The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1866-06-06

nesses into Court. Yet this bill, avowed-
ly for the bepeGt of freedmen, proposes
to deprive them Of these benefcent pro.
visions which they now enjoy, and to make
it the duty Of the President in every case
to'substituto the short sharp process of a
court martial where there is no. irdict-
ment, no 5urys and where counsel and
witnesses for the defense are tolerated on.
.ly by the grace and favor of the Court.
Can any man believe this law was in.
tended to be Of service to tie negro, or
to amelioratte his condition, or to protect
him from injurious discrimination, or to
accustom him TO the equal rights of citi.
zenship? 1t was intended to invade the
domain of the States in the punishment
Of crimes which are purely of State cogni-
zance. 1t was intended wrongfully to
break down State laws, and to substitute
for them Federal laws, and thus to draw
within the circle of Federal military au
thority every citizen Of the land. GAN
cases relating to such persons !" These
words embrace all persons, of every age
and sex, and any negro, man, woman or
child, in any of the relations or conditions
or affairs of life And this bill brings
them all to the feet of the military au.
thority, as executed by the most ignorant
and degraded fellow who can be hired as
servant Of the bureau for five hundred
dollars year / cito this bill only as an
illustration. By the grace of God and
Andrew Johnson's veto, it did not be
come q law--no thanks to the radicals for
tnat blessing. f7et H #llf r.
Examine the proposition to change the
basis of representation. The Constitu-
tion provided that population should be
entitled to representation, and that each
community must decide for itself where
the political power should reside. This
rule was proper--was the only consistent
rule where States are recognized as self.
governing, and self.existing. TIE de.
termination who shall WELD the power of
the community is essential to the exist
enco of free State. I Pr -H..at
This proposed amendment provides that
the basis of representation shall be popu.
lation-but that wherever the negro is
excluded from voting, his race shall be
excluded from the basis, and the number
of representatives shall be accordingly
diminished Tha. is to say ; tho power to
determine who shall be electors belongs
undoubtedly to the States. They lay
exercise it as they sec fit; they may ex.
clude or they may admit to suffrage as
they think right. They may exclude the
young, the old, the poor, the uolcarned;
the women they may exclude every
soldier who has entered the army, if they
please--and if the persons so excluded
only be white, they may be counted in
the basis Ct CSC: ..aa..;on, and others
may elect Tor them. But if the States
shall presume to exclude negro from
The ballot, neither he nor his family nor
any Of bis race shall be counted in ma.
king up tho basis of representation :
Amazing love for the negro ! Il But this
proposition presents another alternative
to the States. BY counting the negroes
in the basis of representation, the South.
ern States have sixteen members of Con,
sress more than they otherwise would
If they will consent to give up these six
teen members and the political power
they WELD, then they may exclude the
negro from the ballot box for all time
and are quite welcome to do SO. Do
wrong these Radicals in Congress They
will not admit the Southern States to theil
constitutional equality and recognize
their right Of representation because ne.
groes are excluded from the ballot box
Their ou'spoken leaders boldly say SO,
and yet within two weeks, by very large
majorities, they have passed a bill to ad.
init Colorado to the Union, whose people
declared, in the most authentic and Of
fensive form, that in their new State none
but white men shall vote. Do you re
member the statement of Thaddes Stevens
vens that if the South be should permitted
to vote, the Democratic party would again
come into mower, and do YOU know the
fact tha, the Senators from Colorado are
Radicals, whose votes in the Senate
would be convenient to have in case OF
another veto? Do YOU believe that The
protoction Of the negro was the true Dur.
nose Of the amendment 2 No sir It was
10 cross the boundary of State authority,
and to Law violent hands, BY Federal
mower on The most sacred rights of the
States This amendment passed the sit.
ting section of the House Of Representa-.
ltiyes, and now awaits the action Of the
Senate. '''" '.s '''ll''.s.'- H'.,.. ~
Consider the Civil Rights Bill. 1t dc.
clarcsf tbat all native born persons of