Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-01-08

a. Of government without representation
l. an experiment dangerous to tn
liberties OF the states. On -th
: other hand il was held among reasons
/. and successfully, that the constitution
the acts Of cessiOu Of Virginia an
Maryland and the act OF congress accept
= ing The grant, all contemplated the exer
else OF exclusive legislation by con
gress and that its usefulness, If not ID
. necessity, was inferred from the iuc2nve
nienee which was felt for want Of il bl
] the congress of the confederation; tia
e the people themselves, who it was sal,
' had been deprived Of their politic3
70 rights, had not complained and did no
p desire q retrocession, that the evil nigh
= be remediel by giving them represen
, tatiOn in congress, when the Disirlc
70 should become sufficiently pcpuious
% and i'm the meantime "a local legislature
Z that the trouble and expense OF legjsla
ting for the District would not oe great
{ but would diminish and might In q greai
measure be avoided by local leg!sia
2 ture, and that congress could not retro
eede the Inhabitants without thCiJ con
sent, Continuing 10 live substantially
under the laws that existed a. the uUl
. of the cession, and such changes only
having been made as were suggested by
/. themselves the people Of the j strict
have not sought by local legislature
Ihat which has generally been willingly
2cceded by the congress OF the nation.
As a general rule, sound policy requires
that tHe legislature should yield TO the
1 wishes ola people, when not inconsistent
with the consultation and the laws. The
| measures suited to one community
might not be well adapted to the condi-
tiOn of another, and the persons best
qualified 10 determine such questions are
thus. whose interests are to be directly
affected by any proposed law. In Mas
saehusstts, for instance, male persons are
allowed TO vote without regard to color,
provided they possess a certain degree OF
Intelligence. In a popUlstioH of that
state Of /, 81 ,055 there were, 10y the cen
sus Of 1850, onlY 1902 persons OF color
and Of the males over twcuty-One years
Of age there were 233, ,0s5 whites 10 2j22
col8re3. BY the same official informs
ti0n there were in the District Of COlum-
bia go, 76i whites 10 II 3l6 persons Of the
/ c0i0FeI race. Since then however, the
population Of this District has largely in
1 creased, and it il estimated that at the
/ present time there are nearly lUJ,llf
/ whites TO $4,000 negroes.
cause OF the augmented num5sSy y
the latter class needs %l7tlY&-
PLANTATION. CnntiguoJ4 49, -SIsSSs 4rZnd
/ Virginia, Ne District sSdS - tw8r,
becameisazslce of'silg ro llf wgao
/ escaped from seTVituaegF - v the
abiding place Of a nsiai 80 Aor-
/ ton oftbOse who s0ugat v -abl7&A& &nits
I a shelter from bondage. }alfNtbe leid
1 in slavery and denied Aopuorcul4 les
/ for meRtal culture, theiE& rst kuoW}sAge
Of the government was Required wnl,
! by conferriug upon Hpm freedom "a
! became the Deuefacto15f their race. TN =
( test Uf thelE capsbilit4f0r improvemens
! began when, for the Nst tiuT, the esreeT'
! of free industry and &c avenues TO in
| .enigence were Opehei 20 them. Pos
! sessiBg these advantages but limited
/ time the greater Il Der, perhaps, bav-
| ing entered the Hstrict Of CO.umbis
during the latter years Of the war or
! since its terminatian-We may well
pause 10 inquire whether, after so brief
! a IrooGioq Ney are, as a class, capable
I of an iHtelligeat exercise Of the right Of
suffrage, and ylalifed TO discharge the
duties o. oiligkYe positions.
