Year: 1865

his tour among the oanebrakes his friends and
organs here are turning very large crank ior
the Chief Justice If they can force the Presi-
dent to allow the negroes to vote, and If the
Chief Justice, who is doing his own stumping,
can persuade the negroes tspvote for Chase, the
next Presidency will not be difficult thing TO
secure But the worst of it Is that Sumner
Phillips, the Tribune, Post and Independent are
as unreliable as the irrepressible African whom
they represent Before the last election they
all opposed Mr.. Lincoln until they found he
back, helter-skelter, into the republican camp
to share the spoils. IfPresident johnson oon-
tinues to be as strong as ho is now, these
worthless will desert Chase as they deserted
Fremont. We commend this aspect of the case
to the Chief Justices attention.


On the whole, it is very probable that the
negro suffrage question, which President john
SON has left to the several States, accord
ing to the constitution, will have to be
finally taken up and settled by Q cOnsh-
tutional convention of all the States. Even the
radicals must admit that 1t would be impossible
to give the emancipated slaves of the South the
privilege of voting, like white men, while the
free negroes of New York cannot vote unless
they possess two hundred and fifty dollars
worth of real estate. This would be most
transparent absurdity, since the newly freed
slaves are totally ignorant, and our Northern
negroes are comparatively educated. AS the
constitution leaves the suffrage question to the
States the States can alone determine it; and
we are sure that oil will agree that the best
way for the States to deal with 1t is in consti-
tutional convention. Should that convention
be called, we are by no means certain that the
whole suffrage question, as it affects the white
man and as it affects the black man, ought not
to be revised and corrected. This country Ia to
have large national debt, unless the HERALD
subscription pays it of, and the very existence
of that debt changes the relations between po-
litical parties and the government Too many
people have invested in government bonds for
the idea of reputation, which Wendell Phillips
borrowed from JEFF. Davis, to become at all
popular Having national debt, we shall also
have taxes, and these taxes should be connect
ed with the suffrage question. Of course we
believe in manhood suffrage; but we believe in
something more. Every man, white or black,
should have vote, provided it be constitu-
taxes should have more votes than men who
pay none. The Internal Revenue law fixes the
intrinsic value Of q man at ten thousand dol
lars by exempting all incomes under six hum
dred dollars, which is the interest of ten thou
sand dollars for one year at six per cent 1t fol-
lows that for every six hundred dollars Of taxes
which man pays he should have one addi-
tional vote. This plan will not restrict the suf-
frage; but will extend it. Illegal voting will
be impossible, since no politician can afford to
pay six hundred dollars for a single ballot.
Property, which supports the government, will
then have voice in the government, and Sher-
mans barroom loafers can no longer outvote
constitutional convention, we may press this
plan upon the delegates; but at present our OBJ
ject is to instruct Messrs Chase, Sumner, Phil.
lips, and the editors of the Tribune, Post and
Independent that negro suffrage can DC sooner
achieved by q call for such convention than
by abusing President Iccnniison for his popular,
practical, conservative and constitutional policy
oe Reconstruction.


Important from NIcxico-Thc New STAT


utes OF the Empire.


We publish to-day a translation Of the text
of the new statutes Of the Mexican empire, just
published at the imperial capital by orders Of
the government. They embrace the whole
theory Of law and order on which Macmillan
has decided after mature consideration, and
must, on the whole, be said to be pretty liberal
for an Emperor who desires to have things all
his own way. The monarchy is declared to be the
form ofrule adopted by the nation, moderate and
hereditary, with Catholic prince at it's head.
In case Of the death of the Emperor, or of any
other accident preventing him from exercising
the functions Of his imperial Office, the Empress
ia declared by these statutes the Regent of the
empire. The statutes are divided into eighteen
sections or titles, each embracing the laws
for the regulation Of special departments.
The empire is thus formed into eight military
divisions entrusted to generals or officers
named by tho Emperor. The civil authority
is, however, clearly defined, and no military
power over civilians is admitted in any form,
except in cases where martial law has to be
proclaimed.


In the twelfth title the geographical boun-
daries Of the empire are definitely prescribed,
and are made to agree on the north with the
lines established according to the treaties Of
Guadalupe and Messills, entered into with the
United States; to the eastward by the Gulf Of
Mexico, the Sea of the Antilles, and the English
establishment Of Belize, within the limits fixed
by the treaty Of Versailles; to the southwark
by the republic Of Guatemala, within the limits
to be fixed by definite treaty; and to the
westward by the Pacific Ocean, including in
its demsrcation the Sea Of Cortez or Gulf Of
California.