The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1866-02-16
NUMBER 8.

not only havo they been made irco but they
have bcen made free against tho will Of tho re-
mainder Of the population Of those States; to
which must bo added. tho anger OF those WIN
have been compelled TO submit to their free
dom, the natural desire that tho master has I"
retain power, the natural disincination that
he has to SEQ his former slave placed upon
level with himself. All this is perfectly obv'.
ous, ior We know-thc history OF the word
shows.that those who once possess power new
er WELD u willingly. Men arc not made OF Fuch
stun that they can givo up the possession Of that
which has been dear to them, without sigh
and without struggle. What then havo we o
right to suppose would be the result of leaving
the constitutional provision where /, is? Sim.
ply this, that 30 far as tho power exists In tho
States, il would still be exercised to depy nll
political rights to those who have heretofore
been considered unfit and not In a condition to
exercise them. Tho result OF that is whst7
Tho continuance Of precisely tho same rulo,
aud the fostering OF feeling which tho hon.
Orablo Senator from Massachusetts, has we'll
proven to DO contrary to the very foundation
principles OF a republican government. There
can be no question that such would bo tho re.
suit and We should have in portion Of tho
States all the people represented and all the
people acting, and in another portion Of ths
States all the people represented and but ror-
ton Of the people only exercising political
rights and retaining them in their own hands.
Such has been the case, and such, Judging OF
human nature as II Is, we have right to sup-
pose will continue to bc the casc.
Then the question arises whether 1t is not
our duty to guard In somo way against this.
whether II 10 not the duty Of Congress, u IL
can exercise 1t, and the duty Of the people. 10
SEQ not only that all Gcn. all free men, have tho
rights that belong to them 30 far as we can con.
trive it, but that the temptation shall be re.
moved to keep up . system which, II II does
not end in tyranny or an oigarchy, or an aris.
tocracy, has tendency to make an oigarchy
and an aristocracy In fact, and feeling which
as long as II exists and there power 10 exercise
il has tendency only to injuro tho institutions
Of the State where It may exist and where the
exercise OF il may be found.
There is q simple way of doing this. ] cx-
pected that the honorable Senator from Mas.
sachuusetts, whod not like this amendment,
would have proposed 1t. Why not propose
simple amendment precisely in tho same terms
the honorable Senator from Missouri Mr.. Hen.
dorsonl has-a proposition doing away at once
with all distinctions on account Of race or color
in all the States Of this Union so far as regards
civil and political rights, privileges and im'nu.
nitcs7 That would go to tho root Of the mat
ter. am free TO confess that, could egi:lato
upon that subject, although can SEQ difficulties
that would arise from II, yet trusting to tinot to
soften them, and being dcsirous IL | can to put
into the Constitution principle that commcnds
itself to the consideration Of every enlightened
mind at once, would prefer something OF that
sort, distinct proposition that oil provitiOus
=. Al. 49, 4.
any distinction In civil or political right, or
privileges or immunties whatever, should bs
held unconstitutional, imperative, and void,
or words to that effect. l would like that
much better and take II there arc not ma.
ny Senator'S within the sound Of my voico who
would not very much prefer IL but, aftci ALL
tho committee did not recommend provision
Of that description, and stand here as the or.
gan Of tho committee, approving what they
have done, and not disposed TO urgo my own
peculiar views, II have any, against their, or
to rely exclusively on my own judgment 30 far
as to denounco what honorable and truo men.
OF better judgments than myself, have thought
best to recommend, and in which unto and
agree with them.
An objection that might be mado 10 Tint. a
real objection, would be its immediate opera.
tion. IL would place tho States which bavo
recently been slave States in this condition that
they must either limit the suffrage too far or
they must extend Il tho far for their owp safe.
ty, or at any rate for what might bo presumed
to bs their own good tako IL no one contends,
] think tho honorable Senator from Matsachu-
setts himself who is the great champion Of uui.
versal suffrage, would hardly contend, that now
at this time tho whole mass Of tho population
of tho recent slave States IL it to be- admitted
to the exercise Of tho right Of suffrage. pro-
sumo no man who looks at the question di>pas-
sionatcly and calmly could contend that tho
great mass Of those who wero recently slaves,
Undoubtedly there may be cxceptons,) and
who have been keptin ignorance all their lives,
oppressed, more or less forbidden to acquire in.
formation, are 6t at this day to exercise tho
right Of suffrage, or could be trusted to do IL,
unless under such good advice Ms those better
able might bc prepared to give them. " we
passed resolution Of that kind, what would
bo tho result? Tho result would be that tho
slave States, 30 called, must either admit all
or else they must mako q rule OF exclusion
which would cut Of not only all or nearly oil
tho colorcd population, but a very large portion
OF their own white population from tho cxcr-
cisc Of the right Of suffrage, for II has been a
characteristic Of those States that thcy have
Cts of education to the whites as to the blacks.
and tho result which spoke Of would follow
power would pass into tho hands Of the few,
comparatively very few. The whole poll cal
and civil power Of the State would DO cxerr scd
by but q very small number, and for time, at
least, il would be what the dictionaries fino
to DO IN oligarchy, tho power Of q few.
speak OF this not IN an argument that would
prevent my putting into tho Constitution a
provision, not perhaps in terms, but in sub.
stance, like that which is offered by tho homo.
rnblc Senator from Missouri, IL ] could accom-.
plsh it. OF course | would trust TO time, and
IL would have It's effect. With that great l'rin.
ciple lying at the bottom, after awhile the re-
suit would DO attained, and We should have In
the Constitution itself what would like To
see there, a glorious exhibition of what dws,
m tho honorable Senstor from Massachusetts
proved to US. lilo at the very foundation Of rc-
publican government
But, however this might he, land do not
propose TO enlarge upon IL, only propose ~
state the dificulties,) am not convinced that
suffrage is such very natural right that II
must necessarily be conferred upon every FREQ
man. think no Senator will crntend for that
In Republican Government il may be that 1t
may receive the name OF right. although most
people call 1t privilege; buta voter Is an
officer, not in the same degree. perhaps, bn' ms
much 30 in substance as the man who ent rs
the jury box, as any one who hold'an Office. u
is trust imposed upon him by tho law which
no executes under the law and altough ! no!
tba. tho exercise Of he.right Of suffrage shoull
be extended Just as fast and as far mt tho pubic
good will allow, I do not hold that any mar i'
injured when Just and reasonable law PR.
-. ,,,nvo 4. p,.c.-.aKy "a him