subject, and he is
prepared to introduce bill for its as
sertion and exercise. Mr. Stevens has
introduced bill to give every emanci-
patel negro homestead, either from
the confscated estates of Southern reb-
els, or from lands in the South owned by
the Government. A bill is already be-
fore the House ignoring utterly every
hthing done by the President toward the
restoration of peace and Federal rela.
tons in the Southern States, and pro-
posing to organize territorial govern
|ments for them all. And the same tao
tics are to be employed to force each
and eUeTy one of these measures upon
the Union party in the House, which
proved so successful on this District of
Columbia bin. The same use will be
made Of the machinery of caucus. De-
cisions will be sustained and enforced
when favorable to these projects, and
disregarded and overthrow, by alliance
with the Democrats, when adverse. And
as the Democrats themselves are simply
playing their own partisan game, they
must naturally be expected to aid, by
such action as these alliances may offer,
in fastening upon the Union administra'
| ton whatever may be most obnoxious to
the public Judgment, and thus offer them
the best chance Of a speedy return to
power. + sisg IS ISL ~ X sr5a.ee sdi saei
1t may fairly be presumed that Presi-
| dent johnson will not overlook these
considerations, as well as others more
directly involved, in his action upon
this bill. The question cf negro suf-
frage is one upon which the Union par
ty. as such, has never taken action. 1t
has never come before any national con-
vention, nor have any considerable num-
Der of State conventions taken ground
upon il. Nor is il. quite easy to see
what exegencies of the public welfare
force it, with such peremptory authority,
upon the instant action of Congress and
the country. While il is matter Of COM
paratively little consequence to most of
the Northern and Eastern States, it
touches most closely the sentiments and
prejudices of the West, and ia absolute
Iy a matter of life or death to Unionism
aad loyalty among the masses of the
people of the Southern States, The men
moreover, who know most of the actual
condition of the colored race in the
South, do not hesitate to assert shat no
more fatal step for them could be taken
than this that il viii intensity, inertia
bly, and intellectually, the hostility of
races already strong enough to demand
the wisest and most careful treatment
and the chances are three to one that it
will bring on collision, insurrection,
and rebellion that may eventually wrap
the whole country in the flames of q
war tenfold more terrible than that we
have just closed These are considera-
tions to which no wise man should will
ingly close his eyes, and they well at
least give pause to the efforts of those
most exclusively devoted to the welfare
of the colored race. .s.a-.. ..,..
It ia well enough to bear in mind,
moreover, that President johnson has
never committed himself in any way to
the principle of universal suffrage, eth
er for the District of Columbia or for
any State; and that is the principle
| wh;oh sc The I'LL m eaaa &c Caooto -
to be presented for his approval. He
has never gone further than to say that
If acting within his own State alone, he
might favor the admission of quali6ed
coiored voters to the exercise of the
right of suffrage and even this was
given merely as personal opinion, and
in no sense as an indication of official
action. 1t is, known, also, that he re-
CARDS the people Of the District of Co.
lumbia as having in no wise lost their
rights as citizens, or their claim to re-
spect and regard Cor their. wishes con-
corning their own affairs, by their sub
lection to the exclusive jurisdiction OF
Congress; and it would be unwise to
assume that he will feel at liberty wholly
to. disregard the.vote lately taken in the
District ON the subject of negro suffrage.
1t is possible, therefore, to say the
least, in our judgment, that President
johnson may withhold his signature
from the bill We distrust the express
ions Of confidence Of his approval, 10
which these gentlemen somewhat osten-
tatiously indulge. They may have
ground for these expressions in their
knowledge of his purpose-or they may
hope to influence his action by. them
or they may merely seek to force the
party into this position regardless of the
Incorporation of the Executive, and reck.
less of the fate of the party itself. In
these days of difficulty and danger
when the peace now dawning may be
dispersed by tempests still more terrible
than that whose frightful fury still
sounds in our ears, we can not look up
on with indifference to the fate of the
Union party as consistent with love for
the Union or devotion othe welfare of
our common country. This ia, not the
time when new issues can be forced ups
ON the nation, without imminent danger
of-re-opening those the nation. has just
decided. Nr1YrFss-AEw