The peollE>who are daily Witnesses
l Of their mode of living, and who have
gc0me familiar with their habits OF
thought, have expressed the conviction
I that they are not yet competent to serve
/ as electoEe, AID thus become eligible for
i-0nice iuatSse local governments under
/ which &S&HEe. Clothed with lhasSec-
/ tive f-ancEee their numbers, ag1hdy
/ largely in excess Of the deILSFgs II fgssr
/ would be soon increased By an ~If-lluX
/ from the adjoining states. Drawn from
( fields where emP!oymepa. IS abundant
! they would iu vain sgek II laMVEad so
add 90 the 5m mbaIrassGents alresef ex-
/ ylrieLcHi from the large class ~ idle
/ persons couE1eguted Ia the District
Hardly yet capable Of forming correct
/ Judgments upon the important ques-
! ti1us That OIier make the issues %
( political contest they could readiyNsa
made subseryisut TO tie purposes 6f
designing persons. WLiie iu Massa-
chuset-s under the census OF 1850
I the proportion 0f white TO colUred
males over twenty years OF age
/ was one hundred and thirty to one, here
{ tie black race constitutes nearly one
/ third Of The entire population, whilst the
7 same class surrounds the District on all
sides, ready to change their residence al
, moments notice, and with all the IA
I Cilitv Of q nomaa.e people, in order TO
enjoy here, after short residence, a
/ privilege they find % where else. Il is
/ within their power IN one year to come
/ into the DistiCt, in such numbers as to
( have the supreme control Of the white
[ race and 10 govern them by their own
( officers and by the exercise Of all the
municipal authority, among the rest, Of
( the fOWer Of taxation over property in
I which they have no interest. In biassa-
chUs--ts, where th0T have enjoyed the
/ benefits Of q thorough educational sys-
| TEN. the qualification Of intelligence is
required. while here, suffrage is extended
[ 30 lli without discrimination, As well 10
[ the most incapable, who can prove q resi-
ience 0f the District of one year, as 10
those persons Of color who, comparatively
/ few iu number, are permanent inha6It-
ants, aud having given evidence Of
merit and qualification are recognized
As useful and responsible members OF the
| community. Imposed upon au uu-
/ willing people, placed uy the canstitu-
/ tiou under the exclusive legislation Of
/ congress, it would be received as az arbi
/ trary exercise OF power and as an
indication by The country of the pur-
/ pose Of congress 10 compel the accept
| suce OF negro suffrage by the states.
! 10 would eugender a feelingaDf oppo-
siti8u and hatred between t6TfI 4SNraces,
which, bCc0ming deep-rof% FINER
radicable, would preveHs- from
/ living together in a statdS8 ~ utusl
/ fFiendliness. Carefully avoiding every
| measure that IN ight tend to produce such
| d result, and following the clear and we'll
! ascertained popular viii, We should AS
| sidjGUsly erdcayor to promote kindly
| relations between them, and thus, when
| that popular will leads the way, prepare
| for the gradual and harmonious intro
! dUction OF this new element into the po-
| litical power OF the country. Il cannot
/ be urged that the proposed extension Of
/ suffrage in the District Of Columbia i-
/ necessary 10 enable persons OF color TO
| protect either their interests or their
rights. They stand here precisely a~
/ they stand in Pennsylvania, Ohio and
Z indiana Here, as elsewhere in all that
/ pertains 10 civil rights, there Is nothing
/ 10 distinguish this class of persons from
/ citizens Of The United States, for they
! possess the " full and equal benefit OF all
! laws and pr0cl ediugs for the security Of
/ person and property as is enjoyed by
! white ciiizeus,n and are made subject
| % like punishment pains ami penalties,
aud 20 none other, any law, statutes,
/ ordinance, regulation or custom to the
| contrary Notwithstanding" Nor as has
| been assumed are their suifrRges neces-
sarv to sid loval sentiment here for
| local governments already exist Of I'M
/ doubted feGity 10 the government, and
| are sustained by communities which were
/ among the first to testify their devotion
/ b the union, and which, during the
/ struggle, furnished their fuIl quotas Of
men 10 the military service OF the cOun-
! try. The exercise Of the elective fran
chise is the highest attitude of an
American citizen, and when gained by
virtue, intelligence, patriotism and a
/ proper appreciation Of our institutions,
constitutes the true basis of a democratic
/ form Of government in Yasich the sover.
eigu power is lodged in Z body Of the
! people. Its influence for good necossari-
| is depends upon the elevated character
and patriotism Of the elector, for if exer-
cised by persons who do not justly esti-
mate It's value, and who are Indifferent
/ as 70 its results, it will only serve as
means Of placing power in the hands Of
the unprincipled and ambitious, aud
must eyentuste In the complete destruc-
tien Of that liberty which should be the
most powerful conseTvat0T. Great dan
ger is therefore to be appreheaded from
an antimely extension Of tbs elective
4 franchise to any new class in our coun-