The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1867-01-12
MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT.
Veto Of District of Columbia Suffrage
Bill
TO The senate Of tho Uultsl States:


Veto Of District Of Columbia Suffrage |
To the ssn4se Of the United STATES;
have received and considered bill en- |
titled AmAct to regulate the elective fran /
elise in the District Of Columbia, passed. hY 4
the Senate on the 9th Of December, and by !
che House Of Representatives on the sue
eeeding day, 1t was presented FOR my appro- |
val on the 18th alt, six days after the adjourn
In.snt OF. Congress, and is now returned with |
my objections, to the Scnate IN which
House It originated
Measures having been introduced at the
commencement Of the present Congress
Tor the extension of the elective franchise
% persons Of color in the District OF Column
biaj steps were taken by the corporate au-
thOrltics Of Washington and GeergetOWn
70 aseartain and make known the opinion
of the two cities upon the subject so imme-
diately affecting their welfare as a cOmmu-
nifty. The question was submitted TO the
people atspeeal elections, held in the month
OF December, 1860, when the qualified voters
of Washington and Georgetown, with great
uRaniiniJy of sentime ut, expressed them
selves opposed to the eontem plated legis-
hIti0n In Washington, in vote Of 6556,
the largest, with but two exceptions, ever
pOlled in that city, only thirty-fve ballots
were cast for negro suffrage while IN George
town, in an aggregation Of SI3 votes a num-
Der considerable III excess of the average
vote at the four proceeding annual elections,
but one was given in favor Of the proposed
extension of the elective franchise AS
these elections seem to have been cOnduc-
ted with entire fairness, the results must be
accepted truthful expression of the OPin-
5On Of the people Of the District upon the
question which evoked it. Possessing as
an orginized community, the same popular
right as the inhabitants of State or Territory
90 make known their will upon matters
which affect their social and POLITICAL con
ditioa, they. could have selected no more
appropriate mode of memOralizing Congress
upon the subject of this bill than through
the sulfrages of their qualified voters. I'm
tirely disregarding the wishes of the peO-
pieOf the District Of Columbia, Congress
has deemed it right and expedient to pass
the measure now submitted for my sigma
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 law
against which thepeOple, to whom it is to
apply have solemnly and with such unani-
nifty protested or whether he should return
it with his objections, in the hope that upon
reconsideration Congress, acting as the rep
resentatives Of inhabitants of the seat OF
government will permit them TO regulate q
purely local question as TO them may seem
best suited 10 their interests and condition
The District of Columbia was ceded to the
United States by Maryland and Virginia, il
order that it might become the permanent
seat Of government Of the United States
Accepted by Congress, it at once became
subject to the exclusive legislation for which
provision is made in the Federal COnstitu
ton. IL should be borne in mind hereafte
thati In It's functiOnsas the law making powe
of the District of Columbia, the authOrit
of the National Legislature is not withou
limit but that Congress is bound to observ
the letter and spirit of the Constitution, a
well in the enactment Of local laws for tn
scat Of Government, as in legislation con
mon to the entire Union. Were it to be aC
mit5ed that the right TO exercise exclusiv
Legislation in all cases whatsoever conferre
upon Congress unlimited power within tn
tract of Columbus, titles OF nobility Nigh
be granted within its boundaries, laws migt
be made respecting an establishment of th
religion or prohibiting the free exercis
thereof, or abridging the freedom of speec
or of the press, or the right of the peOpl
peaceably to assemble and to petition th
Government for a redress Of grievance
DispOtism would prevail at the seat
Government of a free republic, and as
place of permanent residence, it would
avoided by all who prefer the blessings
liberty to the mere emoluments of Ofici
position. lt should also be remembers
that in iegislating for the District of COlur
bia 1nder the Federal Constitution, the rel
ton Of Congress to its inhabitants is ana
agOus TO that Of legislature to the peOp
of a State under their own local COnstit
ton lt does not therefore, seem TO be as
ing too much In matters pertaining to Il
District, Congress should have a like respe
=
as is entertained by State Legislature {
the wishes and prosperity of those for who
they legislate. The spirit of our COnstit
ton and the genius of our Government ]
quire that in regard TO any law which is
Affect and have permanent bearing up
=, people their will should exact at least
reasonable influence upon those who are a
ing in the capacity of their legislato
Would for instance, the Legislature of t
.State~O New York, or of Pennsylvania or
Indiana, or Of any State in the Union, in {
position to the expressed will ola large Il
iOrity Of the people whom they were chos
To represent arbitrarily force upon the
as voters, all persons OF the African or nee
race, and make them eligible for the of
without any other qualifications than C
tain term Of residence within the state
neither of the States named would the color
population, when acting together, be able
produce any great social or POLITICAL resi-
Vet 10 New York, before he can vote,
man Of color must fulfil conditions that
not required of the white citizen. In Pc
gVlVaHia the elective franchise is restFie
to white freedmen; while in Indiana,
grOes and mulattoes are expressly exclu,
from the right of suffrage
It hardly seems consistent with the pI
ciplos Of right and justice, that represer
tives of States where suffrage Is either
nied the cOlored man or granted 10 him
qualifications requiring intelligence or pI
eYty, should compel the people of the
triot Of Columbia To try ala experinl
which their avn constituents have thus
shown an unwiiliRSness to test for them
YES Nor does it accord with our republi
ideas that the principle oC the goycrnu
should lose its force when applied u resid,
Of the District, merely because their legi
tors are not like those Of the States-resE
sihle through tho ballot TO the people,
,ghofs thew are the laW-making mower