Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-01-12

tiOn OF the Peoples Right TO Decide
| the Question for Themselves. ....
| TO The Senate of the United States:
| ] have received and considered bill enti.
| tied "An act to regulate the elective fran
chise in the District of Columbia" passed by
the Senate on the 18th of December, and by
| the House of Representatives on the succeed.
ing day. 1t was presented for my approval
on the Goth ult six days after the adjourn
ment of Congress, and is now returned, with
my objections, to the Senate, in which house
| it originated
| Measures having been introduced at the
commencement Of the first session of the
present Congress for the extension of the
elective franchise to persons of color in the
District of Columbia, steps were taken by
| the corporate authorities Of Washington and
| Georgetown to ascertain and make known
! the opinion of the people of the two cities
| upon a subject so Immediately affecting their
welfare as o community. The question was
submitted to the people at the special elec.
tions held in December, 1865, when the quail
| iied voters of Washington and Georgetown,
with great unanimity Of sentiment, express.
| ed themselves opposed to the contemplated
| legislation in Washington. In vote of g.
| $50, the largest, with but two exceptions, ever
were cast for negro suffrage; while in George
town, in an aggregate of Sl3 votes number
considerably IN excess Of the average vote at
the four preceding annual elections, but one
was given in favor of the proposed extension
of the elective franchise. .. ...
AS these elections seem to have been con-
Quoted with entire fairness, the result must
be accepted as a truthful expression of the
opinion of the people of the District upon the
question which evoked it, possessing, as an
organized community, the same popular.
right as the inhabitants of State or Ter
rit0ry have to make known their will on
matters which affect their social and politi-
cal condition. ......
They could have selected no more appro.
pirate mode of memorializing Congress upon
the subject of this bill than through the suf.
frages of their qualified voters.
Entirely disregarding the wishes of the
people of the District Of Columbia, Congress
has deemed it right and expedient to pass
the measure now submitted for my sigUa-
ture. 1t therefore becomes the duty of the
Executive, standing between the legislation
of the one and the will of the other, fairly
expressed, to. determine whether he should
approve the bill, and thus aid in placing upon
the statute books of the nation a law against
which the people to whom it is to apply
protested, or whether he should return the
BILL with his objections, in the hope that, up
on reconsideration, Congress, acting as the
representatives of the inhabitants of the
seat Of Government, will permit them to reg
ulate purely local question as to them may
see IN best suited to their interests and cOndi-
tiOn
The District of Columbia was ceded to the
United States by Maryland and Virginia in
order that it. might become the permanent
seat of government of the United States, and
was accepted by Congress. 1t at once be-
came subject to the exclusive legislation for
which provision is made in the Federal Con-
stituton. 1t should be borne in mind, how
ever, that IN exercising its functions as the
law-making power of the District of Colum-
bia, the authority of the National Legisla.
ture is not without limit but that Congress
is bound to observe the letter and spirit Of
the Constitution, as we'll in the enactment of
local laws for the seat of government, as in
legislation common to the entire Union
Were 1t to be admitted that the right to
exercise exclusive legislation in all cases
whatsoever, conferred upon Congress unlim-
tied power within the District of Columbia,
titles of nobility might be granted within
its boundaries; laws might bemade re-
spectibg an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereot or
abridging the freedom of speech or of the
press, or the right of the people to peaceably
assemble and to petition the Government for
a redress of grievances. Despotism would
thus begin at the seat of government of a
free Republic, and as q place of permanent
residence it would be avoided by all who
prefer the blessings of liberty to the mere
emouments of official position. 1t shouM
also be remembered that in legislatiDg for
the District of Columbia, under the Federal
Constitution, the relation of Congress to its
inhabitants is analogous to that of u Legisla-
ture to the people o. State under their own
local constitution. .iiu'- o.. ~ ~
. 1t does not, therefore, seem to be asking
too much that, in matters pertaining to the
District, Congress should have a like respect
for the will aud interests of its inhabitants
as is entertained by State Legislature for
the wishes aud prosperity of those for whom
they legislate. The spirit of our Constitu-
tion aud the genius of our government re.
qnire that in regard to any law which is to
affect and have permanent bearing upon q
people, their will should exert at least rea-
sOnable influence upon those who are acting
in the capacity of their legislators. Would,
for instance, the Legislature of New York,
or of Pennsylvania, or of Indiana, or of any
State in the Union, in opposition to the ex-
pressed will of large majority of the people
whom they We're chosen TO REPRESENT arbi-
trarily force upon them, as veters, all persons
of the African, or negro race, and make them
eligible for Office without any other qualifi-
cation than o certain term of residence with
in the State9 a. ,b,,ot4d qI .aotn h90
/ In neither of the States would the colored
population, when acting together, be able to
produce any great social or political result.
Yet in New York, before he can vote, the man
of color must fulfill conditions that are not
required Of white citizen. In Pennsylva-
MIA the elective franchise is restricted to
white treemen, while in Indiana negroes aud
mulattoes are expressly excluded from the
right of suffrage. .yhuooufuf no hTy d =
1t hardly seems consistent with the princi.
pies of right and Justice that the representa-
tiveso States where suffrage is either denied
the cOlored man. or granted him on qualiiica-
tions requiring intelligence OF property,
should, compel the people of the District of
Columbia to try an experiment which their
own constituents have thus far shown an un-
willingness to test tor themselves. Nor does
it accord with our republican ideas that the
principle of self.goyernment should lose its
force when applied to residents of the Dis
triot, merely bedause their Legislators are
not like those of the States, responsible
through the ballot to the people for whom
they are the law making power. ,i.se,b 7od o.
The great object in placing the seat of gov
ernment under the exclusive legislation Of
Congress was to secure the entire indepen.
dence of the General Government from undue
State influence and to enable it to discharge,
without danger of interruption or infringe
ment of it's authority, the high functions for
which il was created by the people. For this
important purpose it was ceded to the United
States by Maryland and Virginia. and GER