Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-01-17
RUTLAND HERALD.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1867.
The Last Veto.


weeks since. In that message the prin-
cipal ground taken by the "Moses" of
the African race in support OF his veto
of the measure, to use his own language,
is;
Measures having bsen introduced
at the commencement of the first session
of the present Congress, for the extern
sion Of the elective franchise to persons
OF color In the District OF Columbia,
steps were taken by the corporate au-
thorities OF Washington and George
town tC ascertain and make known the
opinion OF the people of the two cities
upon a subject so Immediately affecting
their welfare as a community The
question was submitted to the people at
special elections, held in the month of
December 1865, when the qualified
voters Of Washington and Georgetown,
with great unanimity of sentiment, eX-
pressed themselves opposed to the con-
templated legislation. In Washington
in vote of 6, 556-the largest, with but
two excestions, ever polled in that city
only 50 ballots were cast for negro
suffrage while in Georgetown, in an
aggregate OF Sl3 votes-a number con-
Siderably in excess Of the average vote
at the four preceding annual elections
out one was given in favor of the pro-
posed extension of the elective franchise,
As these elections seem to have been
conducted with entire fairness, the re-
suit must he accepted as a truthful eX-
preston Of the opinion of the people of
the District upon the question which
evoked 1t. Possessing, as an organized
community, the same popular right rs
the inhabitants of State or Territory,
to make known their will upon matters
which affect their social and political
condition, they could have selected no
more appropriate mode Of memorializing
Congress upon the subject Of this bill
than through the suffrages Of their quail
fed voters.
This reason o. the President for deny
ing suffrage to the loyal blacks of the
District Of Columbia is certainly one of
the most Inconsistent ideas we have seen
advanced in support of any measure
brought forward within our recollec-
tion. The idea that Congress, repre-
senting nearly thirty millions OF loyal
people, must bow to the will of the few
thousand dsloyal voters of the District
OF Columbia is preposterous, and if the
President would take a look backward
at the course which he Zone man has
himself pursued during the past year in
direct opposition to the wishes Of the
people of the North and a respectable
portion Of the South, as expressed by
them a. the ballot box, we do not see
how helcan muster courage enough to ask
Congress, composed of some two hun
bred and thirty representatives Of the
people, each one of whom is fully his
peer, TO submit to the wishes Of the
slight population of the District Of
Columbia.
But there is another question involved
in this District suffrage movement which
rises higher than the matter OF rejection
or adoption, viz Are all citizens Of the
nation entitled to equal rights before
the law, regardless Of color or race. BY
the events which transpired during the
late war, the negro has been proclaimed
free citizen, and as such, we do not
see why he has not a right to the use Of
the elective franchise as much as our
English, Irish, Scotch, German, Cana
dian or other citizens OF foreign extrac-
ton. Our country, though long pro-
claimed as an asylum for the oppressed
OF all nations, has, until within a few
years past, excluded the African from the
enjoyment o. any privileges extended to
other foreigners, and, now that slavery
as been abolished, we think it is high
time that equal rights, before the law be
extended to him. Suffrage is the prin-
cipal one Of these rights, and that its ex
tension to the long oppressed race should
as well be inaugurated in the District of
Columbia as anywhere else, we deem
right and proper, and if President John
son has not advanced will the progress
of civilization in our enlightened land
fast enough to see the necessity of pro.
r0tiug this scheme, we rejoice that
Congress, viewing in the proper light
ne position in which we stand before
the nations Of the world, has seen
fit to pass over the executives veto the
bill extending suffrage to the negroes in
the District of Columbia.
The Boston Journal comments as fol-
lows on the veto Of the President:
by this continued opposition to the
purposes Of the loyal people of the
United States, President Johnson is prov
ing himself a strong opponent to all po-
litical progress upon either continent.
The people Of the South will be strength
ened in their prejudices toward the black
man by the Presidents message, and the
aristocrats of England will derive fresh
courage for continuing their unjust and
oppressive disregard of the rights of the
middling and poorer classes by the rea-
soniug of our American President
against impartial suffrage. But while