Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1866-01-05

ELBCTIvE FRANCHISE TO THE
EN--PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE


franchise 10 the freedmen by act VI the Pres
ident. must have been extended to all colored
men wherever found &c" This is colorpho-
bio with a vengeance. The President says il
the franchise were extended to the freedmen,
e to those liberated by act ofthe late Pres
dent in the States lately in revolt, then all
colored must have 1t. He was exerting in.
auence or power only over revolted States
He was organizing only those States, aod It
seems singular that he should cover a deliu-
quency towards them by asserting what wonld
not follow. that the same act must extend to
all colored people in all the States But whyf
All colored people are not Of the class called
freedmen. The President was not called upon
for executive action 10 New York, nor in
Ohio, but in States about to be recognized,
and where his power was paramount. Such
an act be thinks not warranted by the Con-
stitution Is there not tbs same power in
the Constitution to preserve itself by fixing
the status CT the freedmen, as there was TO
make hoss men freean,ens II the one was al
lowable, so must be the other, as necessity
20 preserve the Republic. No repubiic exiats
where the most deserving class TO the amount
Of one fourth or one half the people are ex-
cluded from the polls. 1t may be an oligarchy,
it is not repablic. "On the other hand 4,
every danger OF conflict is avoided, where the
settlement VI the question is referred 70 the
several States They can each for itself de-
eide on the measure, and whether it is to be
adopted at once and absolutely, or introduced
gradually and with conditions" Here are
two hagrant errors. One, that the State is the
tohite population. But colored men are as
much citizens as white men, and were far bet
ter entitled to the franchise. The President
had as much power to refer the question to
the blacks whether the whites should vote,
he opposite. He implies by his very Pc
culiar apology for his course, that the elective
franchise question might have been referred
to the whole people, but he was afraid tina,
would offend their old masters and southern
blcods. The other mistake is that such q
reference should ever have an affirmative re-
sponse. Tell the old master he may still have
all the civil power, and If he choose he may
make the negro his peer before the law -
Tank you he will do iis The President
knows that the colored race would all be as
sassinated sooner. The most decided threats
of this kind have been made and in part ex-
ecuted as follows: d" Gen. Chetlsin tells US
that while he was in command for two months
Of the Jackson district, Mississippi, contain
ing nine counties, there was an average OF
one black man killed every day" and that in
moving out forty miles on an expedition he
found seven negroes wantonly butchered.
There must have been sixty-seven assassin
ated in that small district in those two
months. Col Thomas. Assistant Commits
sioner of the Bureau for Miss, tells us " there
is now a daily average of two or three black
men killed in ths State" That is from seyeu
to nine hundred annually. Will such men
confer the elective franchise, or the bullet
and the diIki The President has run the
pardoning mill with great haste. and with
very few signs Of repentance in those par
doned, and nss thus succeeded in getting
back to their lands large owners OF abandoned
estates and displscing the negroes who were
on them by previous government arrangement.
VIII these men give colorsd men, eitiEoDs,
rights, Sooner may you expec, that satan
will become a preacher of righteousness.
All thatis said Of such an expectation deserves
contempt, for it is only said to cover an eyre
gious delinquency.
When by the Presidents order OF Oct. . IN,
Gen. Howard with great obsequiousness went
10 remove negroes from the sea Islands about
Charleston, lhe scene that occurred there was
T
done On canvass to adorn the Capitol, and
copied to be hung in every State House
throughout the Union. Especially would il
be becoming the East room OF the White
House, and when the Presid nj, retres &c
Tennessee he ought by all msans to have a
copy to adorn his paror A committee o.
black men addressed to Gen. Howard thu
following extracts Of a letter: II is with
. 4 a.. d. ~. II.
you. We want homes teAds. We were prom
ised them by the government. II 1t does moi
carry out its promises its agents made 10 US
{ Il the government having concluded TO be
friend its late enemies, and to neglect to OBJ
serve the principles OF common faith between
/ iiself and its allies In the war you said wal
/ over, and now takes away from them Ill righ
/ to the soil they stand upon, save such as they
can get by working for your late, and thei
/ all time enemies; il the government does so
we are left in a more unpleasant condition
/ than our former. We are at the mercy o.
/ those who combined 70 prevent US f7om get
/ ting laod enough TO lay our fathers bonei
upon. We have property in horses, cattle
/ carriages and articles Of furniture; buG we ari
/ landless and homeless. Going from th'
houses we have lived in in the past, we cal
only do one OF three things, step into tht
public road, on the sea, or remain on the land
working as in former times aud subject /,
their will as then.
Z" You ask me to forgive the land owneri
Of our leland. You only lost your right arm
in war and might forgive them. The man VIII
tied me to tree and gave me thirty-nin
lashes, aud who stripped and hogged m
mother and sister and who will not let m
stay in his empty hut, except will do hi
planting and be satisfied with his price, snl
who combines with others to keep away Ian,
from me, well knowing would not have any
thing to do with him if | had land Of my own
that man | cannot we'll forgive. Does it loo
as, II he has forgiven me, seeing how he trie
to keep me In condition of helplesspessi
" We cannot remain here in such condi
ton and if the Government permits them t
come back, we ask it to help US to reach Ian,
where we shall not be slaves, nor compelle
TO work for those who would treat us az such
We have not been treachsrous. We have no
from sS6sh motives allied 10 us those VIII
suffered like us from common enemy, an
then having gained our purpofe. left our allie
n their hands. There are no rights secure
10 as. There is no law likely to be mad,
which our nands can reach. The State vii
make laws that we shall not be able to hol
land even II we pay for II. Landless, home