Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-01-09
he Veto Of the District Suffrage
RklD.

BAH.
President johnson sent to Congress, Mon
~ his veto of the bill making suffrage I'M
iartiai in the District of Columbia The
heaags would occupy about five columns OF
he fR1KnAN, and for the reason that it pre-
tlents no new argument. agains. impartial
mirage, We shall not surrender our space TO
Arins it IN full. The points made against the
lillare briefly tha-e:
l. The people Of the Dis riot (Mr. Johnson
aeans the "whIse' people,) have, at al
lection called for that purpose. declared
themselves opposed to impartial suffrage, and
jooRress has no right to make suffrage i'm
PARTIAL in she District, unless It submits the
question to the C. whi,e y voters of the D.
Iict.
z. There is No necessity that the colored
,eople of the District should vote. to proteci
themselves IN their rights.
3. The lawmakIng power in any govern
uent il inclined to legisis,e upon subject. not
committed 70 It,-and especially IN our gov
srnment,-and the people twnite) are only
secure in their liberties because Andrew John
son 10 President.
:. Ii 10 dangerous to give suffrage to col
0red people, because they do not know enough
70 vote correctly.
We regret that we cannot print MIR John
sons argument in full, rs its sophistry and
aristocrasie tendencies, can hardly be fully e1-
posed without an examination OF the false
logic of the document but We will examine
his positions ss briefly as possible.
L. 1t u true that the white voters OF the
District have declared themselves opposed to
impartial suffrage. The tories of England
have also declared themselves opposed to any
extension of the suffrage there. The ten
deucy of all aristocracies and monopolies IL
toward excusiyeness. Tney never Voluntarily
surrender any part of their power or privileges
or consent to any division OF them among out
elders Thieves would be pleased to have the
question of the surrender of stolen property
left TO them, IS the persons chiefly interested
but officers and courts never thought it quite
she District of Columbia, who have robbed the
black people of that District for years of the
right to vote, now impudently ask ,-and Mr.
Johnson endorses their request-that they be
allowed to say whether they will continue
that robbery CT not in fact, they insist that,
because they have robbed these colored people
in years past, they shall be allowed to rob
them in years to come. The demand has Ger
tainIy the merit Of Impudence, but it has no
other merit
There can be no prescription against liberty
and equal rights. The monopolists of the
suffrage gain nothing by the length Of time
they have enjoyed their monopoly. Ii they
have been % lucky IS to get an absolute grant
Of the monopoly 10 soms written constitution.
they may take advantage of that 'echnical
objection and defeat justice; but unless they
arc thus fortified, man has always a right 20
eone legally BY bis liberty and the means u
protesting IL. Our fathers acknowledged no
right in England to continue to oppress this
country because that oppression bad the sauc-
tion of years. nor did they submit the ques-
ton to tbe British parliament or the British
people. They asserted mans uDalienable
rights, against ell prerogatives, prescriptions
and hoary abuses. ard UPON that assertion
built the new republic of freedom. Ii is now
too late IN the history OF the world for a tyr
amy of one man, or of many white men, to
appeal 70 custom in support of its oppression
lt must find the written law, or it must give
way to the demands of liberty.
Rsr, nathan Iabpsop nor he white
people of the District can find the written
law prohibiting Congress from making suf-
irAge impartial They only plead the custom
and practice of many years in behalf of the
wrong, and ask that therefore it be perpetu-
atsd. And they do this IN face of the express
provision Of the Constitution that Congress
shall have the power Ito exercise rclusire
iexialsfsos IN all cases ichatsoerer over such
District" which must convey the absolute
control of the question OF suffrage. as well as
of all other matters, to Congress. Congress
il not to legisIate by and with the advice
of the white voters Of the District, but
has the &" exclusive power, by express grs Mt
in the Constitu ton itself If il cannot regu-
late suffrage it cannot regulate any of the
a6Airs in the District.
2 As to there being NO necessity that the
solored people Of the District should have the
right Of suffrage. we have only the word of
he President, and Of the white voters OF the
District One fact, however, is worth a ream
Of such assertions. Congress, some years
Ago, after many efforts 10 provide for the ed
ucation of the colored children of the District,
passed . law directing that the taxes paid by
solored people should be setapars and devoted
10 she support Of colored schools. The au
Ihorisies Of she city of Washington have
hitherto evaded shat law, and while taxing the
property of colored people, have refused to
appropriate . penny of the taxes to the main
Isnsnce Of colored schools. When the black
nsn Of that city get the ballot, they will be
likely to set that matter right Mr.. johnson
simply wiifuliy mi.represents facss, when he
Ifhrms that all the rights of colored people
lrs respected in the District.
3. The elaborate argument of the message
Aeainss the tendency of ell lav-making bodies
10 usurp powers not granted to them, may be
veil enough ~ dissertation. but has no per-
linencs to the question of suffrage in the Dis
lries The Constitution having granted TO
Congress the power TO exercise trciusire
/ rielsfisn IN oil cases trhatsoever :" 10 the Dis
'ries, It cannot be usurpation for Congress to
,cs within tho limits of that power. Mr..
johnson evidently agrees with Rev. Mr. Nasty,
vbo thinks Congress should not usurp the
power OF the country, but leave
that business wholly 70 President johnson.