Year: 1866

istrate and guardian Of Govern


ment that has been so recently com


PEELED to defend itself againsta mos


formidable and fearful rebellion n


an immense cost, both Of blood ant


treasure? Can the President b'
thought TO be offensive by being die


tatorial in his demands upon thu


people of the South? Or can he b'


truly said to be illiberal, or willing
to see them unnecessarily humilia


ted in conceding what he asks o.


them? What man Of any expert


ence or observation in affairs OF gov


crnment does not know and &C
knowledge that n President may
sometimes be compelled, by sounc
policy, to make to n powerful oppo
sition concessions, rs notifications
of his own favorite plans and poll
cy, which his individual judgment
ment may not dictate or approve
Let any man contemplate President
johnson, if he wishes to do him full
Justice, surrounded with the highes,
responsibilities and the most appal-
ing difficulties that ever before EN-.
barrasscd or perplexcd n President
of the United States, the entire nov
city of his position, without any
precedent, any land mark, any high.
way trod in former times to guide
him, having to grope his way in the
dark, at the risk Of making a blum,
der at every step that may be fatal
to his administration and to the
cause of free government, and, with
al, knowing as he has probably
known from the first, that he would
be opposed by a fierce and powerful
opposition, that may be goaded to
vindictiveness, in their course, by
proclaiming that his policy, if not
defeated, will rescue from their
grasp what they consider their law
ful prey-the legitimate fruit of
their victory over the South in the
late war; and who claim, in addition
to the twelve thousand millions of
dollars they have taken from the
Southern people, (from Union men
as well as rebels the estimated val
ue of their slaves-the contiscation
of all lands and other property of
the rebels. With this view Of his
situation who shall say that the
President ought not or might not
make some concessions to their OPP
ponents, as to their desires in the
demands or acquisitions he makes
on the South 1t may be that the
President thought it his duty to
make some acquisitions that should
be regarded as final in their nature,
and such as ought to be inflicted with
his sanction, as a punishment for
rebellion.


The President has expressed no
wish and made no requisition as in
other cases regarding the conces-
sion of the right of suffrage to the
freedman or negro, and this because
he believes that each State has the
exclusiveright to regulate that ques-
ton for itself; but doubtless he would
be gratified by a prompt and liberal
exercise Of that power by their Leg
islatures or conventions in forming
their Constitutions, as such a course
would tend to satisfy the North that
the South are not disposed to act
illiberally or unjustly by the colored
population. Now, as to the basis or
standard ofmerit or qualification by
which the granting of the right OF
suffrage shall be regulated, surely
the most liberal basis or test Of
qualification adopted by any North
ern or Eastern State ought to be
satisfactory to the whole North. L
am not informed what qualifications
are required at the present time in
Massachusetts; but few years ago,
l believe, property to the value of
two hundred and fifty dollars and
to be able to read and write entitled
free man of color to vote. A
grant of the right of suffrage to the
Southern free men of color upon
such basis or standard of merit
cannot be dangerous. l lam persuad-
ed it would be entirely safe and
proper.


The question OF granting to the
negro tho right to testify in courts OF
justice, or before magistrates, wheth
er for or against white men, in all
cases, in which the rights of black
men are involved or concerned, is
one of the most repulsiye, not to
say abhorent, proposition that can
be presented to the Southern plan
ter, and to white men generally, who
are acquainted with the traits or
points most marked and noted in
the African race. There is nothing
that so shocks the feelings and
rouses the prejudices into more in
tense action among the masses of
the Southern people than the sug-
gestion that their life and property
should be exposed to the hazards to
which the admission of negro testi-
mony, as they think would neces-
sarily subject them. Much of this
ahhorence of the idea of negro tes-