New-York tribune., 1867-04-11

anu Llouotlf SIduidlIy HDplONCu tHS NotIulg
circumstance Of the late Slaves. AS years
passed on they acquired lands; they built
houses and purchased stock their names began
TO appear in considerable numbers on the tax
collectors rolls and at length they were able
to elect several of their friends to the House
of Assembly. Alarm was taken by the Planter
party at this turn in affairs, and so about ten
years ago ILL was introduced INTO
the Legislature, and passed imposing more
stringent conditions on the exercise of the
franchise. Among other things, the measure
provide for a registration voting tax of 81 so
year, which the poorest man equally
with the richest, was required to pay before
lie would be permitted to cast his vote. Under
the operation of ths new law the number OF
black registered voters fell ct year oy year.
until in the year 1868 it hardly exceeded 1000
This, in a negro population of $4,000, shows
that in five or six years the law had pretty ef-
fectually done its work in dSfranch5lng the
people. But the g1oss injustice worked It's own
cure. Political conflicts arose between parties
in the Assembly; dissolutiOns took place; and
the blacks found themselves politically power
less when the hour for action arrived.
4 Hcn arose dD OulCIl against bho INV oO iOuu1
and strong, and indignant, that the Planter ma
jority in the Assembly were compelled to yield,
and the voting tax was abolished but a resO-
luton was at the same time secretly taken to
destroy the Assembly rather than allow the
people to have a fair share of representation
and power in the government The 0pportu-
nifty came with the disturbances of October,
1865, which were eagerly seized as a pretext for
carrying out the nefarious design. NOtwith-
standing the terrible energy with which the So
called rebellion had been "trampled ont" a
strong government" it was contended, was the
cormtrys first and greatest need; and so, no
sooner had the Legislature met after those de-
plorabe occurrences, than the Assembly has
tened "to sacrifice themselves s"--as they putt
--"On the altar of PATRIOTISM the earnestand dig
nified protests of the few Liberal members being
completely drowned by the clamor of the majority
for self -immOlatOn. That majority however
took care to substitute for the old House a
select Legislative Chamber in which none but
men of the Planter party would have been
able to obtain seats. But just at this time the
British Government interposed its authority,
and by act of Parliament the administration OF
the affairs of the colony was vested exclusively
in the Crown. The blacks lost the franchise,
but the whites were deprived of 1t likewise :;
and the planters were fOiled in their project for
reGstablishing an olgarchy in the island. The
necessity for the extreme measure to which the
British Government have in this instance been
compelled to resort is the result of their neglect
to see to il in the first instance that the political
rights of the freed negroes were properly
secured to them. Read in the light of this
brief history the course pursued by our Con-
gress in the work of Southern Reconstruction
must be pronounced stateSmanlike and emlnently
wise. Far better settle the question of negro
suffrage at once. and forever, than allow the
seeds of future trouble to he sown IN the late
Rebel STATES