Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1867-01-08
JOHNsON's VETO MES
SAGE or THE DISTRICT OF CO.
IUMBIA SUFFRAGE BILL.
To the Senate of the U'nitrd States

act to reculutc the elective franchise in the District
Of Columbia" passed by the Senate OH the 18th Of
December, and by the House III Representatives
on the succecdin.- day. II was presented for my
approval on the 10Th utimn-siX DAYS after the ad-
iournmcnt of Congress is now returned will!
INV objections To the Senate, in whirh House II
originated.
Measures having been introduced. at the COIL
mcnceIent Of the first session OF the present Con-
prcys for the extension of the elective franchise to
persons Of color in the district of Columbia steps
were taken by the corporate authorities Of Wash
ington and Georgetnw TO ASCERTAIN and make known
tho opinion Of the people of tho two cities upon
subject immediately affecting their welfare as
community. The question was submitted To the
people at special elections, held in the month OF
December, 1865, when the qualified voters Of
Washington and Georgetown with great unanlnlfy
OF acntinent expressed themselves opposed to tho
contemplated legislation. In Washington, IN
vote OF 6j5G-- tho largest, with but two
EXCEPTIONS, ever polied in that city -. only
thirty-lvo buiUts wern cast for negro suffrage
while in Georgetown, in All aggregate OF Sl3 F"tc'
"a number considerably in excess Of the AVERAGE
veto ut the four preceding annual clccti"ns-bu;
ono was given in favor of the proposed extension ot
the elective franchise. As these elections seem to
have been conducted with entire Fairness the result
must be accepted truthful expression "t inc
opiui,n Of the people Of the District upon the qucs
ton which evoked it. Possessing, rs al ORGANIZED
community the same popular right a. the inhao:-
tan;s of n State Territory, to make KNOWN thcis
will upon matters which affect their social ma Io-
ltical condition, they could have selected no more
appropriate mode of nemorinlizing Congress upon
tho subject OF this bill than through tno su"ln5's
Of their qualified voters.
Entirely disregarding tho wishes OF the people
of the District of Columbia, Congress has deemed
it right aud expcdicnt TO pass the measure now SUD-
mtted for my signature IL, therefore, becomes
the duty of the Executive standing between the
Legislation OF the one and tho WI OF mo SaD%Id
fsirl, expressed, to determine whether he should
approve the BILL aud thus aid in placing upon the
sthtute-Looks of the nation law against winch the
people to whom it is TO apply have soleinhiy "ilu
with such unanimity protested, or "hI'he, nv
should return it with his objections, IN the non"
that upoI reconsideration, Congress, acting as inc
r,nrcsentatiyes of the inhabitants OF the seat OF
government, will permit them 10 regulate purely
local question, to them may seem best suileu u
their interests and condition. . =,
Tho District of Columbia was coded to the n'tea
States By Maryland and Virginia, in order that II
might become the permanent seat OF government
~ Ihe United States Accepted by Congress, II at
once became subject to the exclusive Legislation
Tor which provision il made in the Federal Const-
tuition, II should be borne in mind, however, thit
in exercising it's functions rs the law-inaking power
OF the District of Columbia tho authority 81 ,he
National Legislature is not without iiii, hu' ina,
Congress is bound to observe the letter and spirit OF
tzOI
laws for tho seat Of government, as in Legislation
comuun 10 the entire Union. Were II I" be admit
tod that the right "to exercise exclusive Legislation
In all cases whatsoever" conferred upon Congress
unlimited power within the District ct COLUMBIA
titles Of nobility might be granted within lis houh-
daries: lnws might be made prospecting an cFtne-
;sh,ncnt Of religion or prohibiting the FREQ exercise
thereof: or abridgng tho freedom ot speech or OF
tho press: or the right of the people pcacoa5y Ia
assemble aud TO petition the Government tor re.
dross of grievances" Despotsm would thus reign
at tho seat of government of free Republic, and,
as place of permanent residence, 1t would DC
avoided by all who prefer tho blessings of liberty
10 the mere emouments Of official position.
