, 1866-05-25
Negro Suffrage.

Mr.. EDITOR The issue is now fairly pre-
sented. The LIST section of the Civil Rights Bill,
which Congress passed over the Presidents We
to, is as follows;
"That all persons born in the United States
and not subject to any foreign power, excluding
Indians not taxed, are hereby declared to be
citizens of the United States and such citizens
of every race and color, without regard to any
previous condition ofslavery or involuntary SER
vice, except as punishment for crime, whereof
the party shall have been duly convicted, shall
have. the same right in every State and Terrific
nv to make and enforce contracts, to sue, to be
sued, be parties and give evidence, to inherit,
purchase, lease, sell, hold and convey real and
personal property and to full and equal benefit
of all laws and proceedings for the security Of
person and property as is enjoyed by white citi-
zens and shall be subject to like punishment,
pains and penalties, and to none other any law, ,
statute, ordinance, regulation or custom to the
contrary Notwithstanding"
1t will not be deDied that the above makes cit
izens of negroes born in the United States, with
out regard to any previous condition of slavery
&C., unless it be by a small faction who have
contended that negroes were citizens without
any legislation by Congress.
The telegraph brings US the following, as a
part Of the proceedings of Congress on the 18th
of May, inst;
The Hnuse passed q bill to amend the organic
acts Of the Territories of Mvutauo, Washington,
Idaho, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. The bill
prohibits legislative assemblies from passing spe-
cial acts comforting separate powers, but author
ICES them to pass general laws for that purpose
Declares null and void all special charters here
tofore granted by those legislatures. The sixth
section provides that no person appointed by the
President to office in any Territory, shall receive
compensation unless he shall have entered upon
the discharge of his official duties within the Ter
ritory and no officer shall be paid for the time
he may be absent himself from the Territory,
without authority from the President. 1t pro-
hibits legislative assemblies from granting di-
Vorces, butleaves that authority with the courts
OF the United States in the Territories. The 9th
section provides that within the Territories
aforesaid, there shall be denial Of the elective
franchise to the citizens of the United States
because of race or color; and all persons shall
be equal before the law. The 10th section gives
the Territorial Secretary the same pay as the
Governor, while performing duties as Governor
Now, BY the 9th section of the above bill,
which has passed the House by the full Radical
majority the elective franchise in all the Terri
tories is conferred on all citizens of the United
States, withoutfegard to race or color. The
first law makes negroes citizens of the United
States. The second bill confers the right of suf.
trage on all citizens. The above is sufficient to
snow the position of our Republican Congress
on the question of negro Suffrage
Let us next see the position of the two parties
10 this county this question. The Union par
ty by their platform, unanimously adopted, on
the 22d inst, a: their County Convention, fully
endorse the action Of Congress BY declaring that
=" the will of Congress is the will of the people"
On the other hand, the Democratic party, at
their County Convention, held in this city on
the 10th inst, passed the following resolution
Re'olrsd, That we endorse the sentiment of
Senator Douglas, that this Government was
made on white basis, for the benefit of white
men, and we are opposed TO extending the right
OF suffrage to any other than the white man"
The above is sufficient to show the position
Of the two parties upon the important and much
agtated question of negro suffrage, md the elec.
tors of Walla Walla county, at the coming cleo
ton, will have no difficulty in placing them
selves right upon thai issue, as the positions of
the parties and their respective candidates are
eIeaT anu wen dehned. DEMOCRAT.