The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-01-09
cnrarnmentn the President intimates

Government" the President intimates
that the Legislative branch is nuct
more apt 10 encroach upon "the just
powers OF the Executive and Judicial
Departments He supports his views
by extended quotations from Chancellor
KENT, Mr.. MADISON, Mr.. JEFFERSON,
Judge STORY, and other eminent au-
thorities, whose opinions are adduced
( in proof of the fact, that '.if any Depart,
ment of the Government has undue in
fuence, er absorbing power, it certain:
| " has not been either the Executive OF
the Judiciary. He concludes as fol-
I lows:
! have preferred TO reproduce these
1 teachings of the great statesmen and
constitutional lawyers of the early and
later days of the Republic, rather than
10 rely simply upon an expression OF
nv own opinions. Wecannot too often
recur to them. especially al 4 conjunc-
ture like the present. Their appllca'
ton 10 our actual condition Is so appa-
rent. that they now come TO MS as
/ living voice. 10 be listened towlth more
attention than at any previous period
Of our history. We have been and are
vet IN the midst of popular commotlon.
I The passions aroused by great clv:l
war are still dominant. 1t Is not
time favorable TO that calm
and deliberate Judgment which
Is the only safe guide when rad
ical changes in our institutions are TO
be made. The measure now befoSe Inc
! is one of those changes. IL initiates an
untried experiment, for people who
have said, with one voice, that II Is not
! for their good. This alone should make
us pause; but it is not all. The expert
ment has not been tried, or as much as
demanded by the people OF the several
States for themselves. In but lew o.
I the States has such an innovation been
allowed as giving the ballot to the col
orcd population without any other
qualification than a residence OF one
year, and in most Of them the denial OF
/ the ballot TO this race is absolute, and
by fundamental law placed beyond the
domain of ordinary legislation. In
most Of these States the evil OF such
suffrage would be partial; but, small as
/ ii would be, il is guarded by constltu'
tional barriers. Here the innovation
assumes formidable proportions, which
may easily grow 10 such an extent as 10
make the white population a subor'
dinate element in the body polite.
/ After full deliberation. upon this
measure, / cannot bring myself to ap'
prove il. even upon local .consldeIa'
lions, nor vet rs the beginning OF az
experiment on larger scale. yield
/ 70 no one in attachment 10 that rule oi
general suffrage which distinguishes oul
policy as a nation. But there is limit
wisely observed hitherto, which makes
the ballot privilege and a trust, ano
which requires of some classes time
suitable for probation and preparation
To give il indiscriminately TO a new
class, wholly unpreparod, by previous
habits and opportunities, 10 perform the
trust which II demands, is 10 degrade 1t
and finally TO destroy its power for II
may be safely assumed that no political
truth is bstTer established than thai
such indiscriuinate and all embracing
extension of popular suffrage must end
III laSr III its destruction.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
Washington, January ,, loo1.