Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1866-02-02
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Unieersal Suffrage in Me District Of Co'aD'-
bia-The Freedmsn's Bureau Impor-
fant Propositien Introduced into Congress
BY Mr. Farquhor
Especial Correspondence Of the American

Especial Correspondence Of the American.1
WASHINGTON, d. G., Jan. 25, 1866.
Mr.. Editor:-Congres has gone to work.
The important pleasure extending the right
of suffrage to all classes and colors In this
District, without any qualification, has pas
sod the House by n very large majority,
and without doubt will pass tho Senate
aud become a law. II was tho expectation
that bill would pass extending suffrage
TO freedmen who could read and write, but
tho friends of universal, unqualified suir.
rage saw thata bill would p*s simply
striking out Of the existing law the word
",adite," an@t kyanados the trial aud reach.
cd the goal. The members In voting on
this bill did not regard what they knew to
be the will Of their constituencies f)r very
few Of them believe that the people are
ready for 80 radical a measure as this
Especially do they believe that their con-
stituencies would not ask that the same
privileged be extended 10 all classes through.
out all the States. The results in these
States where the question was recently be.
fore the people can not justify the opin-
ion that tho people ask il throughout the
country. Nor can the vote on the ques-
ton in this District determine just who
is or who is not the frecdmen's best friend
There are those who voted against the bill
who have been tho life time devoted friends
of the slave, and who still are. They
however, do not believe that the privilege
of voting here is the greatest boon that can
be conferred upon the freedman as he is
just starting out on his new career of man
hood. Protection from injuries and in.
suits and wrongs can be accorded In other
and better ways than merely giving the
right to vote. 1t may not be proper to
state, yet it is -aema ndcd when persons
who vote their sentiments and the senti-
ments of their constituencies are accused
Of being uniriendly to the freedmen, that
some who clamor and vote for this peculiar
right for the colored man, are of the num-
Der who enjoy as much as ever the mental
service Of the colorcd man, and rank in
society leYe much in proportion to the
number of sable attendants kept and used.
The better test Of who is, and who is not
the friend of the liberated slave and his ell
ovation, will b. exhibited in the vote, that
is not very distant, on the question of the
extension Of the powers Of the Freedmen
Bureau" That bureau will be heavy
item Of expense, but humanity and justice,
and Christianity itself demand that full
protection in the enjoyment of all his rights
be given to the freedman, and that he be
fully protected and assisted in the enjoy
ment Of "life, liberty and the pursuit OF
happiness" 1t cannot be denied, with
any success, that the people of the South
hate the negro, and refuse to let him live
in peace. The Government would be un-
grateful for the patriotism displayed by the
negro if it would desert him to the cruel
ties that would befall him if unprotected.
For this protection the Freedmen's Bureau
with enlarged powers is demanded, and
the proposition now before Congress will
obtain the support of all who are the
friends Of the freedmen and who recog-
nizc the obligation of this people to pro-
tect and qualify them for the high and re-
sponsible duties of the citizen.
Another important matter for the pro-
lection of our Republican institutions, as
we'll as for a shield to protect the freed
men from abuse, is just being attended to
in Congress.
Mr.. Farquhar introduced a proposition
in Congress to-day to disfranchize in this
District all persons who voluntarily bore
arms against the Union. That is striking
directly at the root Of the disease. When
this question comes to vote, it will be
interesting to see who thinks a voluntary
traitor fit to bear a part in making our
laws and shaping our destiny. This meas
ure is greatly demanded in this District
where there are many returned rebels who
are putting on chivalric airs as fast as is
agreeable to Union men. In the neigh
boring city Of Georgetown, at n recent
municipal election, returned rebel SOL
dier was elected to an Office by very large
majority over Union man. In tine face
of these facts Dir. Farquhar's proposition
is demanded, and his constituents may rest
assured that he will see it through. Ii is
something Of pity to make these clever
rebels as mad as this law will, but perhaps
they will net dissolve the Union over it.
]. r. G..
The Sequel-AlI's Well that Ends
Well.