The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-04-13
airl,mond 1ispattk,
SATURDAY. ...".....APRIL Is, 1867.
Eligibility Of Negroes to Office


Notwithstanding that the Reconstruction
bill plainly provides that negroes sha'l y
allowed to pote, thereby preci"a'nS ",
notion that Congress attempted or intenaeo
to make them eligible to office II Is eN-
dent that some Of the more unscrupuious
Of the Radicals propose to insist upon TINS
latter as one Of the terms upon wh,ch
" restoration" is to take place. This ad-
xanccd movement is based either upon the
Sherman law or upon the civil rights law
Now, this latter law is in fun force over
the un;on-in New York as in Virginia
vet In New York negro Is not even al
lowed 70 vote unless he owns good deal
of property. There is nothing more GER
tain than that at the time of its passage no
such consequence was expected to follow
its enactment. Congress would not then
have dared to propose such measure.
Inasmncb. then, as the civil rights law
makes no such requirement, and as the re-
construction act goes further than any
other law ever before passed, and that
limits its requirements in this respect TO
the right to vote, it would be monstrous
outrage to attempt to compel our people to
render negroes eligible to office. Our at
tention has been recalled to this subject
by an article published in the Washington
Chronicle. which that journal says was pre-
nared by q leading officer of the Freed
n,or,S Bpreau. and in which occurs the
following example of unblushing lmpu-
dence:
a. There is not only decidedly strong oppo.
st,ion felt on the part of the whites, our IL is
o,a,Jv ,Xprcssed against the colored men
holding any office In many places tney assert
1hat this right is not granted by the Dill. Inns
fact occasions = great uhcasihess among .ne
cnInrrd men. ana ii the opposition shall con-
-,uue an effort may be made in some localities
x,,rb view to settle the question, 10 NIL every
office with freedmen, with out llttle REGARD 10
their ntness-a step which might IN It's conse-
ruruces prove as unwlse as the opposition
l,sglf on the part OF the whites
SIN many places they assert that this
right is not granted by the bill"! Won
derful. No respectable lawyer will pre-
tend that this right is granted by the bill.
On the contrary, the whole legislation of
Congress for the last two years shows that
that body never intended to require any
State TO render negroes eligible to office.
The Sherman bill was passed because we
refused to ratify the constitutional amend
ment, and to compel us to ratity it hereaf-
ter. Now that amendment, which We are
expected soon to ratiiy, provides
But when the right TO vote At any election
l. denied 10 any of the male inhabi-
Tants of such state being twenty-one years OF
age and citizens of the United States, or IN any
way abridged except for participation IN re
brllion or other crime, the basis OF represen-
tatlUA therein shall be reduced, &c.
Thus plainly recognizing the right Of the
States even to deny the privilege of voting
to the negroes. Congress, by unavoidable
implication, declared that each State might
exercise its discretion in the matter. But
when the South refused to ratify this
amendment, Congress determined to make
the negroes voters itself. As it had never
Intended to reduce the basis of representa-
tion in any State because of its refusal to
allow negroes to be elected to office, SO
now it had no intention of compelling the
States TO make them eligible. 1t desired
to secure the right of suffrage to the ne
croeS, and neither measure went any
further, or was intended to 90 any further,
than was necessary to accomplish this OBJ
iect. The Sherman bill declares:
when such constitution shall provide that
the elective franchise shall be enjoyed by all
such persons as have the qualifications herein
stated for election OF delegates, &c.
When our Constitution shall provide
that the elective franchise shall Do Gu
ioycd by the negroes, then we will nave
done all that we are required to do lor
them. There is no language in the oher-
man bill, and none in the supplementary
bill. which can be tortured into require
ment that we shall make negroes ei'sioio
to office. The civil rights law, we repeat
is not construed anywhere in the North TO
moan anv snch thing. The Legislature OF
New Jersey has just refused to allow ne
groes to vote. SO there is no foundation
for this impudent claim of leading Off
Ger of the Freedmen's Bureau" except
that insane desire to humiliate the south
ern people which seems to possess Radi-
Gals of the FoRNEY, SUMNER, and PHILLIPS
stripe.
We cannot believe that any district
commander would attempt to put such
construction as we have combatted upon
any of the laws in question, nor that the
President of the United States would suf-
fer one to do so were he inclined thus to
act. Sure we are that Mr.. STANBERY will
never risk his reputation in his profession
by countcnancing construction which is
as absurd as ever mailman put upon a
law.
Greeley in New Character.
HORACE GREELEY will be a member of
the convention which is to be elected in