The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1867-01-12

exclusive le4ASidLtDn Oh Congress. lE MOlfu 4
be received as an arbitrary exercise Of
power, and as an Indication 81 the country /
Of the purpose Of Congress to compel the /
acceptance Of negro suffrage by the States. I
It would fengender a9eelipg of opposition /
and hatred between the two races, which, /
becoming deep-r0Otcd and &neradicable, /
would prevent them form living together in .
a state of mutual friendiiness. Carefully I
avoiding every measure that might tend to /
produce such result, and following the /
clear and well ascertgined popular viii, we /
should assiduously endeavor to promote I
kindly reLstieass between them, and thus, /
when that popular will leads the way, pre- /
pire for the gradual and harmonious intro
ductioR Of this new element into the ypOliti. t
cal power Of the country. It cannot be !
urged that the proposed extension of suffrage |
IN the District Of Columbia Is necessary to /
enable persons of color to protect either /
their interests or their rights. They stand
here.precisely rs they stand in Pennsylvania,
Ohio and Indiana Here, as elsewhere, IN
all that pertains to civil rights there Is moth
inc 30 distinguish this cla5s.Of persons from
citizens of the United States, for they possess /
the "full and equal benefit of, laws and
proceedings for the security of person and
property as IS enjoyed by white citizens"
and are made -'ssubject to like punishment,
pains and penalties; and TO none other, any
law statutes, ordinance, regulation or custom
To the contrary notwithstanding. Nor as.
has been assumed are their suffrage neces-
sarY % aid loyal sentiment here, for local
governments. already exist of und6ubb6d'
fealthy to the Government and are sustained.
lgY edInhIlfHities which, were among the first
to tes CIfy their devotion to the .4EEniOR, and
which, during the struggle; furnished their
full quotas of menatO the military. service of
the country. The exercise of the elective
franchise Is the highest attribute of an
tSAmerican citizen, and when guided by vir-
tue, Intelligence, patriotism and proper APP
/ Observation-Disclosures, constitutes the
/ true basis of democratic-@orm of govern
/ ment IN which the sovereign power is lodged
! in The body of the people. It's influence for
good necessarily depends upon the elevated
4 character and patriotism of the electoF, fer
! if exercised by persons who do not justly
/ estimate its value and who are indifferent
as to its results, it will only serve as a means
Il Of placinep6B ef in the hands-of the unprin-
cipled and ambitious, and must eventuate in
i the complete destruction Of that liberty
a which should be the most powerful conserva-
tor. Great danger is therefore to be appre-
+ h6nded from an untimely- extension of the
elective franchise to any new class In our
country especially when the large majority
of that class, in welding the power thus
I placed In their hands cannot be expected
II correctly to comprehend the duties and res
81 possibilities which pertain to suffrage Yes
terdaY, as it were, four millions Of persons
Il ware held in q condition of slavery that had
existed for generations to day they are freed
men, and are assumed by law to be citizens:
1t cannot be presumed from their previous
condition to seryitude, that as a class they
are as we'll informed as to the nature of OUT
Government as the intelligent foreigner who
3 makes our land the home of his choice In
9 the case of the latter, neither a residence oil
+ five years and the knowledge of our insti
e tutiOns which it gives, nor attachment to the
= principles of the Constitution, are the only
S conditions upon which he can be admitted
e to citizenship. He must prove, in addition
t good moral character, and thus give rea
s sonable ground for the belief that he will be
d faithful to the obligations which he assumes
It as citizen of the republic.
It Where a people" the source of, al Do
d litical power speak by their sufFragei
Il through the instrumentality of the ballot box
Z 1t must be carefully guarded against the con
3, troll Of those who are corrupt in prinoipl
n and enemies of free institutions for it ca4
e'1 only become to our political and social sys
10 tenn a safe conductor of healthy popular sch
st timent when kept free from demOralizing 10
e huences Controlled through fraud and usur
~. patton by the designing, anarchy and despc
s tism must inevitably follow La the hand
re of the patriotic and worthy, our GoVernmen
o will be preserved upon the principles of til
IL Constitution Inherited from our fathers
Of follows, therefore, that in admitting to tn
0, ballot box a new class of voters not quail
es fed for the elective franchise, we weaken on
re system of government instead Of adding {
he its strength and durability. In returning chi
ne bill to the Senate, l deeply regret that Their
l6 should be any conflict of opinion betwee
~, the Legislative and Executive Department
as of the Government in regard to measure
at that vitality affect the prosperity and peaC
% Of the country, sincerely desiring to recon
ne ellie the States with one another and the who
DIS people to the Government of the Unite
nd States. 1t has been my earnest wish to C
h, operate with Congress in all measures ha
es- ing for their object proper and comple
i'd adjustment Of the questions resulting fro
of our late civil war. Harmony between Il
ter coordinate branches Of the Government, q
ry ways necessary for the public welfare, vi
nj never mere demanded than at the prese
mt time, and it Will therefore, be my consta
on aim to promote, as far as possible, concert
of action, between. them. The differences
for opinion that have already occurred, ha
ne, rendered me only the more cautious le
,us the Executive should encroach upon anv
Os- the prerogatiEes Of Congress, or by excee
me ing in any manner the Constitutional lin
en- of his duties, destroy the equilibrium whi
the should exist between the several co-ordina
ma departments, and which is so essential 10 Il
Ter, harmonious working of the Government
ISIS, know it has been urged that the Executi
the Department is more likely to enlarge t
rge sphere Of its action than either of the 9th
branches of the Government and especial
of in the exercise of the veto power eonferr
me- upon it by the Constitution: It-should
ave remembered, however, that the power
not wholly negative and conservative In Its oh;
nus acter, and was intended to operate as a che
rn- upon Unconstitutional, hasty and improvide
18th legislation, and as a means of protect
ldy against invasions of the just powers of t
,oT, Executive and Judicial departments 1t
ON remarked by Chancellor kent that to emf
Ids law is transeendant power, and if the DO
uld that possesses 1t be a full and equal rep
en- sentation Of the people there is danger
the pressing with destructive weight on
in the other parts Of the machinery Of Cover
ing ment 1t has, therefore, been thought a
les essary by the most skillful and most expe
ical enced artists in the science of civil poll