Litchfield enquirer., 1868-12-24

ton dld take place; and when the Thirt,
 Ninth Congress assembled at its secont
 session the whole work of reconstruction
 had to begin again from the foundation
 and now experience had taught us that tn,
 work would stand unless it was founded
 upon justice. We had realized the necessi
 ty, of developing in some other mode 1T those southern communities loyal ele
 ment, out of which State organization. might be framed which could be safely in trusted with the resumption of Federal du
 ties, Hence the franchise was extendad te the colored citizens of the South. But while at the same time the necessity of de veloping and building upa loyal element had become apparent, it had also become apparent that it was necessary to put down still more effectually the political power oi the controlling disloyal element there; and therefore, for. the transition period which must yet elapse before the restoration .oi those States to the Union, Congress in the reconstruction laws provided that the classes enumerated in the third section of the fourteenth amendment of the Constitu- tion should not be permitted to vote, limi- ting and contining the operation of the provision to the transition period of which l have spoken. m sa,f.a t.F ..f t.--.sf. f.l.,.5} !,
 In seven of the States, the laws them selves have been repiaced by the local State constitutions. They apply now only to Texas, Virginia, and Mississippi; and they apply there, after the result of the recent election, after the conviction which must have been forced upon the mind of every citizen of those States by that election, of the inevitable necessity of return to a loyal submission to the Government of the United States. The laws, limiting and restraining the suffrage, serve now only to irritate, and to do no good whatever, unless indeed, sir-that which I too often hear and too often read in the newspapers are here to continue disabilities upon those people for the purpose of maintaining the ascendency of the Republican party in those communities; and take it that leg islatioh for such q purpose as that, is not to be entertained by tho Senate of the Uni- ted States. s.,s .9.-.g., * sganEa 9s
 We'll, now, sir, is there any necessity that the fragment that remains of tue op- eration of these limitations upon the suff- rage in those States should be longer con- tinued? And if there Is not; if the origi- nal necessity of these disabilities of both kinds has passed away, has actually been driven out of existence by the action of the people of the United States in the re.
 
 retain them here longer? a1' ''} .:.sssl ' But, SIT, it is not the only reason for the removal of these disabilities that the ne- cessity in which they originated has passed away. There are other and stronger req sons afirmatively why the Congress of the United States should now enact the meas ures which have introduced. sn0 H
 i In the first place, if we are to judge by public action, what is the sentiment of the people in these restored States themselves? You limited the suffrage throughout tiaose States during tue transition period; and when the people came to make their new constitutions your own friends, the very loyal element that you had built up, swept away by their sovereign action in their conventions the very Limitations that you had imposed. .,...,.. f..4..
 But this is uot all. " The local feeling is not only thus evinced, but the continuance of these disabilities now provided for in the third section of the fourteenth article is injurious to the interests and the safety of the whole Republic What do we want of those States? We want them to como back to build up strong, free, and endu- ring nationality; and it is true, Senators, that the disabilities imposed by this third section to-day deprive the States and the Republic of the assistance and services of the greater portion of the intelligence, the culture, and the property of those commu- mites.
 Is it said that it is dangerous now, after the acton of tue people of this country in the recent presidential election? I do not believe that there is a man so mad through out that whole portion of the Republic as even to wish to struggle longer against the national supremacy; and if he entertain no such wish, what other wish can he enter tain except to restore prosperity to his own and all portions of the country? ssi.t ., r But the impositions of your disabilities goes further Itscatters broadcast all over the Sonth a race of political outlaws, sul- len and disco1tented, from the feel ing, right or wrong, that they are suffering injustice, and naturally enough so fits thom to become centers of conspiraey.io ,. T The continuance of the disabilities affects not only the individuals themselves, but il extends to tho whole community. It iss disfranchisement, so far as 1t goes, of eve ry citizen there, black and white, loyal and disloyal. It is not enough to say to me "You may go to the polls to votea when. al the same time, you say to me, 'sThe man you choose shall not hold his ofice;'"', and thus the operation of the disabilities, ii continued, will not only be to foster dis content in the class immediately affected by them, but it spreads the discontent iout i into the masses of society. And what is il that we want now? What is it that was the great watchword that carried us trium. phantly, more, perhaps, than anything else, through the recent contest? It was the aching, longing demand of the people of this nation for peace; peace at home
 peace with each other; peace with, all the people in every State; peace, the parent ol law, of order. of industry, andtof prospesf ". And arc you to get peace by refusing to permit great bodies of citizens in ten goi the States of the Union; yea, in all tht States, wherever they may happen to re side, to be eligible to office, and by fordid
 ding their fellow-citizens to exercise the right of suffrage in voting for them?
 The bill of the s Senator from. Nevada is
 forcible commentary upon the impolicy, O
 any longer continuing in existence these
 disabilities. What is that bill ?,I A bill fol
 the creation of new crimes; 8 bill for the imposition of new punishments, fines, ant
 imprisonments by Federal courts and Fed
 eral authority and Federal officers upoi persons whom the people, in; the exercis
 of their right of suffrage, according t,
 their good pleasure, have elected to hol, | offiaa .F4 e xtsf..9ssa.s |