Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-05-25
WHAT NTGHT Have pppx

WHAT NIGHT HAVE BEEN.
Under the curious title Of Political
Results from the varioloid,' Robert
Dale Owen develops fact in our post
bellum politics not generally known to
newspaper readers. According to his
account, the whole complexion Of poll
ties for the past nine years, and our
present status and prospects would be
immensely different, but for a slight
attack of varioloid from which Senator
VIM. P. Fessenden suffered in the
spring Of 1866. Mr.. Fessenden was at
that time chairman Of the Senate Com
mittee on Reconstruction, while Thad.
Stevens was chairman of the House
Committee. Among other cognate
questions these two committees had the
subject Of negro suffrage under consid-
Grafton in Joint session. Mr.. Owen
proposed to the committee that a con-
stitutional amendment be submitted
by Congress, that no class of persons
should be denied the right Of suffrage
because OF race, color or previous con-
dition of servitude," after July 4,
1876. This would have given the
negroes the ballot in about ten
/ years from the time Of the ratification
Of the amendment, and on the centen-
NAL Of American independence. He
also tells us that the proposition was
received with favor by Henry Wilson,
CoukIing, Boutwell,, Stevens, Wash
burn. Bingham, Howard, and all the
Republican members Of the two Com
mittecs, and it was regarded as the
fairest solution Of the perplexing ques-
ton that had been proposed. In fact
the amendment, substantially as pro-
posed by Mr.. Owen, was adopted IN
Committee on Saturday, April p, 1866,
and ordered to be reported 70 Congress
on the following Monday. Mr.. Fessen-
den was absent from this meeting by
reason of the attack Of varioloid afore-
srid, and it was suggested that, as he
was chairman Of the Senate Committee,
It would only be courteous to defer
final action until he could be present.
This was thoughtlessly assented TO.
Thad Stevens was inclined TO
object to the postponement Of
great measure on acC0ut Of mere form,
bat thought it would come with bad
grace from him as Chairman OF the
House Committee, and 50 remained
silent. The postponem mt was fatal to
the proposition. The sentiment Of the
committee leaked out, and pressure
was brought to bear by the weak knced
Republicans to suppress the report,
which proved successful. Caucuses
were held by the Republicans, and the
Committee was notified that the Re
publican party was not prepared to
take 80 advanced" a position. The
amendment was not reported, and Thad
Stevens, who thought this might be the
deatb-5low to negro suffrage, is under
stood to have said: Damn the vario-
Ioid." The effect Of Mr.. Fessenden's
varioloid was TO postpone the proposal
Of the negro suffrage amendment till
F,b. 26, 1869, but then it came in a
form that gave the negroes the ballot
Immediately upon the ratification Of
the amendment.
Commenting on these revelations,
the Republican Chicago Tribune says;
The misfortune was not in its post
pouemeut, as Mr.. Stevens believed, but
IN tie subsequent change by which the
ballot was placed IN the hands Of the
c0lOrod people Immediately, and long
before they were IN any sense prepared
for the intelligent use thereof. 1t IS
useless. of course. to speculate upon
what might have been the result If
Mr.. Ovens wise counsel hal prevailed,
and negro suGTaC' ua1 been postponed
for ten years: butt is almost certain that
the negroes would have been better
prepared to-day for the intelligent eX-
ercise IF suffrage than they are now
after FIVE years experience with 1t.
There is no doubt that their ignorance
has been abused by intriguing poll
ticians. and that the caTpet-baEgers at
the South have cultivated among them
low idea IF the right Of suffrage
which viii be difficult to overcome.
The right Of suffrage among the more
intelligent negroes Of the South seems
10 be Synonymous with The privilege of
holding Office; with the rest the ballot
seems q besomethIng to he bartered
away for money or some other promise
Of personal reward.