New-York tribune., 1867-09-03
CONGRESS AND IMPARTIAL SUFFRAGE.

Senator Trumbull publishes in The AdrOcdte,
the paper published at Chicago, an
elaborate argument against the right Of Congress TO regu
late suffrage in the States. He says:
However desirable 1t may be. In the minds Of many 10
abrogate the unjust discrimination account OF color
which prevails the qualification for voters in most Of
particularly in the election Of Federal officers the loyal
people OF the land have recently made too great 2
accomplish the object by Congressional enaetmcDt at
sacrifice Of the Obvious meaning and spirit o. tnst IN
ton emanatng directly from the sovereign people, and
placing their Representatives limitations IN the eIer
else Of power can be dsregarded without endan
gerng the private rights and the public liberties Of the
people as we'll as the existence Of the Union OF which IL
forms the truest security There be stability In
the Government without fixed fundamental law
Hence the first step ree ins oysrss, wi r
of the people In relation to the form and powers gov
agents To trust Representatives with unlimited disere
tOn allow them to exercise powers not granted wond
the people and such representative government would
be little better than despotism
But it needs argument TO restrain loyal Congress
from attempting to regulate suffrage IN the States when
il Is shown that the Constitution coDfers no eucn
other @ wsy will be- Sought to accomplish the object
Trumbul then argues that Article of the Con-
no anthsrty to control suffrage in the States that IL
syllable the subject and that the amend
ment prohibiting slavery implies no saeh power Ills ar
gument closes as follows:
The legislation of Congress regulating suffrage In the
views That legislation is based the authority Of Con
gess over the Rebel States conquered territory IL
may admitted that those States were never out OF the
Union and far the Constitution and laws Of the
United States concerned, were as completely subject
to both during the whole period OF the war and ever
since as they before the The po.ofce, reye
nue. judicial and all other laws OF the United states or
general character In legal sense extended as completely
over them as States during the Rebellion as DO
gal authority them States by the Rebellion Dnt
the States themselves lost all their rights states which
could only be welded through the machinery OF state
government Hence they lost their representation IN
both Houses OF Congress. because they had neher
State Legislature to choose senators nor S.te awS
governments were destroyed by the keDeulon cut to
legal authority Of the United states over the States was
never DESTROYED The hostile State governments which
were ugrated in lieu Of the State governments which
they destroyed In turn overtrown ana conquered
by The United States This left those States without
State governments OF any Kind and without the abty
TO exercise any OF their functions belonging TO them as
States in the Union which could only be exercised
Se United atss did not 6y the conae.t Of tho Rebel
States destroy ITS authority over them as states;
that continued just the same as before tine war but
established and thereupOn, In the absence OF any egf
mate State governments became invested as congueror
with the powers beongng TO state ~. scn ,a
power cOnqucror that Congress assumes during inc
process OF reconstruction to control by military power
the local affairs 0f such statesand TO regulate sunagc
theresn. A.,
people Of Illinois NewYork TO the military rule which
has been established in the Rebel States; and there
little warrant saying that IL could regulate suffrage la
Illinois NewYork because it has done so In the Rebel
States.
the vows expressed are correct follows that there
are but ways Of securing impartial suffrage through
out the Union One Is, Tor the States Themselves
adopt it, which Is being done by already and
that the subject is being agitated and IT'S justice be-
ing made apparent, IL Is to be hoped IL viii soon COM
mend itself TO all the other is by amendment TO tho
fragc throu ghout the Union which to become ence'o
must be ratified by three-foarths OF the States