The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-01-10


stand in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and In
diana. Here, as elsewhere, in all that
pertains to- civil rights, there is no
thing to distinguish this class ofper-
sons from Citizens of the United States,
for they possess the full and equal
benefit Of all laws and proceedings for
the security of person and property as
enjoyed by white citizens, and are
made subject tolike punishment pains
and penalties, and to none other, any
law, statute, ordinance, regulation or
4 custom to the contrary notwitstand-
ing; nor, as has been assumed,i are
their suffrages necessary to aid a loyal
sentiment here, for a local government
already exists, Of undoubted loyalty to
the Government, and sustained by
communities which were among the
first to testify their devotion to the
Union, and which during the struggle
' furnished their full quotas of men to
the military service of the country.
< The exercise of the elective franchise
4 is the highest attribute of an Ameri-
n can citizen, and when guided by vir-
/, tue, intelligence, patriotism and pop
ular appreciation of our Institutions,
constitutes the true basis of Govern
ment, in which the sovereign power is
lodged in the body of the people. Its
influence for good necessarily depends
upon the elevated character and pa
triotism of the elector, for, if exercised
by persons who do not justly estimate
its nature, and who are Indifferent as
to its results, it will only serve as a
means of placing power in the hands
of the unprincipled and ambitious,
and must eventually end in the COM
plete destruction of that liberty of
which it should be the most powerful
4 conservatoP.s 3 - 81 '-s--4A - g II +,
Great dangeris, therefore to be ap-g
pretended from an untimely extern
q sion of the elective franchise to any
new class i'm our country, especially
when the large majority of. that class
In welding the power thus placed ain
their handsy cannot beexpected COR
rectly TO comprehend the duties and
responsibilities which pertain to spf-
frage. ,..t, s.,i,sge~. az i'lfTsgrGs p.
Yesterday as it were, four millions
/ of persons were heG in a condition
Of slavery that had existed for gene
Z rations. To-day they are freemen,
7 and are ASSUMED by law to be citizens.
1t cannot be presumed, from their
previous contftion of seryitude, that
as a class they are as we'll Informed as
to the nature of our Government as
an intelligent foreigner, who makes
our land the home of his choice liz
the case of the latter, neither a. resi-
dence Of five years and the knowl-
edge OF our institutions which it
gives, nor attachment tovthe princi-
pies Of the Constitution, are the only
conditions upon which he can be ad-
mitted to citizenship He must
prove, in addition, a good moral char
acter, and thus give reasonable
ground for the belief that he will be
! faithful to the obligations which he
assumes as citizen Of the Republic
Where people, the source of all
political power, speak by their suf-
frages through the instrumentality of
the ballot box, it must be carefully
guarded against the control of those
who are corrupt in principle, and the
enemies Of free institutions; for it can
only become to our political and So
cial system, a safe conductor of
healthy, popular sentiment, when kept
free from demOralizing influences. If
controlled, through fraud and usurpa-
ton, by the designing, anarchy and
despotism must inevitably follow. In
the hands Of the patriotic and worthy,
our Government will be preserved
upon the principles of the Constitu-
ton inherited from our fathers. 1t
follows, Therefore, that in admitting
to the ballot box new class of voters,
not qualified for the elective fran
chlse, we weaken our system of Gov
eminent instead Of adding to its
strength and durability. a
On returning this bill to the Senate,
/ deeply regret that there should be
any conflict of opinion between the
legislative and executive departments
OF the Government in regard to meas
ures that virtually affect the prospect
ty and peace of the country Sincerely
desiring to reconcile the States with
one another, and the whole people to
the Government of the United States,
1T has been my earnest wish to CO.
operate with Congress in all measures
having for their object a proper and
complete adjustment of the questions
resulting from our late civil war.
Harmony between the CO. ordinate
branches of the Government, always
necessary for the public welfare, was
never more demanded than at the
present time, and it will therefore be
my cnstant aim t pcom)te, as far as
possible, concert of action between
them.
The differences of opinion that have
already occurred have rendered me
only the more cautious lest the Ex-
ecutive should eneroach upon any of
the prerogatives of Congress, or by
exceeding in any manner the consti-
tntional limit Of his dntins dastrnu