The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-01-26


eta As our readers are aware. the b
establishing universal negro suffrage
~. the District of Columbia, passed 4
.s House Of Representatives on Thursd
Ss lsst by vote of ll6 ayes TO 81 navs
Will probably also pass the Senate by
. decided majority. 1t is generally 1
sumed that IL will receive The Pre-
dents signature and thus become
law; but We regard this as by no meal
certain. 1t is said to have been asser
ed by Judge Kelley on the floor of n
> house, while the bill was upon its pa
sage, that he knew the President woul
sign 1t, and this statement probabl
bad some effect in swelling the vote /
us tsVor. Whether Judge Kelley or,
tended to speak from positive persons
knowledge of the Presidents intentioi
= or only by way of inference from hi
position and presumed opinions W
are not aware.
The passage OF the bill in The Hous,
Is claimed by the Tribune as a decided
triumph Of the radical majority" tn,
claim IS perfectly just But whetbeI
that triumph was achieved by fair ex
erclse OF its strength, or by an adroit
and somewhat inscriptions alliance
with the Democratic minority, may be
open to serious doubt The bill was
originally introduced by Judge Kelley
OF Pennsylvania, and was referred "a
the Judiciary Committee, of which Mr
Wilson, of Iowa, Is Chairman. Il pro,
vided for universal negro suffrage in
the District Mr.. Wilson reported it
back, and the House entered upon its
disc ussien. After this had gone on for
a few days, a conference Of the Union
members of the House was called to
consult as to the proper course to be
! pursued.
Alter full discussion il was decided
hy vote of more than two to one, that
the bill should be reoommitted to the
Judiciary Committee, with instructions
10 amend 1t so as to require all per
cons, both whitc and black, who should
hereafter be admitted TO vote in the
District to be able to read the Consti
| tuition Of the United States. or else To
have served in the army, or to pay
taxes on personal or real estate. This
was distinctly understood by all parties
10 be the decis' on of the Union marty.
and 6y nOle more distinctly than by
Mr. Wilson himself NooDe pretended
that II bound any one to vote ia
anyparticular way; but it was supposed
that It would have weight with Mr.. VII
son and his associates as to the form |
IN which the question should be sub !
mltted 70 the action of the House A |
very large majority Of the Union mem
bers deslred the vote to be taken upon
granting 10 the colored men OF the I
pistricta suffrage qualified BY the abil. |
lty to read and they supposed that in |
difference to their wishes, thus distincl- |
ly expressed, this would be done. |
They were mistaken. Mr.. Wilson ana !
his associates voted with the Democrats |
against the recomnitment, and thus
brought the vote directly upon the |
question of universal negro suffrage in
the District and the great body OF the
Union majority preferred to vote to,
gether rather than separate upon this
issue thus forced upon them. Wheth
er they acted wisely or not, will be de-
termined by results; but we know tha.
they acted from paramount desire to
save the Union party from dissension
and disruption. If they had been mes
in this effort by corresponding desire
en- the part Of Mr. Wilson and his asso
GATES, the prospect o. ultimate success
would haye been more hopeful than
they seem at present. 81
Ifthis question were confined to the
District Of Columbia 1t would be Of
less Importance than it IS. Congress
has within that District the unques
toned power of exclusive legislation,
and however oppressiYely and unwisely
that power may be exercised, the inius
ry inflicted is confined within narrow
limits But this step is but an entering
wedge to . general system of lesisls-
tiop concerning the negro race. The
avowal has repeatedly been made by
those known as radicals in the Union |
ranks, that its main purpose was to es-
tahlish principle in the District which
should aiterwsrd be applied to the sew
eral States. The admission of the re-
Gently emancipated slaves to the right ,
of unqualified, universal suffrage in the I,
rebel States, TO put forward by them as
an indispensable condition to the read
mission of these Ststes TO the Union.
Judge Kelley, of PennsylVania, the :
author of the bill, declared recently, in :
debate with Mr. Kasson, of Iowa, that !
Congress had the right 10 prescribe the :
of voters for the most |,
numerous branch of the Legislature !
in every State in the Union-in other :
words, that Notwithstanding the eX .
plicit language OF the Constitution, !
Congress had supreme power oyer this !
whole subject, and he is prepared to in /,
troduce q bill for its assertion and ex-
ercise. MF. Stevens has introduced 2
bill to give every emancipated negro q
homestead, either from the confscated
estates OF Southern rebels, or from I
lands IN the South owned by the Gov /.
ernment A bill is already before the /.
House ignoring utterly everything done
by the President towards the restora-
ton of peace and Federal relations n !;
the Southern States, end proposing to !
territorial governments for
them all. And the same tactics are to
be employed TO force each and every :
one of these measures upon the Union
party in the House, which proved 50
successful on this District of Columbia
Dill The same use viii be made OF the !.
of caucus. Decisions will be
and enforced when fsvorsble
10 these projects, and disregarded and
by alliance with the Demo !
srsts, when adverse And a. the Demo /
Gratis themselVes are simpiy playing :
heir own partisan game, they must nat. \ !,
lraliy be expected TO aid, by such &c
ion Gs these alliances may offer, in \
fastening upon the Union sdministrs :
ion whatever may be most obnoxious :
10 the public judgment, snd thus offer 4
hem the best chance Of speedy re
urn to power =
4 may fairly Be presumed that Pres i
don't Johnson will BOT overlook these =
as wall IS others more ;,
iireotly involved, in his action upon n
his bill The question Of negro suE n
'rsge is one upon which the Union par +
", IS such, has never taken action. 1t | N
has never come before any nationsl con q
7ention, nor have any considerable I :,
number Of State conventions taken | y
ground upon il Nor is it quite easy 10 :,
zee whst eXigencies OF the public vel ~
are force II, with such peremptory au- =
.hority, upon the instant action Of Con h
yress sud the country While il is 8 :,
matter Of comparatively little conse- {,
,uence 70 most of the Northern and
Eastern States, it touches most closely
he sentiments and preiudices Of the II
" est, and Is absolutely a matter OF life "a "a
u death 70 Unionism and loyalty Se
imong the masses Of the people IN the y
southern States The men, moreover, az
Who know most OF the actual condition ca
u the eolored race in the South, do not
lesltate 70 assert that no more fatal step
or them could have been taken thsn Ii
his that i viii intensity, inevitably snd ~
the hostility Of races a. n
eady strong enough 70 demand the ~