Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-01-22
EVENING STAR.
President johnson and the Negro Suffrage
Bill in Congress.


From the New York Herald
The bill striking out the word "whiie" from
the election laws of the District of Columbia,
and thus, in effect, comforting the right of sun
rage upon all the negroes in the District WIN
out distinction, limit, or qualification, mas
passed the House of Representatives by two
10 frIshten the Ppesident from the position
which be has taken upon Tue reconstruction
question, and the fact that Mr.. Raymond, of
New York, has moved reconsideration gives
come ali hi plausIbiIity to the idea III such be
the design OF the Radicals il will prove a fail
IRE. The President Is not TO be frightened or
eoerced- On the other handyif the bill is to be
seriously pressed 10 its final passage by the
Senate, in our view OF the Constitution its
adoption Will be perfectly legal under the re-
cent Constitutional amendment. That amend
ment places the freed negroes in the posi.io of
foreign immigrants, so tar a. the right of sUff-
rage Is concerned. Congress has always had
charge OF the subject OF naturalization, which
confers the privilege of voting upon a class OF
people who cannot possess il except At the
option of Congress. In the same way the re-
cent constitutional amendment author ICES Con-
gTess TO pass laws securing TO the freed
grOss the benefit Of freedom, and If Congress
sees 1T 10 pass negro suffrage law, embracing
all the States. as well as the District of Column
bla, we believe that no legal objection can o.
raised which the Supreme Court will not over
rule. TIE question ofnegro suffrage is, there
fore, Eot one OF legality, but OF expediency. As
such the Preside Mt and the country will doubt
less consider IL.
Whether two-thirds vote Cor the House bill
can be relied upon in the Senate is a disputed
point. Should that vote be east, IL Will, OF
course, be useless for the President TO veto the
hill, since the same vote can pass it over his
veto AZ any time. In that case he will proba-
bly, return the bill without his signature, thus
throwing tie Whole responsibility upon Con-
ertss, and leaving The members TO explain their
action to their constituents rs they best can.
But II the bill should pass the Senate without
q two-thirds vote, we predict that the Pres-
dent will veto it. In his veto message he will
state his position IN regard TO negro suffrage,
a. be understands the whole subject very thor
ouehly-haying been born and educated among
the non-srayehOldIng whites of the SOuth-the
country will await this exposition with the
greatest interest. The President may be op-
posed to negro suffrage upon the ground of in
eIpcdiency; he may be in favor of granting the
right OF suffrage TO the negroes under a prop
erty qualification, as in New York; he NAV
suggest an educational Limitation, or he NAV
hold that only those negroes who served in our
army during the recent rebellion should be ad-
mitted as partners with the whites in the gov
eminent Of the Republic We do no;
pretend to define his exact views upon
the subject; but still we venture the
prediction that his veto will promptly follow
The passage of the House bull by the Senate,
unless that passage be- effected by n two thirds
vote. Inc issue between the President and
the radicals will then be clearly and unmis-
takably marked, and the people will have TO
decide between them. We believe the people
are with the President, and that the thousands
VINO are claimed by the radicals as ardent
supporters of negro suffrage law, uncondi-
tional and universal. are Just IA mythical as
those thousands of Abolition soldiers who, ac-
eordlng TO Governors Andrew and Yates, were
to crowd the highways and byways as soon as
the emancipation proclamation issued,
but who could never be discovered by the
Government, even after repeated drafts. We
are quite ready, therefore, to have the issue
made, because We believe the President will
be sustained. Indeed, for many reasons we
deem IL better that the matter should be forced
at once to a conclusion. The Government is
now disorganized and divided against itself
the progress of reconstruction is impeded, and
the country is disgraced by these squabbles,
and suffering from the unsettled condition OF
Affairs. Let US have some definite settlement
Of the negro question, and let the Union be re-
stored without further DELAY.