Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-10-25

But throwing out of consideration the
question of right of the people OF a State
to frame their State Constitution according
to their own conception of the puhl1c
good, is the measure proposed expedlenS :
viii it promote the general welfare to con
fer the right to vote in all popular elections
Oh the negro race, with no other quallhca-
tions than those in contemplatlon Is IL
not perfectly manifest that it will not r
The representative republics Of this coun-
try, with their written Constitutions, their
divisions of power into legislative, execu-
tive or judicial departments, and their IN
PRODUCTION of the people to participate III
and decide upon the rights and interests OF
society, as voters and jurors, are looked Tor
in vain in other countries of the world and
are founded upon the idea of certain
standard Of virtue and intelligence III the
constituent body of electors, without which
they cannot be maintained. Who among
us believes that the great mass OF the
blacks recently in state Of slavery, come
up to this standard Of virtue and 1ntelli-
gence and are fit to be made self-rellant
electors ? In such their condition as to
knowledge and morality, the extension OF
the right of suffrage to them indiscrlmln-
ately, instead of distributing political
power among a greater number OF citizens,
will in fact Concentrate it in fewer hands
as designing individuals will but enlarge
their own power by using them to vote, not
their opinions, but those OF the men who
control them. Already we learn that they
have been extensively organized into secret
societies or leagues, with q view to be voted
en- qausse, and under the influence of pre-
iudices carefully instilled into them, IN OPP
position to the whites, who were formerly
masters or may now be owners OF property
To elect such a class to be permanent voters,
| as is HOW proposed to us, VIII be TO MAKE q
revolution tending to anarchy, and to haz-
ard, in my belief, the long continuance OF
any stable government Foreigners are
barred out from the right to vote for five
years after settlement here, by our naturall-
cation laws, in order that they may become
acquainted with our institutions, and ca
pable of taking part in their administration,
and must prove that during that time they
have behaved as persons OF good moral
character and we'll disposed to the good
order and happiness Of the country. The
| freedmen, us a class, are less informed than
foreigners and less capable from want of
education and early instruction.
But, it may be said, there IS little disagree
ment among ourselves on this question, but
| Congress has required it of US, and, III the
event Of non compliance, the most dlretul
/ ILL
argument which [ am not disposed to pass
by, or treat lightly. I think some mlsap-
prehension prevails in regard to it. Con-
gress certainly has denounced no penalty
on such delinquency, in any of the three
acts of reconstruction. After providing
for the establishment of Military Govern
ments in the ten Southern States, the first
of these acts goes on to declare that
"When the people Of any one OF said rebel
1, ,,Ilo fiEl7fs of
ernment in conformity with the Constitution OF
the United States in all respects, framed by d
Convention of delegates elected by the male cltl-
zens of said State, twenty-One years old and up
| wards of whatever race, color, or previous condi-
ton, who have been residents in said State for
one year, previously to the day OF such election,
| except such as may be DISTINGUISHED - and
"When such Constitution shall provide that the
elective franchise shall be enjoyed by all such per-
sons as have the qualifications herein stated, for
electors Of delegates;' and when, and when, and
when certain other things shall occur Gas further
recited in the 5th seCtlOn,) said State shall be
dec AIRED entitled to representation in Congress
and Senators and Representatives shall be admit
ted therefrom, on taking the oath prescribed by
law"
This is the only provision touching the
subject matter under consideration, and its
only intimation is, that until there is Il full
filment of the requirements, the Military
} Government shall continue. There have
been threatening declarations Llade 10y in
diyidual members of Congress, and certain
} presses have teemed with Illumination!
against all who should hesitate in taking
Immediately the steps proposed, but Con
gress, as a body, have established 10 pen
2 atty and made no threats. The first refiec
e ton which occurs on hearing these an
t nouncements is, that it would be q harsl
f measure and SAVIOR of injustice to require
: people to vote in an election, and thel
S punish them for voting for the candidate
e whether man or measure,) of their choice
f And further, that it would be still more un
j. Just to punish the poole of North Carolin
! for failure to make a Constitution and es
[ tablish a basis of suffrage which Pennsyl
: yania, Ohio, New York and other gcea
: and leading States of the North have re
n fused, and still do refuse, to establish 70
j. themselves, though with far less cogen
n reasons than prevail with us. The COnsti
S tuition of Pennsylvania, as re-ordained IL
1888, regulates suffrage III these words
e ''In elections b. the citizens, every 1ciUe free
W man of the age OF tWenty-on years, having IL
" sided in this State year and in the electio
J district where he offers 10 vote ten days immed
ate preceding such election, and within two yc&l
), pajd state or Comfy t0C which shall have bee
= assessed at least ten days before the election
= shall enjoy the rights Of an eicctOr," &c.
q That of New York provides that
IL EVERY male citizen Of the age of twenty -on
e years. &c, shall be entitled to vOtc,' &c, s. Is,
J no man Of color, unless he shall have been #
/ three sears a citizen of the State, and for OF
. year next preceding every election shall have bee
10 seized and possessed Of freehold estate of tt
II value OF two hundred aud fifty dollars an
st above all debts and membranes charged Their
# on, and shall have been actually rated and paid
- tax thereon shall be entitled to vote at such Gle
. tion, &c.
That of Ohio, as follows
}; Every white male citizen Of the United State
k of the age of twenty-one years, who shall hay
N been a resident Of the State year next prec
! ding the election, and of the County, &c,
-" which he resides, such time may be provide
e. by law shall have the qualifications of an eectt
l. and be entitled to vote at all elections"
ir Since the passage of the Acts of Congre
IL on this subject, an amendment has bee
,e proposed in the Constitution of Ohio /
/, the Legislature and submitted to the vol
o. of the people, SO as to admit colored NE
p to the right of suffrage on the same footir
d with white men and after q most amin
le ted canvass in its favor by the leading pu
a. lie men of the dominant party in tn
j, State, the news comes to us, as I write, tn
er it has been rejected by an overwhelmi1
ee majority. Now will there be any punis
ment attempted upon the people of til
1r State for refusing to extend the right
er suffrage to negroes? IF not, is any to