The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-11
Tb. An,t.Su1raee Veto Message.


} inc, his reasons for its veto, and as was
REGARDED a sure thing, the Senate imme-
II diately passed it over the veto by vote
of twenty-nine yeas to ten nays. The
House will probably deal with 1t as
lsummarily as the Senate.
i The message of the President is pro-
| Iix, and Tugs in a discussion of the CO.
| ordinate powers of the Government,
\ which was not at all necessary. The
| objections to the bill are that the almost
unanimous voice of the white voters of
the District of Columbia Is against the
grant of the elective franchise to the
blacks, without any other qualifica-
ton than a residence of one year, and
| that the blacks themselves are not
qualified to exercise the privilege, even
were the whites willing to confer it
upon them.
There can be no doubt that if the
wishes and sentiments of the white in
| habitants of the District are alone to be
consulted, the enforcement of negro
suffrage upon them is contrary to the
spirit and genius of our institutions.
In making his argument however, the
President is very careful to confine
himself to that view of the question.
He assumes, as though it were not con-
troverted, that only the sentiments of
| the white citizens are TO be considered,
and here is precisely the point of de-
| parture with Congress. That body as
4
inhabitants of the District, anil that if
it failed to do SO, its legislation would
| be as much opposed to the spirit and
| genius of American institutions as
| though it were to enact laws and force
| them upon the whole people in defiance
of their expressed will. The President
takes the result of the vote in the Dis
trict on the question the extension of
the franchise to persons of color, and
reasons from that to his conclusion that
such an extension is in opposition to
the will of the people for whom Con-
| gress legislates. It would destroy the
force of the Presidents elaborate argu-
ment to admit that the vote was par
tial, and that large body of the inhab-
itants were not permitted to manifest
their will at the ballot-box. Yet such
was the fact. Not one of the 90, ZOO col
ored inhabitants was permitted to vote
on a question directly affecting
their rights. Was that democratic7
Was that in harmony with the spirit
and genius of our institutions, for
which the President has such conscien-
tious solicitude?
The argument of the President loses
still more of its force when il is recol-
lected that the bill which he vetoed
does not propose the abridgment, but
the enlargement, of n political right.
The white citizen of the District loses
no right he hitherto possessed. 1t sim
ply confers equal privileges upon all.
Surprising the conditions had been re-
verSed, and that the colored inhabitants
of the District had held n special cleo
ton to ascertain how many of them
were willing to extend the elective
, franchise to the whites, and surprising
the vote had been nearly unanimous
against it-would not the President
have said, "StOp there-the voice of
the whites must be heard before we can
fairly determine what is the will of the
people of the District 1t is not dem
ocratic to allow one part of the people
to determine what rights another part
shall have or not have" Most unques-
tionably he would, and he would have
been right in SO doing.
The President does not get down to
the bottom of this matter. 1t is not
what the white inhabitants NAV or NAV
not want, but whether the whites shall
have the exclusive privilege of deciding
! what another class of the people shall
, have or not have. In other words,
when an election is held to determine
a question OF political privileges, are
those who are to be most affected by
the decision to be denied hearing?
, The President assumes that they are TO
! debarred. He rests his case upon er
pGTte evidence. Is that democratic? Is
that i'll accordance with the spirit and
genius of our institutions?
The Presidents second objection,
namely, that the colored people of the
District are not qualified to vote intelli-
gently, is better taken. There is II good
deal OF truth in it. We anticipate that
at the first opportunity they will dem
onstrate their untitness for the fran
chise by voting the Democratic ticket.
When, with all the influences Boston
has eXerted upon the negro character
. and education, she is unable to make
Republicans out of her colored inhab-
! ! itants, what Is to be expected in Wash
I -. L.
, and government offices, Republican in
tiuences are as imperceptible as light
from heaven.
The President is solicitous about the
consequences of an attempt on the part
, of the blacks to vote. Collisions, pop
: ular tumults, riots, and such like dis
, turbanceS he apprehends will follow.
What this has to do with the question
of the right or wrong of enlarging the
suffrage in the District, is more than
, We can tell. II our National and State
Legislatures are to be controlled in
, their legislation by considerations of
: the resistance that may be made to the
enforcement of laws enacted to confer
or protect rights and privileges, the
value of legislation would be material
3 ly impaired. The argumentlwould APP
t ply to any unpopular measure-such
Z as authorizing draft in times of ma
tional peril, or levying taxes tosmeet
. the expenses of the government and
= liquidate its debts. Congress must do
e what 1t believes to be right, just and
, necessary, and if any body undertakes
to resist the laws, the government must
l instruct them that they do it at their
D peril.
We fail to see why Mr.. johnson
should have entered into long aud
half apologize argument in defense of
, the veto power. Its object is well un-
: derstood, and nobody that we know of
! questions his right to exercise it when
ever he feels in duty bound to do so.
We may think he is headstrong, and
! obstinate in its use, that he does not
: exhibit wise craftsmanship in its ex-
: ercise, that he is not always actuated
by high motives, and that he allows
, his preJudices to sway his reason-we
may speculate upon all these matters.
; and denounce him for the use he makes
OF his power, but no one, we repeat.
denies that he can put the official seal
OF his Misrepresentation on any measure
ofCongress, any more than that Com
gress can neutraliZe its effect by a two
thirds majority vote. If the President
has any purpose to effect by this nor
ton OF his message it must be to fur
nish his friends an argument against
his impeachment
, THERE is Miss Moore, the .sSkato-
torial Queen" who has been creating
) quite an excitement at one of the Phil
adelphia skating parks. Crowds flock
! 10 see her, so thal on SATURDAY. after
: noon the proprietor of the park would
/; not allow her to appear on the ice, the