Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-01-08
THE PRESIDENTS VETO

with his objections-and more cogent ot9ec-
tiops were never presented to the dellberatlon
of any legislative body.
The President first shows that the wishes
and sentiments Of the people Of the District OF
Columbia, against the proposed measure, have
beca fully expressed by their votes, and that
these have been entirely disresarded by the
majority in Congress He says: -"lt should
/ e remembered that in legslatius for the Dis
trirt OF Columbia under he Federal Consuu
ton, the relation Of Congress to its inhabitants
is analogous to that OF Legl-iaiure 10 INC
peoole Of a State, under their own local consl-
! tuition. It does not, therefore, seem to be
asking too much that, in matters pertaining to
the District, Congress should have like re
sp. Ct for the will aud interest Of its lnha ltan's
as is entertan, d hv State Legislature tor the
wishes and prosperity Ut those tor whom! they
Iegls'ate. s.. ,...
Discussing the exDediency of 'ha proposed
measure, he says:
..Con,igucus to Maryland and Virginia, the
Distri. It, during The war, became place or
r, fuye for those who escaped triin er.ltude:
and it is yet the abiding place Ola considerable
proportion Ut tho>e who sought within lis limits
shelter from bondage. Until tlan held IN
slavery and drinied all opportunities Tor mrrtal
culture, their first knows, dye of the Govern
meut was acquired her, by conterrlng III On
them FRI edouI, it became the euetsactor OF their
race; he test of their carablty tor Improve
m MT began when, for the fist time, the career
OF free Industry and the avenues to Intelligence
we've openei to To. m. Possessing these advan-
tages but limited time-the greater number
perhaps having entered the District OF Column
bia during he later years of the War or since
lis termiua'ion We mag we'll pause 10 impure
whether. after so brief probation, they are as
class capable of an intelligent exercl.e OF the
right of suffrage, and qualified TO discharge
the duties of official position. The people who
are daily witnesses OF their mode of living,
and who have become familiar with their habits
of thought, have expressed the conviction that
they are not yet competent to serve IS electors,
and thus become eligible for office in the local
governments under which they live. Clothed
with the elective franchise, their numbers, al
ready largely 10 excess of the demand ior labor,
would be soon increased by an influx from the
adjoining States Drawn from fields where
employment is abundant, they would in vain
seek it here. and so add to the embarrassmcnts
already experienced from the large cls:s OF idle
persons congregated in the District. Hardly
yet capable of forming correct judgments upon
the important questions that often make the
issues OF political contest, they could readily
be made subservient TO tie purposes OF design
ing persons. While in Massachusetts, under
the census of 1860, the proportion OF white 10
colored males over 'wcnty years OF age Was Que
hundred and thirty to one, here the black race
constitutes nearly enc third Of the entire pop
ulation, whit the same class surrounds the
Ill IN oh baj
idence at moments noFca, and with al the
facility of nomadc people, in order to enjoy
| here, after d short residence, privilege they
find nowhere else. Ii IS within their POWER
| in one year 10 como into the District in such
numbers as to have the supreme control at the
white race, and to govern them by thei: own
officers and ny the exercise Of al the municipal
anthority-auong the rest, OF the power or
taxation over property in which they bavc no
interest
He calls to mind, TOO, fact which should
be remembered by the representatives, Of Ger
tain states where negro suffrage Is not allowed
He says:
1T cannot be urged that the proposed ex
tension Of suffrage in the District Of Columbia
is necessary to enable persons of color to pro
tect either their interests or therrlghts. They
stand here PIE 'i>eiy as they stand in Penn>yl-
vanis, Ohio, and IndiaHa. Here, as elsewhere,
in all that pertains TO civil rights, there IS
nothing to DISTINGUISH this class Of persons
from citizens Of the United States: for they
possess he 'full and equal benefit Of all laws
and proceedings for the security Of person and
property as is enryed by white citizens and
are made subject to like punishnentS, pains
and penalties and to none other, any law,
fo
the contrary notwith tandng.'
With regard to suff'age, generally, the
President nys:-"Great danger Is, therefore,
10 lie spprchended from an untInely extension
of the elective franchise to any new class in our
county, especially when the large majority OF
that class, in welding the power thus placed in
their hands, cann,t be expected correctly to
comprehend the duties and responsibilities
which pertain to sutfraee.
In conclusion, the President regrets ''tiie I'M
happy differences" between himself and the le-
gisl4tive power, and makes citations from the
writings of such lnen rs Jefferson, Madison,
and Story, in relation to the true danger which
threatens cur institutions Our fathers and
heir E,glish ancestry had suffered from the
c, croachments Of the one-mqn power Hence
hey carefully guarded against the ezactions of
the executive but they were less careful about
the abuse OF the legislative power, aud he
quotes Judge Story to show that the usurpa ion
Of this is more to be guarded against than the
advances either Of the Judiciary or the execu-
tive.
It would seem, that the unanswerable rea-
sons given by the President should have made
some impression ev en- upon the Radicals. But
no The Veto Message was read in the Sen
ate, was discussed for a short time. and the
bill PASSED, over the veto, by vote of % to 10,
and a like result will take place in the House
of Representatives
County ROADS Never, perhaps, since the
roads of Virginia were cut through the forests,