Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-02-16


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The Question Of Free Suffrage. The
Presidents Position.
The report which we published elsewhere
Of President JOhnsOn's remarks to tie
delegation who waited on him IT behalf OF
the Freedmen to request his influence to
secure for them the RICH; Of voting in the
late rrbe!llous States, probably lie in suo- |
stance a correct one Though, as the Presl- |
dents remarks do not appear to have been
written, and the report Is not oihcial' an e2-
act word -tor-word report might present some
difference in shades Of meaning, II no more
As it stands, there is nothing IN the report
or IN the published reply OF the delegation
TO the Presidc1;, wLicl Re publish also
from which any one can justly INFER that
tbe personal interview Vac anything but
courteous and frank IN tbc conduct aud
speech Of the President, OF showed any thing
uninauuerly or impertintn' IN tic depOFt-
ment Of the delegation
Tie coarse abuse which some papers besto"
on Messrs. Downing and Douglass ar II they
were guilty Of lnsolence in thrust them
scIyc. into the presence OF Mr.. johnson and
had ,iucily strove to badger him into afgu-
men, With them. evidently has No iounda-
ton xcept in party spite. Tic sneering
allLsi,ns to the interview by some Others
have no Justification either. 1t was iust as
prorer for Mr.. Douglass and Mr. Downing
TO call on the President and urge respectful
ly on his attention a measure which they
felt immensely important to people OF their
race and color. az Tor any body elze not
guilty o. a skin not colJred as thei own. vi
course the President could not devote time
Tor ,,rded argument and beyond the in
terch.nge OF a few words, the conference
was occupied with the formal presentation
OF iheir sishes and tie Presidents reply.
ArI4ruriy obey expected nothing beyond
thai
lie br;ei letter which they address 90
ham. L. controycrt some Of his opinions, is
concise and explicit in its terms, az it should
be. and Andrew johnson Is 40 man to be
offended by what they say, or the manner OF
tleir saying It. Certainly, as TO sentiment
and I,..r4seology, it compares iayorably with
scores OF letters publicly addressed to PresI-
dent Lincoln-sJmc Of them written by
thoee protesting to be his friends and the
friends Of his administration, but who hard
" fell short Of his bltterest enemies in ac-
cusation and invectiye.
As to the opinions Of President johnson
on the suffrage question, he does not see
HE way clear to urge that the right OF
voting should be gwen at once by Executive
or Congressional authority to I'll the freed
men. and believes that harm would come to
both them and the whites in the Southern
States by such measure; and there Is no
indecoruin IN his letting his opinions be
kIOhH- IuC lu5H hA4ANAA III" ASeSfNH~ "
Pa. made in the House the other day,
because of the publication Of a reported con-
yersation on this topic between the Presi'
dent aud some member Of Congress, seemed
~ III a suTd.
lioW lar the privilege Or night Of Suffrage
should te extended, ANYWHERE. is always a
slbj &, open for discussion, and one about
whicL there Will always be diver.itY Of
opini "a. The great point to be secured now,
If it +, possible to secure it, is that III all
psr.s oi our country there should be 10 dis
.ncrion in this matter founded on race Or
co. We have 40 distinction Of that sort
M V. rmont and never had yet IN several
Of IL. loyal 5 ates distinctions are yet
naiuseiuod ON that pOlnt-mOst absurdly
AMI uarighteoH-ly, We think and beyond
d al, t,.s fact Las an embarrassing intlu-
oncc ,.n Cungross and the President. An
amei.dmcnt u tie Constitution. w.Icn
should require some reasonable amount Of
illNl4i-FtiLt anu htigAlttit % t4iN Ntisi4
o. oar system vi government, and evidence
Of lu5zl,y 10 it, as IL prerequisite TO the
privl..e Vi voting ioT members OF Congress
and P.esiJcnt,aad provide that the limitation
should be the same for all men throughout
the Union, would accomplish immense good,
ard very rapidly We should greatly pre-
fer it to the one voted for by such al over
pywering majority IN the House, a few days
ago, or TO most Of the many propositions Tor
Constitutional amendment which have been
introduced thus far.
Claiming the right to differ from the ma
jority or any part OF Congress ourselves. OF
course We would not deny It 10 tie Prc>i-
dent lie asserts strongly hir interest IN
nnd -.i will towards The ir,,GIH, . and IL
he h.s not yet reached the plane Of oquil
rights for ali without distinction OF race OF
color. lac Is still progressive mu", and lie
will reach 1t in time, without crOwdIRg.