Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-17
Hon " Fl Seward

gave congress the exclusive jurisdiction of tho Ds
trlct OF Columbia. He favored therefore ferri n
| impartial suffrage on the residents without regar
to race or color. The question was whether Coneres
shoul9 recognize equal rights. whether the naol
Shoud not uphold the principle for which our father
| tought-no taxation without representation. To at
tempt TO postpone or evade the question of nporta
Sunragef was trillng with the great duties of tn
hour. The right of man to participate in the Gov
| ernment for which he had fought was natura
@Tight. @ II not then there were no rights. Withou
| the ballot no man was free
| lie contended that Governor Brownlow was righ
III claiming that, under the second clause of the Con
sttutional Amendment abOshing slavery imnoTtia
suffrage could be extended by Congress 70 hn coref
people throughout the States. But as a matter n
pohey1asde from the right-he would give the negro
| the ballot TO ut hlm to become q better member n
society. These people were to remain here and by
giving them suffrage, make them our allies and
friends instead oil retaining them as aliens in dis
satlShed condltlon. The great want of every pool
man was home, and the ballot ami the homestead
should go together; There were fifty millions OF
acres of public lands in the South which unless prn
| vented, will be open to rebel Spectators These
lands should be set apart as homestcads for both
white and black loyal men. If the bill heretofore
introduced by him should become law every land
less freeman would become freeholder
lie claimed that all Of the negroes were not igno-
rant, and read the statistics of the colored schools
churches etc. IN TINS District, heretofore given in
the debate on this bill. The large portion not so in
telllgent would not suffer by comparison with many
who institute mobs against unotcndng coIored pe0-
pie, and publishing their deeds as negro insurrec-
mons ana yet nothing was done to dislranchise them
He hoped the day would soon come when the viIe
spirit OF caste would soon pass away in this country
He would give the ballot to the negro to perpetuafe
his liberty already secured. The late events in Ja-
malca should teach us IN example TO deal justly
Hatred in the South was as universal to the negro
now as before the war The proposition to elevate
the negro was everywhere held in contempt in that
Sectlon: ana disposition was manifest to continue
some kind of yaSsalage or sCrfiom If the military
be Withdrawn, and the ballot be withheld from the
olack man, the most disastrous consequences might
result The comforting of suffrage therefore was a
means of suffrage. He favored impartial suffrage
everywhere.
Mr.. Sitgreaves, of New Jersey, made some brier
remarks in defence of his State from what he termed
me aSpersons Of the gent eman from Illinois Mr.
farnsworth), in declaring that the democracy which
voted against giving New jersey soldiers in the field
the right of suffrage He stated that the democrats
who voted IN the Legislature against such suffrage
mocratic Legislature Of New Jersey from the charges
Of untriendnss3 % the soldier. democratic Legs
Iature had esta9ushed an asylum for the orphans of
New jersey soldiers lie concluded with patriotic
peroration in behalf of his State.
- Mr.. Randall, of Penn, renewed his colleagues Mr.
Kelley previous declaration relative TO negroes hay
ing voted in Pennsylvania prior to 1895 and stated
that the democratic party were always opposed to it.
and IN that respect they had the sympathies OF a
large number of their political opponents.
A eolloquy here ensued between Mr.. Randall an
Mr.. Kelly during which the latter said in repIy to p
question, that he was in favor of so amending tbe
Constitution of Pennsylvania as to strike out the
word white and to give impartial suffrage through
Mr.. John L. Thomas, of Maryland, s,id that be-
tore ne voted on on the lending bill he would give
ms ms views upon IT. ae claimed to belong to the great
when he sometimes saw his name in the papers
among the Democratic voters. He denied the ex-
Pedlency, the wisdom, or the necessity Of passing
bill to force negro suffrage on the people of the Dis
trlct. 10 force political equality upon them was in
the language OF Henry Clay, "a gross violation of
talh to the District and to the people of Maryland" "
and but the commencement of an effort to intro
duce negro suffrage in all of the States without due
consideration: lie rejoiced, however, that slavery
was destroyed everywhere.
He had hoped with the people of Maryland that
When slavery was abolished the agitation would
tp haul tho
casiOned by the war. He thought that the reprc-
senaves Of the East and West here could not prop
ery appreciate the loyalty of Maryland and of the
progress that had been made against those who clung
to slavery in that State. lie believed it unsafe to
grant impartial suffrage here lie had heard sneers
mere that tins was n white mans government" but
while he did not believe it exclusively white
mans government it was the white men who carried
the banners OF the country in triumph. Hc saw no
necessity for this impartial suffrage He had heard
good deal about disoyaty in this District but he
knew there we're good and true Union men here who
But the passage of this bill would be unjust TO the
people of the State of Maryland. She gave forty
thousand of her gallant sons to the Union army and
poured out her treasure to sustain the National
finances.
The people of Maryland love the Union, and will
never consent to part from it. The power Of that
State now in the hands of the loyal element and
would remain there. Every county in the Union Con-
ventiOn last fall had voted against granting negro
suffrage. The rebels in Maryland would never cain
power unless the House by such measures rs he one
now pending divided the great Republican party
forth in his recent inaugural the suffrage question
and endorsed them rejecting the sentiment Of the
Union men of Maryland.
There were obligations to the colorcd people which
must be obligations that flow from thcact
OF emancipation; As soon az emancipation had been
enacted in this Dstrio, thousands Of slaves lett his
state and poured in here. The same thing will fol-
low the passage of this bill The poor fellows having
heard of the voting privilege would come here from
Maryland. 1t had haCn said that all of the negroes
were Loyal out he knew some who were diSloyaL-
r Thomas here gave the relative census returns of
the black and white population cf the counties OF
Maryland and in conclusion said he was not the enc
ms but the friend Of the negro, and would remain
his friend as long as he continued to merit his friend
ship.
He advocated emancipation in the convention of
Maryland, at 4 time when it was despisei by all of
his friends and relatives. He would sti-do all in
his power TO make the freedom of the negro bless
ing to him and to us. He would advocate laws to
secure him Justice IN contracts and to make him
witness In the courts OF justice; and in all OF this he
conceived that he was acting the part Of & tnilan-
throDist both 10 Jhd whitu and black races But he
Woutd reipse put the negro on social or political
equality with his own race, for he would then be
doing injustice to both races. On Mr.. T. concluding
the House without action on the bill adjourned