Year: 1865

and, under this system, one State
after another has proceeded to in
crease the number of its electors.
until now universal suffrage, or
something very near it. is the gen
cral rule. So fixed was this rcscr
walton OF power in the habits of
the people, and so unquostiancd
has been the Interpretation Of the
Constitution. that during the civil
war the late President never har.
bored the purposc-ccrtainly never
avowed the purpose OF disregard.
ing It; and in the acts of Corgrcs
during that period, nothing can bc
found which, during the continu.
ance Of hostilit,es, much less after
their close, would have sanctioned
any departure by the Executive
from n policy which has so uniform
ly obtained. Moreover, a conccs
sion OF the elective franchise to
freedmen, by act of the President
of the United States, must have
bean extended to all colored men,
wherever found, and so must have
established a change of suffrage in
the Northern, Middle and Western
States, not less than in the South.
ern and Southwestern. Such an
act would have created a new class
of voters, and would have been an
assumption of power by the Presi-
dent which nothing in the Consti.
tuition or laws oftho United States
would have warranted.


On the other hand, every dan
ger of conflict is avoided when the
settlement of the que tion is refer
rod 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
introduced gradually AMI with con
ditions. In my judgment, the
freedmen, ifthey show patience and
manly virtues, will sooner obtain n
participation in the elective fran
chise through the States than
through the general government,
even if it had power to intervene.
When the tumult of emotions that
have been raised by the sudden
ness ofthe social change shall have
subsidcd, it may prove that they
will receive the kindlicst usage
from some of those on whom they
have heretofore more closely de-
pended.


But while have no doubt that
now, after tho close of the war, il
is not competent for the general
government to extend the elective
franchise in the several States, it
is equally clear that good faith re.
quires the security of the freedmen
in their liberty and their property,
their light to labor, and their right
to claim the just return for their
labor. cannot too strongly urge
Il dispassionatc treatment Of this
subject, which should be carefully
kept aloof from all party strife
We must equally avoid hasty as.
sumptions OF any natuaal impossi
bility for the two races to live side
by side, in a state Of mutual benc
fit and good will. The expert
ment involves us in no inconsist
ency; let us then go on and make
the experiment in good faith, and
not be too easily disheartened.- -
The country is in need Of labor,
and the freedmen are in need o
employment, culture and protcc
ton. While their right of yolnn9-
tary MIGRATION and oxPatriatlon is
ne. 20 DC questioned, | would not
advise their forced removal and
colonization. Let us ralher en-,
courage them 70 honorable and use
iul industry, where it may be bene'
fetal to themselves and to the coun.
try; Qnd, instead of hasty antici
pations Of the certainty of failure,
let there be nothing wanting to the
fair trial of the experiment. The
change in their condition is the
substitution of labor by contract
for the status of slavery. The
freedmen cannot fairly be accused
Of unwillingness to work, so long
as a doubt remains about his free
dom of choice in pursuits, and the
certainty Of his recovering his stip
u ated wages. In this the inter.
ests Of the employer and the en-
p|oyed coincide. The employer
desires in his workmen, spirit and
alacrity, and these can be perma,
nently secured in no other way
And if the one ought to be able to
enforce the contract, so ought the
other. The public interest will be
best promoted, ii the several States
will provide adequate protection
and remedies for the freedmen.- -
Until this is in some way accom-


plished, there is no chance for tht
advantageous use Of their labor anC
the blame Of ill-success will no


rest on them.


! know that sincere philanthropy
| is earnest for the immediate reali


cation of its remotest aims-bu


time is always an element in re-


form. 1t is one of the greatest act


on record to have brought to1


millions of people into freedom


The career of free industry mus


be fairly opened to them-and thel


their future prosperity and condi


ton must, after all, rest mainly oil


themselves. If they iail, and s,


perish away, let us be careful tina


the failure shall not be attributed
m any denial of Justice. In al