II should also be remembered that IN ieglSlatine
Tor the District of Columbia, under the Federal
Constitutions the relation Of Congress 10 Its 'nhao-
itants is analogous to that OF Legislature TO !ho
people Of State: under their OWE local Cohs,itu.
zion, II does not, therefore, sc"ia to be asking
too much that, in matters pertaining TO tho DIS
= rirt Congress should have like respect tor Inc
will and interests of its inhabitants as Is entertain
cd BY State Legislature for the wishes and pros
pcrity of those for whom they giSlae. The spir
il Of cur Constitution and the genius ot our GOV,
eminent require thGt, in regard to any law "h'cr
ia 10 affect and have permanent bearing upon a
, people, their will should exert ut least rcasona
hle influence upon those who are acting IN the ca.
pacity of their Legislators. Would, for instance
. the Legislature Of tho State of New York, Penn
sylyana, or of Indiana, ofany State in the mon
in oppositiop 10 tic expressed will Of larSGMWortJ
of ne people whom they were CHOSEN &c represent
arbitrarily force upon them, rs voters, ill persons
of the African or negro race, and make them cS
bio for office without any other qualification thar
, certn:n term uf residence within the State II
neither of the States named would the colortt
population, when acting together, be able to pro
duce any great sccnl political result let, II
Now York. before ho can vote, ;l:c man OF colo
nust fuilil conditions that arc not .eIu;icd or m
white citizen in Pennsylvania the elective tran
chjse is restricted to white frcemen while III In
diana negroes and mulattocs are expressly eHcluas'
from the right of suffrage 1t hardly seems conss
tent with the principles Of right and justice tina
representatives of States where suffrage is cithe
denied the colorcd man, or granted 10 hi! on qua!
fcations requiring intelligence or property, shou
compel the people Of the District OF Columbia L
, try an experiment which their own Constituents
have thus far shown an unwillinGncss to test 10
themselves. Nor does it accord with our rcpubiI
. can ideas that the principle of self-governnen
should lose its force when applied 10 tho resident
of tho District merely because their Legislators ar
not like those of tho States, responsible, through
the ballot to the people for whom they are the law
making power.
The great object Of placing the scat Of govern
, ment under the exclusive legislation OF Congress
was 70 secure tho entire independence OF the Gene
raj Government from undue State influence, an
to enable il 10 discharge, without danger OF inter
ruptiaa or infringement Of its authority, tho hg
' functions Tor which it was created by the people
; For this important purpose it waa coded 10 III
United States by Maryland and Virginia. and
certainly never could have been contemplated. a
one of the objects bonitnined by placing it unde
the exclusive jurisdiction of Congress, that it wou
afford to prnpagandists political parties place 10
M experimental test of their principles and thee
ries. While, indeed, the residents OF the seat O
government arc not citizens of my State, and Ar
I, ! ollo,rn1 q yoicp tho electoral col
lego, or representation in the councils of the nation
thew are, nevertheless, American citizens, entities
ns such to every guarantee uf tho Constitution, Z
every benefit of the laws and to every right which
pertains TO citizens of our common country In al
matters, then affecting their domestic affairs, tn
spirit of our democratic form of government de
mants that their wishes should be consulted ant
respected, and ttoy taught TO feel that, although
not permitted practically to participate in nationa
concerns, they arc nevertheless under patnrna
Government, regardful of their rights, mindful o
their wants, and solicitous for their prosper
itv. 1t vas evidently contemplated that nj
local questions would be left TO thor de-
csion, Mt least to an extent that would not be in
compatible with the object for which Congress wal
granted exclusive legislation over tho seat OF gov
eminent When the Constitution was yet under
consideration, ii waa assumed, by Mr.. Madison, tina
its inhabitants would be allowed "a municipal leg
islature, for local purposes derived from their owr
suffragcs." When. for the first time, Congress- ii
the year 1900, assembled at Washington, President
Adams, in his speech at its opening, reminded tho
two Houses that it was for them to consider whcth'
or the local powers over tho District of Columbia
vested BY the Constitution in tho Congress- Of the
United States should be Immediately exercised, and
he asked them TO 'corsider il US the capital of q
great nation, advancing with uneSampled rapidi'y
in arts in commerce, in wealth, and in population,
and possessing within itself those resources which
II not thrown away or lamentably misdirected,
would secure to it q long course of prosperity and
self-government." Three years had not elapsed
when Congress was called upon to determine the
proprety Of rctroceding to Maryland and Virginia
the Jurisdiction of the territory which they had ro
spectively relinquished to the Government Of the
United States. 1t urged, ON the one hand that
exclusive jurisdiction was not necessary useful to
the Government; that 1t deprived ho,inhabitants
| - ~, Datrirt NJ their nnlit{cnl riphfs.