Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-01-11

idcnt Adams in lis speech at its opening.
reminded the two houses that u was for
them TO consider whether the local powers
over the Distg ct Of Columbia which was
vested BY the Constitution in the Congress
Of the UnitedsStates should continue to he
exercised, and he asked them to consider
it as the capitol Of great nation advanc-
ing with unexampled rapidlty in arts and
somm srcc, in wealth and in population, and
possessing within itsclftheseresourcesw which
If not thrown away or sadly instructed
would surely secure 10 il Q long course OF
prosperity and self government. Three
years lad not elapsed, when Congress was
called upon 10 determine the propriety Of
re.ceding to Maryland and Virginia the ju,
risdiction Of the territory which they had
respectively relinquished to the Government
Of the United States. II Was urged on ore
hand that exclusive jurisdiction WAS not
necessary OF useful to the Government. that
il deprived the inhabitants Of the District OF
their political rights, that much time Of
Congress WAS consumed in legislation per-
tanning TO il that its government Vas ex-
pensivs that Congress was not competent
to legislatc for the District because men,
bcrs vera strange 10 its local concerns. and
that il vas an example Of Government
without representation, On experiment dan.
gerous 70 ths liberties Of States. On The other
hand il was held among other reasons. and
successfully no that the Constitution and
the acts Of secession oil Virginia and Mary
land, aid the act Of Congress accepting the
grant, all contenpla: d the exercise OF ex.
Il ~ nd hat -
usefulness, II not its necessity, was inferred
from the Inconvenience which was fe't fos
want Gift by Congress OF the confederation
that the people themselves, who 1t was said
had been deprived Of their political rights,
had not complained, and did not desire .
retroccssiou. That evil might be Temedied
by giving them representation in Congress,
when the district should become sufficiently
populous, and in the meantime local legis.
lature; that if the inhabitants had not polit-
ical rights, they had great political in :
fucnce that the trouble and expense Of
leeislating for district would not be gre, It,
but would diminish, and might, in u great
measure, be avoided by local legislature,
and that Congress could not retrocede the
inhabitants without their consent. They
would continue 10 live substantially under
the same laws - at the time Of the session
OF said local legislature, and would only have
to live under the laws suggested by them
| selves.
Tie people Of the District have not sought,
BY local legislature, that which has gensr.
ally been willingly conceded by the Con
gress Of the nation. AZ . general rule,
'ound policy requires tnc wish Of the PEG.
pie, when not inconsistent with the laws
aud Constitution. The measure suited Il
this community might not 10 we'll adapted
to the condition Of anothss, and persons
best qualified TO Determine such . question
are those whose interests arc to BE- directly
affected by any proposed law In Msssa-
chusctts, for instance, male persons ere al
lowed to vote without regard to color, pro-
vided they possess . certain degree Of intel
ligencs.
In . population in that State Of II 81 g, 60
there we're by the census of 1860, only o.
692 persons of color, and Of the males Ovcl
twenty years Of age, there were 339, 0st
white, to $500 colored. BY the Same otii
cial enumeration there were. in the Distric
Of Columbia, G0,164 whites to l4,3l6 per
sons Of the colored race. Since then, how
ever. the population in the District hal
largely increased, and is estimated at Oh,
present time that there are nearly ZOO
whites to 80, ZOO negroes. The cause Of III,
augmented numbers Of the latter class needl
no explanation. Contiguous to Maryland
and Virginia the District Of Columbia dur
ing tho war became . place Of refuge fol
those who escaped from scrvitude, anu it i,
the abiding place Of u considerable portion
II those who sought within its limits shcl
Ter from bondage, and until then held IN sla
very, and denied all opportunity for menta
culture. Their first knowledge Of govern
was acquired when, by comforting upor
them freedom, it became the bcnetactor d
their race. The test Of their capability fo
Improvement began when for the first tim,
the avenues TO intelligence and free mastery
Was opened to them. Possessing these ad
vantages but . limited time, the greater
number Of them, perhaps, having entcfe,
during tho later years Of the war to its ter
mination We may well pause to inquire
whether, after 40 brief a probation, they
are, as a class, capable Of an intelligent ex
ercisc of the right OF suffrage. aud qualified
TO discharge the duties Of official position
The people who are daily witnesses Of theil
mode Of living, and who become familiar
with their habits Of thought, have express.
ed the conviction that they are not compe'
tent to serve a. electors, and thus becom,
eligible for Office in local governments,
under which they have been cloth
ed with the elective franchise. They
arc already largely in excess. -
The demand for labor would be soon in
creased 10y an influx from the adjoining
states, and drawn from fields where employ
ment is abundant, they would In vain seel
it here, and 50 add to the embarrassment
already 1xpercnccd fro II tho large class o
id.e persons congregated Ia this district
hardly yet capable Of forming correct judg'
mcpts upon the important questions tina
often mark the issues Of . political contest
They could rerdily be made subservient L
the purposes Of designing persons. While
in Massachusetts, under the census Of 1860
the proportion of White to colored males
more than twenty years o: age, was 80 4
three. The black race constitutes nearly Z
third Of the population, while the same
class surrounds the district on all sides
ready to change their residence ct . mo.
meni's notice. with al the facility ofa nom
adc people. in order to enjoy hereafter Z
short residence, privilege they find no
Wuttc Sise. ~ ~ Witiu tucu pOWcs, III
one year, 70 come into the district in such
numbers as 10 have the supreme control OF
the white race. and to govern them BY their
own officers. and BY the exercise Of al mu-
nicipal authority, among the rest, Of the
power Of taxation on the property in which
they have no interest. In Massachusetts
where they have enjoyed the benefits Of 4
thorough educational system no qualiiica
ton Of intelligence 10 required while suf-
frage Is extended TO ali without discrimina<
ton ns we'll - to the most incapable who
can prove . residence in the district Of one
| year, rs 10 those persons Of color who are
comparatively few in number are permanent
inhabitants, and having given evidence Of
qualification are recognized as useful and
responsible members Of community, i'm.
posed upon an unwilling people, placed BY
the Constitution under the exclusive legis-
lation Of Congress, il would be received
- an arbitrary exercise Of power, and Al
an indication BY the country - the purpose
Of Congress to compel tho acceptance Of
negro Suffrage by the states. 1t would en-
gender a.feeling Of opposition and hatred be.
iwccn the two raccs, which, becoming deer
rooted and unavoidable. would prevent
them from living together in . state Of
mutual friendliness, avoiding every measure
that might tend TO produce such result
aud following the clear and we'll ascertained
popular will We should assiduously cndeav.
or to promote kindly relations between them