Year: 1865

- ..@-...~


ment toward the four millions of inhabi


tants whom the war has called into free


dom, have engaged my most serious con-


sideration. On the propriety of attempt
ing to make the freedmen electors by


the proclamation of the Executive, tool


for my counsel the Constitution itself, The


interpretations of that instrument by it,


authors and their contemporaries, anC


recent legislation by Congress. Wher


at the first movement toward indepen-


dence, the Congress Of the United States
instructed the several States TO institute


governments of their own, they left each


State to decide for itself the conditions ol


the enjoyment of the elective franchise


During the period of the Confederacy


there continued to exist very great di


versity in the qualifications of electors in


the several States and even within a


State a distinction of qualifications pre-


vailed with regard to the officers who


were to be chosen. The Constitution oi


the United States recognizes these di-


versities when it eBjoins that in t b e
choice OF members in the House of Rep
| resentatives of the United States, "the


electors in each State shall have the


qualifications requisite for electors of the


most numerous branch of the State Leg.


islature'"


After the formation of the Constitution


it remained, as before, the uniform usage


for each State to enlarge the body Of its


electors, according to its own judgment ;


and under this system one State after


another has proceeded to increase the
number of its electors until now univer-
sal suffrage, or something very near it, is
the general rule. So fixed was this res~
ervation of power in the habits of the
people. and unquestioned has been
the Interpretation of b e Constitution,
that during the civil war the late Presi-
dent never harbored the purpose-cer-
tainly never avowed the purpose of dis
regarding it; and in the acts of Congress
during that period, nothing can be found
which, during the continuance Of HOSTILE
ties, and much less after their close,
would have sanctioned any departure by
the Executive from policy which has
uniformly obtained. Moreover, a
concession of the elective franchise to
the freedmen, by act of the President of
the United States must have been ex-
tended % al colored men, wherever
found, and so must have established a
change ofsufrage in the Northern, Mid
die and Western States, not less than in
the Southern and Southwestern. Such
an act would have created a new class
of voters, and would have been an as.
sumption Of power by b President
which nothing in the Constitution 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
duced gradually aud with conditions
In my judgment, the freedmen, if they
show patience and manly virtues, will
sooner obtain participation in the cleo
tive franchise through the States than
through the General Government, even
if it had power 10 intervene. When the
tumult of emotions that have been raised
by the suddenness of the social change
shall have subsided, it may prove that
they will receive b kindliest 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
oatant (o- tha Hana~nl Gorouu,.nn. a. /
extend the elective franchise in the
several States, it is equally clear that
good faith requires the security of the
'reedmen j n their liberty and their
their right to labor, and their
light to claim the just return of their
abor. cannot too strongly urge a
lispassiuate treatment of this subject,
which should be carefully kept
Iloof from all party strife. We must
void hasty assumptions of any natural
for the two races to live side
" side, in state Of mutual benefit and
,ood will. The experiment involves US in
10 inconsistency let US, then, 60 on and
make that experiment in good faith, and
lot be too easily disheartened. The
ountry is need of labor, and the
reedmen are in need Of employment,
ulture n d protection. While their
light of voluntary migration and exps~
ration is not to be Questioned, | would