The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-01-08
The u, rs; Senate of The Uuited Sales:

qualified voters of Washington and Georgetown
with great unanimity of sentiment Expressed them
selves opposed to the cont ,mplated legislation.
In washington, in vote of 65o6, the largest with
but two exceptions, ever polled in thatcity, only
IS ballots were cast for negro suffrage while IN
Georgetown an aggregate OF Sls votes, L.mnei tx
four preceding annual elcctions-buto one was given
in favor Of the proposed extension OF the elective
franchise.
AS these elections seem to have been conducted
with entire fairness the result must be accepted as
trthfu oppression Of the opinion of the peopleoi
the District upon the question which evoked it Pos
sessing as sn organized community, the same pop
uarnght as the inhabitants OF State or territory
to make known their will upon masters which at
feet their social and political condition, they
could have selected no more appropriate mode OF
memorializng Congress uponit the subject OF tins
Bill than through the suffrsges OF their qualified
people Of the District Of Columbia, Congress- has
deemed it right and expedient to pass 1.-THE mea-
sure now submitted for my signature. 1t, there
fore. becomes the duty OF the Executive, standing
between the legislation of the one and the M4 o.
he should approve the Bill and thus aid In placing
upon theStatute Books Of the nation law, against
which the people to whom it is to apply have
solemnly, and with such unanimity protested, -or
whether he should return it, with .his objections,
in the hope that, upon reconsideration Congress,
acting as the representatives of the inhabitants OF
the seatiof government, will permit them to regu-
late purely local question as to them may
seem best suited to their interests and condition
The District of 'oolm bia was ceded to the Unit
ed States by Maryland and Virginia, in order that
it might become the permanent seat OF govern
ment of the United States, Accepted by Con-
eress, it at once became subject to the 'e1cu-
sive legislation" for which provision is made IN
the Federal Constitution. It should be borne in
mind however, that in exercising Its functions as
the law-naAng power Of the District Of Columbla,
the authority Of tho National Legislature is not
without limit, but that Congress is bound to OBJ
serve the letter and spirit Of the Constitution, as
well in the enactment of local laws for the seat OF
government as in legislation common to the entire
Onion We're it to be Samssea saat M sne 70
ever conferred upon Congress unlimited power
within the District OF Columbia, titles of nobility
might be .granted within its boundaries;. ia%s
might be- made respecting an estab bhshment OF re-
igon or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or
sbridg;ng Che freedom Of speech OF OF the PRESS
or the right of the people pcaceably to asem-
BILE and petition the Government for q redress OF
grievances.n~ Despotism would thus reign at the
place Of PERMANENT residence, it would be avoided
by all who prefer the blessings OF liberty to the
mere emol1ments OF official position.
It should:a1se beTe1nembered that, in leglsatlng
for The District OF Columbia under the Federal
Constitution, the relation ofiCongress to its in
hsbitants s analogous to that Of a legislature to
the people OF a;stsfe npdeE their own local const-
tuition. 1T does not, therefore, seem to be asking
too much. that in matters pertaining to the Dis
tricB Congress- should nave alke rsspees ior Gne
ed by State Legislature for the wishes and Pros
perity Of those for whom thoy leglslate. The
spirit Of our Constitution and tho genius OF our
Government require that, lI"regards to anyiaw
which is to affect and have apermanent bearing up
on people, their will should exert at least reason
able. infuance upon those who are acting In the
cspscity OF their legislato Would ,for instance
the Legislatuye of the sStatesof New York or OF
Union. in opposition to the expressed will OF large
majority of The people whom they were chosen 20
represent arbitrarily force upon them, as voters
ali persons Of the African or negro race. and mako
them eligible for Office, without any other qualf-
cation than certain term Of residence within the
State? In neither of the States named would the
colored population, when acting together, pc able
to produce any great social or political result! Yet
in New York, before he can vote, the man OF color
must fultl conditions that are not required OF the
white citizen Pennsylvania the elective franchise
is restricted to white freemen; while in Indiana
negroes snd mulattoes are expressly excluded from
the right OF suffrage. 1T hardly seems con,
Justice that representatives Of States where suf
frage is either denied the oolored man or grant
ed to him on qualifications requiring Intelligence
or property, should compel tho people OF the Dis
trict Of Columbia to try an experiment which their
own constituents have thus far shown an unwil-
inpness 60 test for themselves; does it accord
with our republican ideas that the principles OF
selfgovernndent should lose its force when applied
to the residents Of the District, merely because
their legislators are not like those of the States re-
sponsibls through the ballot to the people, for
whom they are the law making power. The great
object Or placing the seat Of government under the
exclusive legislation Of Congress was to secure she
from undue State inCenoe md to enable it to dis
charge, without danger Of interruption, or infringe
ment OF its authority, the high functions for which
it was created BY the people; For this important
ia kka I1r,sko Sfnfa hty
MARYLAND and Virginia; and it certainly never
could have been contemplated as one OF the OBJ
iects to be attained by placing it under the exclu-
sve Jurisdiction Of Congress; that it would afford
to propagsndists or political parties place for an
experimental test of their principles and theories
While indeed the residents Of the seat Of govern
ment are not citizens OF any States, nnd are not,
therefore allowed voice in tho electoral college
or representation in the councils OF the nation.
they are, nevertheless, American oitizons, entitled
as such to every guarantee Of the Constitution, to
every benefit Of The laws, and to every right which
pertains to citizens Of our common country.
In all matters, then, affecting their domestic af-
ment demands that .thoir wiahes should be con.
suited and respected, and they taught to teel
Shat although not permitted practically to partcl-
pats in national concerns, they are, nevertheless,
Inder paternal Government, regardfnl OF their
their prosperity. 1t was evidently contempt
ted TINT all local questions would be left to
their decision, at least to an extent that would
not be incompatible with the object which
Congress contemplated when ii assumed eSclu-
sive. Legislation: over the seat of government.
When the Constitution was yet under consldara-
tion it was assumed by MIR. Madison that its In
habitants would be allowed sc municipal legislat-
uren for local purposes derived from their own suf
fraees When for the first time Congress- in the
year 1900 assembled at Washington, President
adams in his spesch st<its opening reminded the
two Houses that it was for them to- consider
whether the local powers over the District OF Co
lupbis vested BY the Constitution in the Congress
OF the United States, should be Immediately exer-
cised Ssnd: he asked them to consider it as the
Capitd Of this great nation, advanced with unex.
ampIed rapidity in arts, in commerce, IN wealth
and population, and possessing within itself those
resources which, II not thrown away or lament
ably misdirected, would secure to it q long course
Of p,os,erity and selE-govcrnment.
Three years had not elapsed whom Congress was
called upon to determine the prop1iety of retro
ceding to Maryland and Virginia the jurisdiction
of the territory which they had respectively rell-
duished to the Government OF the United States.
twas urged, on tho one hand, that exclusive lu-
risdiction was not necessary or usefn to the Gov
ernment; that it deprived the inhabitants OF the
District Of their political rights that much OF the
time OF Congress was consumed Ia legsiatlon per
taining,to it; that its government was expensive;
that Congress was not competeat 70 lesslate Tor
the District, because the members were strangers
to it's local concerns; and that it was an example
of government without representation e1-
pertinent dangerous to the liberties OF the states.