Year: 1867

tribunal.


Ii this does not satisfy all our de-
sircs with regard to Southern rebels,
let US console ourselver by rejecting
that free constitution, triumphant in
war, aud uubroken in peace, is worth
far more TO Us aud our children than
the satisfaction Of any present feel
ing


/ am aware, it Is assumed that this
systom of government for the South.
crn States Is not perpetual. It is true
this military government Is to be only
provisional, but it is through this
temporary evil that a greater evil is
to be made perpetual. If the guaran-
tees of the Constitution can be broken
Professionally TO serve temporary
purpose, aud in part only OF the country
we can destroy them everywhere, and
for all time. Arbitrary measures Of.
ten change but they generally change
for the worse. 1t is the course Of
despotism that il has no haltiug place.
Intermitted exercise of its power
brings no sense Of security to its sub.
jeets, they can never know what more
they will be called to endure. when its
rcd right haud is armed to plague
them again, nor is il possible TO con
lecture how or why power uurestrain.
ed by law may seek its next victims.


States that are still free may be en-
shaved at any moment, for If the Con-
stitutiOn does not protect all, it pro.
tects none.


TuE MICRO QUESTION.


II is manifestly and avowedly the
object of these laws to confer upon
the negroes the privilege of voting,
and to disfranchise such number of
white citizens as will give the former
clear majority at all elections in the
Southern States. This, to the minds
of some persons, is so important that
a violation of the Constitution is Jus
hied as means Of bringing it about.
Morally, the argument is false which
excuses wrong, because it proposes
to accomplish desired end. We are
not permitted to do evil that good
may come; but in this case tho end
itselfis evil as we'll as the means, The
subjugation of the States to negro
domination would be worse than the
military despOtism under which they
are now suffering. 1t was believed
beforehand that the people would en-
dure any amount of military opprcs.
sion, for any length Of time, rather
than degrade themselves by subjoction
to the negro race; therefore they have
been left without a choice. Negro
suffrage was established by act of
Congress, and military officers wore
commanded to superintend the pro.
cess Of clothing the negro race with
the political privileges wrested from
white men.


The blacks in the South are enti.
tied to be we'll and humauely govern
ed, and to have the protection of just
laws for all their rights Of person and
property. If it were practicable at
this time to give them government,
exclusively their own, under which
they might manage their own affairs in
their own way, II would become a
grand question whether We ought to
do 80, or whether common humlnity
would not require US to save them
from themselves. But under the cir
cumstanees this is only a speculative
point. 1t is not proposed merely that
they shall rule the white races, make
aud administer State laws, elect Pre-.
sidcnt5 aud members Of Congress,
aud shape, to greater or less extent,
the future destiny of the whole coun.
try. Would such a trust and power
be safe in such hands2 The peculiar
qualities which should characterize
any people, ~ho are fit to decide upon
the management of public affairs for
a great State, have seldom been com
bined. 1t is the glory of white men
to know that they have had these
qualities in sufficient measure to build
upon this continent great political
fabric, aud to preserve its stability
for more than ninety years, while in
every other part Of the world all sim
liar experiments have failed.


But il anything can be proved by
known facts--if all reasoning upon
evidence is not abaudoned-it must
be acknowledged that, in tue progress
of nations, negroes have shown loss
capacity for government than any
other race Of people. No independ.
ent government Of any form has ever
been successful ia their hands. On
the contrary, wherever they have been
left to their own devices they have
shown constant tendency to relapse
into barbarism. In the Southern
States, however, Congress has under
taken to confer upon them the privi-
lege Of the ballot. just released
from slavery, it may be doubted
whether, as a class, they know more
than their ancestors how to organize
and regulate civil society. Indeed,
it is admitted that the blacks of the
South are not only regardless of the
rights of property, but their voting
can consist in nothing more than car
rying a ballot to the place where they
are directed to deposit it.


I need not remind you that the
exercise Of the elective franchise is
the highest privilege Of an American
citizen, aud, that when guided by
virtue, intelligence, patriotism. aud
proper appreciation of ouT free insti-
tutions, Il constitutes the true basis
Of democratic form Of government,
in which the sovereign power is
lodged in the body Of the people. A
trust arti6cially created, not for its
: own sake, but solely as a means OF
! promoting the general welfare. ITS in
tluenee foe good must necessarily de.


pend upon the elevated character aud
: true intelligence Of the electors. II