North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-01-31
Lawrence, Armstrong;;

The Republican" member from the goth
District-Crawfor1, Mercer, venango and
Clarion, is not recorded as voting.
Will our Democratic cotemporaries ex
anime this list, and hold the (mis) Repre-
senlativcs Ct their various districts to strict
accoun: before their constituents?
1t will te seen that MERCUR'S name
stands in favor of the bill. Do the people
! of this District endorse that vote? Are
they in favor of forcing negro suffrage on
the people of the District, against their
most distinctly expressed wishi Is the
majority to rule ? Or are rs votes in fa-
vor of negro suffrage to outweigh in the
Rump Congress 1000 against it
NEGRO SUFFRAGE AT LAsT.-The rad
ica!s achieved triumph in the Rump
House at Washington on Thursday, by
, the passage of Mr. kelley's bill, .xtending
the right of suffrage to the negroes of the
District of Columbia and that, too, in the
face of an almost unanimous yote of the
people of the District against it. The
following is the bill, as passed:
Be IL enacted by tie Senote and House
of Representatives. Of the United States of
america, IN Congress assembled, That from
all laws and parts of laws prescribing the
qualifications of electors for any office in
the District of Columbia, the word "white"
be and the same is hereby stricken
out, and that from and after the passage of
this act no person shall be disqualified
from voting at any election held in the
said District on account of color.
Sec 2. And be 1t further enacted, That
all acts of Congress and all laws of the
State of alyland in force in said District
and all ordinances of the cities of Wash
ington and Georgetown, inconsistent with
the provisions of this act, are hereby re-
pealcd and annulled
An attempt to limit the operations of
the bill to those who can read and those
who pay taxes on real or personal property
was voted down-yeas 50, nays 117-and
the bill passed finally by vote of l16
yeas TO "a nays. All the Democratic
members and sIme twenty moderate Re
puhicans voted against it.
We hrgn to think that Thad Stevens
wa right when lie declared THAT this is
not awir.tc Mans Government" The
very patty that Only a few years ago en-
dravored to res;r CT the right OF voting to
na'i1e born white men only, now throw
open the ball It box tr negroes indiscrimi-
ns,ely, wi bout any limit or qralifi ,at on
whatever No. this is not a White Mans
Government, so far as the power of Con-
gress goes.
QUESTIONS Foa THE RApICALs.-Is slav-
cry abolished as AL Institution in the Uni
ted States2 If SO how WIS it done unless
by States in the Union?
Was thp proclamation of President Lin
coin, abolishing slavery of any binding
fore. unless binding on States subject to
tie powers of the General Government of
the Union? If so, how conld they b. sub
ject to the General Government unless they
were in the Union?
If the Confederate States were out of
the Union and lot subject to its Constitu-
ton and laws, but to their own govern
ment established, why had they not power
to create debt which mortgaged the land
and property of its inhabitants, and which,
being held by fore en- nations, at least so
far became debt not to be repudiated Ell
ther by its own citizens or by the nation
conquering it by force of arms?
Had the Confeieracy succeeded in Sc
ceding from the Union, and accomplished
the object of their rebellion. and subse.
qnentiy we had through Purchase or an
nexatlOn united, should we not have been
obliged to assume its debts as well as its
territory? If so, under peaceful annexa-
tion are We not equally liable through con-
quest, if those States were out of the Un-
ion and distinct people with an establish
ed government
Can any Legislation by Congress, any ex-
pressions in any of the proclamations or
messages of President Lincoln, any state
ment in any of our diplomatic correspon-
dence, any orders from our Generals in
the field, he produced, which, for mo-
ment, can be construed into an admission
on our part that those States were, or have
been ont of the Union, and were not sub
ject 10 the requirement of the Constitution2