Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-01-06
LOCAL NEWS.

PESSsYLvAEIA CLERKS UPON DISTRICT
AFFAIRs.-A meeting of Pennsylvania clerks
was held last night to discuss the question of
negro suffrage in the District. Mr.. William A
Cook, of the Pre-empton Bureau, General
Land Office, took the chair.
Mr.. William A. Cook offered the following
resolutions:
ResOlued, |. That it Is the matured opinion of
'.The Association of Loyal Pennsylvanians"
that the elective franchs sc should be conferred
6y the Congress upon all loyal citizens of the
District of Columbia, without distinction of
race or color.
Resolred, ?. That the assumption of esThe Al
dermen and Board of Common Council OF this
city that those whom they regard or designate
as residents OF the District should be permitted
10 exclusively control or determine its munich
pa regulations, or enjoy the elective fran nchise,
Is IN drect antagonism with the letter and spirit
OF me constitution. Moreover, il is an imperi-
Gus and insolent attempt to apply the odious
principle of "the doctrine of State rights TO
1.-The common soil" embraced in the boundaries
OF the capital of the nation In whatever as
pect II is regarded il calls for prompt and de-
clslye disapproyal by Congress and the people
of the loyal States.
Resolred. That a committee of five no annoint-
ed 10 lay the views of This association before
Congress, andso take such other action as NAV
be- deemed eXpedient or necessary in order tbct
this District shall be governed in accordance
with the design of the fathers of the Republic.
and without any regard to the wishes or pur.
poses OF those VINO either openly or secretly
sustained the atrocious rebellion of the late ESQ
called Confederate States :"
Hon. Jasper L. Brady, who was the first
speaker, opposed the resolutions. He would
vote for them If their application could be gen.
eral TO the whole country; but in conterring
me right of suffrage upon the negroes of the
District OF Columbia, we only conferred num-
clpal rights. not political. He believed the
powers of the city corporation were limited
and therefore had no right to hold political
election but If the citizens of this District have
no voice in political affairs, why should New
York or Pennsylvania. When Connecticut
gave to her colored people the right of suffrage
We were interested: but we are not Interested
in the vote of Washington or Georgetown. He
opposed the resolutions on the ground that as
fennsylyanlans, they had nothing whatever
10 do with affairs in the cities of Washington
or GEORGETOWN. He was not there to discuss
whether the whites and negroes were equal
but 10 discuss theNquestion of the latter voting
in this District.
He thought the colored people were not fit
10 receive the elective franchise yet. II thew
were capable of sound judgment and self-con-
troll, why did the Government place white Of
hcers over negro troops He referred TO the
Efforts made in Pennsylvania to grant the right
OF suffrage TO the colored men, which inyari-
ably failed. He had often heard il said by ap-
rators OF this question that the people de-
manded that the negro should vote This he
emphatically denied, on the authority of expe-
rience; for every State where the question has
been raised has voted il down He wouId be
distinctly understood that wherever this ques-
uon OF negro suffrage has been submitted to the
people il has been Overwhelmingly defeated
He thought the great question was, What have
IL
city belonged to the United States 1t be-
longed to the United States as much as PhiIa-
delphia belongs to Maryland or Baltimore to
New York. He said the city belonged To the
property holders in it. and they have the same
rIghtto manage their own affairs as the peopIe
OF any other city. He thought il very uHiust
TO Try to force measures on this people that we
would not have in our own States. Gov Cox
OF Ohio, very nobly confessed his opposition
10 negro suffrage when he was nominated, and
he would ask, did the people Of Ohio sustain
him or not
He thought, moreover, that il was impos-
slble 10 have equality of political rights with
out social equality also. He mentioned an in
stance where q colored man was summoned To
jury in Cleveland, and the whites refused tn
sit with him; the consequence was. the court
was Obliged TO dismiss the jury. He would be
glad II every State would adopt Mr.. MorriIIs
bill. II every State would make il a ouaIifi-
cation that no man shall vote that cannot read
the Constitution of the United States in at least
one language, he was in favor of it; but he
would not endorse the policy of forcing this
measure on the citizens of this District if il is
not 10 be universally applied. The constitu
tion OF State cannot be changed without the
consent of its people, and the charter of this
city is its organic law.
Mr.. N. H. Martin obtained the floor, and
spoke 10 some extent upon our moral duty to
grant the elective franchise to the colored race
Mr.. VIM. A. Cook having left the chair for
the purpose of making a speech. and hay-
ing entrenched himself behind a ramnart of
Welghty authorities, bound in several VOL
7
Glsputations, arose and made the speech He
commenced by regretting that severe labor and
application TO his official duties had given him
a cold. He took the resolutions as text and
divided his subject into as many heads as there
were resolutions. He argeed that color being
only a tint OF the skin, could not control the
right to vote. He read several extracts i'm sup
port OF negro suffrage, and concluded this d.
vision OF his subject with some scurriIIous
abuse of the people of Washington.
he went on to say that the District of CO.
lumbia belonged to him and to the loyal Penn
sylyanians, who were joint heirs in il, with all
the people Of the Union. 1t was under the di-
rect control Of Congress. and belonged to the
States OF the Union, of which Pennsylvania
was one. Therefore, they had a right To a
voice in the affairs of the District and they
would have 1t. He then apologised for the i'm
perfection of his speech, stating that his of
ficial duties kept him so busily engaged, that
he had not time to devote to the proper pre-
paration Of his speech, and ended by more
scurrilous abuse of the people of Washing
ton.
After some further discussion. the resolu-
tisns were adopted by vote OF 26 to G: and these
gentlemen OF Pennsylvania having settled the
hash of the poor white trash of the District of
Colum ba, put on their overcoats and repaired
to their boarding houses, transfigured by the
halo of great achievements.
RELATIONS OF THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT