Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-12-20
8radford geporter.
Towanda, Thursday, December 20, 1866.
IMPARTIAL SUFFRAGE IN THE DISTRICT
OF COLUMBIA.

on Thursday last by the decisive vote of
lis yeas to 46 nays; The bill reads as
| follows:
| That, from and after the passage of this act
each and every male person, excepting paupers
and persons under guardianship, of the age of
| twenty-one years and upward, who has not been
convicted of any infamous crime or offence, and
excepting persons DhO may haze vol,utarily left the
District Of Columbia to gice aid and comfort to the
rebels IN the late rebellion, and who is citizen of the
.. 5. and who shall have resided in the said Dis
trict for period of six months previous to any
election therein, shall be entitled to the elective
franchise, and shall be deemed an elector and
entitled to vote at any election in said District
without any distinction account of color or
race.
By the terms of this bill, it will be oh.
served that no distinction is made in con-
ferring the right to vote, as regards CO lor,
and the only persons disfranchised, are the
rebels who voluntarily left the District of
Columbia, to give aid and comfort to the
rebels in the late rebellion. The President
will undoubtedly return the bill, with his
objections but as it passed both branches
by more than the requisite vote of two
thirds, it will speedily become law.
The adoption of this measure will be
hailed by the country with much gratifca-
ton The District of Columbia contains
the most pestilent body of rebels of any
section of the country. At the breaking
out Of the rebellion loyalty was the excep-
ton, in a city which has been built up and
fostered by government patronage. Under
| the very shadow of the National Capitol
the most reasonable schemes were con-
cocted, and during the war the rebels OBJ
tanned from the disloyal citizens of Wash.
Ing ton, Systematically, the most valuable
inform alton. Treason pervaded the entire
District, and extended even to those who
were living upon the bounty of the gov
ernment. The rebel army was largely re-
cruited from its citizens, and where patriot
ism was professed it was hollow-hearted
and insincere. The end of the war brought
back horde of rebel soldiers, who uniting
with the disloyal element, have controlled
the municipal elections. Since the defec-
ton of the President, the tone of popular
feeling has found expression in almost as
disloyal and aggravated a shape as during
the most worst days of pro.slavery domi-
nation.
The friends of slavery can thank their
own base and inconsiderat te action for
bringing about the passage of this bill
making the possession of the right of cleo
tive franchise impartial Ten years ago
the social character and political enfran-
chisement of the black man was regarded
as a reform which must travel from the
North Southwark. 1t was confidently as
serted that the free States must prove the
capacity Of the negro for self government
must take the responsibility of the risks
for his improvement, and must experiment
with him politically to test his powers of
intelligence before the people Of the South
would think of conceding social right or
a political franchise to the black man. We
believe that such would have been the case
we believe that the enfranchisement of
the black man would have started in the
4
had the people of the South been true to
the Government under which they had their
| political being But the great majority of
the white people of the South proved trai-
tors to the National Government, while all
the black men of the same region were 10y
| al. The Government now feels duty to
make itself strong with its friends There
| is no reliance to be placed in the white
man who fought to destroy the Union. The
white resident population of Washington
city, for instance, is nineteenth of it disloy-
| al, ready at any moment to attack the Gov
ernment. Hence, Congress feels it its duty
to place political power in the hands of the
blacks, whom it can trust, who are faithful
to the Government. And thus the recog-
milton of impartial suffrage in the South is
one of the just punishments of treason. 1t
| seems righteous that the men who have so
! long been bought and sold as slaves should
be put at once on political equality with
| those who originated and carried on a re-
| bellion for the overthrow of the Govern
ment. 1t seems right, too, that the eleva-
ton of the negro should at once begin
where he has been degraded And it is
very certain that it will not be as danger
GUS to the Government to educate and ele-
vate degraded class, as it was to buy and
sell human beings by it's sanction.
EURoPE-We have dispatches by Ocean
Telegraph to Dec. l6
A man has been arrested in England who
is supposed to be James Stephens, the Fen
ian Head Centre, but the proofs of identity
are not conclusive.
| The Italian Parliament was opened by the
King in person on Saturday. In his open
ing speech Victor Emmanuel declared that
Italy and Napoleon were on the most friend
| ly terms, and that he would respect the ter
ritory of the Pope, who, he hoped, would re-
main lndependent at Rome