CONGRESS, U. S. 



241 



The report was adopted in the House. Yeas, 

 102 ; nays, 20. 



In the Senate, on the 12th of May, a bill to 

 amend the charter of the city of Washington, 

 &c., was taken up, when Mr. Cowan, of Penn- 

 sylvania, moved to insert the word " white " 

 before " male " in the first section. Mr. Mor- 

 rill, of Maine, also offered an amendment tc 

 insert, as follows : 



And shall within the year next preceding the elec- 

 tion have paid a tax, or been assessed with a part of 

 the revenue of the District, county, or cities therein, 

 or been exempt from taxation having taxable estate, 

 and who can read and write with facility, shall enjoy 

 the privileges of an elector. 



Mr. Cowan said : " I may state that I should 

 regret such a modification as is suggested by 

 the Senator from Maine ; because, although 

 the standard which he sets up as a qualifica- 

 tion to vote is much less objectionable to my 

 mind than the one contemplated by the bill, it 

 is still obnoxious to this objection : it would 

 have the effect in some cases of admitting 

 negroes to the right of suffrage, which I may 

 say is obnoxious to the vast bulk of the people 

 of the border States, whatever it may be to 

 those States lying upon the extreme frontier, 

 and would also prevent white men who are 

 unable to read and write from enjoying that 

 suffrage. 



" My principal objection to the introduction 

 of any innovation at this time on this subject 

 is the state of the country. I think it is a 

 wrong time to introduce reforms, and particu- 

 larly is it a wrong time to introduce any reform 

 which goes to the basis of our institutions, 

 which would strike at the fundamental princi- 

 ples on which they rest." 



Mr. Morrill, of Maine, said : " The honorable 

 Senator from Pennsylvania makes color the 

 test ; the complexion of a man ; every ' white 

 citizen' of the United States may do so and 

 so, but by no possibility shall men of African 

 descent exercise this privilege. Is that ration- 

 al ? No man will undertake to defend that on 

 the ground of rationality ; no man will under- 

 take to defend such a proposition as that on 

 the ground of right. It cannot be defended. 

 What is the defence ? The Senator from Penn- 

 sylvania says he does not want any new issue 

 in these troublesome times. He objects to this 

 upon the ground of an innovation ; and I have 

 no doubt that when he proposes to put the 

 word ' white ' into this bill lie sincerely does 

 not suppose that he himself is innovating ; that 

 lie is laying himself obnoxious to precisely the 

 charge he makes upon the bill." 



Mr. Wilkinson, of Minnesota, said : " Mr. 

 President, I hope- that the Senate will adhere 

 to the position it assumed upon the question of 

 suffrage when the bill for the organization of 

 the Territory of Montana was before it, and 

 this question was directly presented for its deci- 

 sion. I do not know but that there may be 

 Instances in which I may be willing to yield my 

 opinion upon this question of allowing negroes 

 TOL. iv. 16 A 



to vote. I might do so, perhaps, in a case 

 where my action would have no practical 

 effect, as perhaps in the case of a Territory 

 where there are none of that class ; but 1 never 

 will, under the present condition of things, 

 yield this right where it is of any practical ira 

 portance whatever." 



Mr. Ten Eyck, of New Jersey, said : '_' The 

 Senator from Minnesota says it only applies ta 

 this District. Sir, it is the principle that is 

 objectionable. This is the centre ; strike this 

 chord here and it will vibrate to the utmost 

 limits of the Republic, and agitate the country 

 almost as deeply and profoundly as the rebel- 

 lion has itself. Sir, it is madness now to do 

 this thing. 



" Then, sir, conceding it to be theoretically 

 right, is this a proper time to press upon the 

 country such a measure ? There are many 

 things in ethics and in morals which, although 

 abstractedly right, cannot practically be used 

 under all and every circumstance. What will 

 be its effect upon our soldiers ? The sympa- 

 thies of my friend from Minnesota embrace 

 these colored troops. He cannot see why men 

 rushing to the ranks to preserve the blessings 

 of this Government, whose skins are black, 

 shall not have the right to exercise this fran- 

 chise. Sir, why should men whose skins are 

 white, residents of this District, unable to read 

 and write, who have listened to their country's 

 call, gone forth to battle, and bathed the land 

 with their best blood, be forgotten by the Sen- 

 ator from Minnesota ? " 



Mr. Howe, of Wisconsin, said : " The only 

 reason which the Senator from Pennsylvania 

 suggests for depriving any one of the right of 

 suffrage in the District of Columbia is that he 

 is black. I do not and I never did consider 

 that an adequate reason. Twice in the State 

 of Wisconsin I have been called upon to vote 

 on this very question, and both times I voted 

 to extend the right of suffrage to people of this 

 color, and both times I did it before the negro 

 was much in fashion. I did it when black was 

 not the popular style [laughter], and having 

 done it then, I beg leave to have the advantage 

 of the fashion, now that it has come in vogue." 



Mr. Wilson, of Massachusetts, opposed the 

 amendment, saying : " Mr. President, I cannot 

 vote for the amendment proposed by the Sen- 

 ator from Pennsylvania, nor can I ever vote for 

 the amendment suggested by the Senator from 

 Maine. While I am anxious to extend to col- 

 ored citizens in this District, and especially to 

 those who are bravely fighting the battles of 

 the country, the right of suffrage, I am not 

 willing to take that right from those who now 

 possess it. I never have voted, I never can 

 vote to take from any man the right, the ines- 

 timable privilege of the suffrage." 



Mr. Lane, of Kansas, said: " So far as I am 

 concerned, I hope the time may come, and soon 

 come, when we can safely extend to the col- 

 ored men of our country all the political rights 

 that we enjoy ourselves. It is known to the 



