Year: 1865

to enlarge the body OF its electors, aecoI,'
ins TO its own judgment. aud. under this
system. one State after another has pro-
eeeied to increase the number of It's
electors, until now universal suffrage. or
something very near it. il the general
rule. So fise,i was this reservation OF
power in the habits Of the people. ami SO
unquestioned has been the Interpretation
of the Constitution. that during the civil
war the late President never harbored the
purpose-certsinly never awowed the
purpose-of disregsrding it; and IN the
acts of Congress. dnring that period.
nothing can be found which. during the
continuance Of hostiiilies, much less after
] theis close, would have sanctioned any
departure by the Executive from policy
which has so uniformly obtained. More
over. concession of tue elective fran
chise to the freedmen. By act Of the Pres
ident of the United States. must have
been extended to all colored men. wher


ever found. and so must have established
a change of suffrage in the Northern.
Middle. and Western States, not less than
in the Southern and Southwestern. Such
an act would have created new class of
voters. and would have been an sssump-
ton of power by the President. which
nothing in the Constitution or laws of the
United States would have warranted.


On the other hand. every danger of
conflict is avoided when the settlement Of
the question is referred to the several
States. They can, each for itself. decide
on the measure. and whether it is to be
adopted at once, and absolutely. or intro
ducei gradually and with conditions. In
my judmen.. the freedmen. il they show
patience and manly virtues. will sooner
obtain participation in the elective fran
chise through the States than through the
General Government. even If it had pow
er to intervene. When the tnnult Of
emotions that have been r,ised by the
suddenness of the social change shall
have subsided, it may prove that they
will receive the kinalies, usage from some
of those on whom they have heretofore
most closely depended.


But while have no doubt that now.
after the close Of the war. it is not COM
petent for the General Government to ex-
tend the elective franchise in the several
States, it is equally clesr that good faith
requires the security Of the freedmen in
their liberty and their property. their
right to labor, and the right to claim the
just return Of their l,bor. l cannot too
strongly nrge adispassionate treatment OF
this subj,ct, which should be carefully
kept aloof from ell party strife We must
equally avoid hasty assumptions of any
natural impossibility for the two races to
live side by side. 10 state of mutus! ben
eft and good will. The experiment 10.
wolves MS in no Inconsistency; let us then.
go on and make that experiment in good
faith. and not be too easily hishea,tened
The conntry is in need of labor. aud the
freedmen are in need of employment, cnl-
ture and protection. While their right
Of voluntary mig'stion and expatriation
is not to be questioned, would not ad-
wise their forced removal anI colonizs-
tiOn. Let us rather encourage them tn
honorable and nseful industry. where i,
may be beneficial to themselves and 10 the
country; and. instead of hss,y anticips-
tions of the certainty of failure. lie, there
be nothing wanting to the fair trial of the
experiment. The change in their condi-
tion is the substitution Of labor By con-
tract for the status of slavery The freed
men cannot fairly be accused of an IN
willingness to work, so long as doubt
| Oh L


his pursuits, ami the certainty of recover
ing his stipulated wages. In this the in
terests Of thc,em ployer and the employed
coincide. The employer desires in his
workmen spirit and alacrity. and these
can be permanently secured in no other
way. And if the one onght to be able
to enforce the contract. SO ought the 9th.
er. The pn5lic interest will be best pro-
mote J, it the several States will provide
adequate protection and remedies for the
freedmen. Until it is in some way nc
complished, there is no chance for the
advantageous use OF their labor; and the
blame of ill snccess will not rest on them
| know that sincere philanthropy is
earnest for the immediate realization of
its remotest aims, but time is always an
element in reform 1t is one OF the great
est acts en- record to have brought fonr
millions Of people into freedom. The
career of-lree industry must be fairly
opened to them; and then their future
prosperity and condition must, after all.
rest mainly on themselves. If they fail.
and SO perish away. let us be careful that
the failure shall not be attributable to any
denial Of justice. In all that relates to
the destiny Of the freedmen. we need not
be too apxions to read the future many
incidents which. from speculative point
of view. might raise alarm, will quieiIy |
settle themselves.


Now that slavery is at On end or near
its end, the greatness of its evil. in the
point of view of public economy. becomes
more and more apparent. Slavery was
essentially monopoly of labor. and as
such locked the States where it prevailed
against the incoming Of free Industry
Where labor was the property of the cap
italist. the white man was excludsd FROM
employment. or had but the second hest
chance Of finding it: and the foreign en-
igrant turned away from the region where
his condition would be so precarious.
With the destruction of the monopoly.
free labor will hasten from all parts OF
the civilized world to assist in developing
varions and Unreasonable resources which
have hitherto lain dormant The e;gb,