CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. 



141 



;heii, that we shall comprehend the policy that 

 . ocatc inn! curry out as n legislator f 

 intelligence becomes important, not. only 

 to know tlic particular candidate, lii-i qualities, 

 ulicthcr In- lias ink'lligenco and honesty and 

 lor tin- oilier, hut it becomes important 

 c -hall know the policy and system of 

 \ liidi he will favor; and I submit whether 

 tin- negroes coming from the plantation have 

 >rt of information or have had the oppor- 

 tunity to acquire that sort of information in 

 any \v;i\ ." 



Sir. Sumner, of Massachusetts, said: "Mr. 

 I're-ideiit, I have already voted against the 

 proposition to strike the word 'male' out of the 

 bill, and I shall now vote against the pending 

 proposition to fix an educational test. In each 

 case I am governed by the same -consideration. 



"In voting against striking the word 'male' 

 out of the bill, I did not intend to express any 

 opinion on the question which has at last found 

 its way into the Senate-chamber, whether 

 women shall be invested with the elective fran- 

 chi-e. That question I leave untouched, con- 

 tenting myself with saying, that it is obviously 

 the great question of the future, which will bo 

 easily settled, whenever the women in any 

 considerable proportion insist that it shall be 

 !. And so in voting against an educa- 

 tional tost I do not mean to say that under 

 certain circumstances such tests may not be 

 proper. But I am against it on the present 

 occasion.- 



" The bill under consideration is the enfran- 

 chisement of the colored race in the District 

 of Columbia. It completes emancipation by 

 enfranchisement. It entitles all to vote with- 

 out distinction of color. The courts, and the 

 rail-cars of the District, even the galleries of 

 Congress, have been opened to colored per- 

 sons. It only remains that the ballot-box be 

 opened to them. Such is my sense not only 

 of the importance but of the necessity of this 

 measure; so essential does it appear to mo for 

 the establishment of peace, security, and rec- 

 onciliation, that I am unwilling that it shall 

 be clogged, burdened, or embarrassed by any 

 thing else. I wish to vote on this measure 

 alone. Therefore, whatever may be the merits 

 of other questions, I shall have no difficulty in 

 putting them aside until this is settled. 



" The bill for impartial suffrage in the District 

 of Columbia concerns directly some twenty 

 thousand colored persons, whom it will lift to 

 the adamantine platform of equal rights. If it 

 were regarded simply in its bearings on the 

 District it would be difficult to exaggerate its 

 value ; but when it is regarded as an example 

 to the whole country under the sanction of 

 Congress, its value is infinite. It is in the lat- 

 ter character that it becomes a pillar of fire to 

 illumine the footsteps of millions. What we 

 do here will be done in the disorganized States. 

 Therefore we must be careful that what we 

 do here is best for the disorganized States. 

 If the question could be confined in its influ- 



ence to the District, I >hould have little objec- 

 tion to an educational teat. I should !,< glad 

 to witness tin- experiment and bo governed by 

 the re-ult. Kut the question cannot be limited 

 to the District. Practically it take-, the whole. 

 country into ite sphere. Wo must, therefore, 

 act for the whole country. This is the exi- 

 gency of the present moment. 



" Now, to my mind nothing is clearer than 

 the absolute necessity of tho suffrage for all 

 colored persons in the disorganized States. It 

 will not be enough if you give it to those who 

 read and write; you will not in this way ac- 

 quire tho voting force which you need there for 

 the protection of Unionists, whether white or 

 black. You will not secure the new allies 

 which aro essential to the national cause. As 

 you once needed the muskets of tho colored 

 persons, so now you need their votes ; and you 

 must act now with little reference to theory. 

 You are bound by the necessity of the case. 

 Therefore when I am asked to open the suf- 

 frage to women, or when I am asked to estab- 

 lish an educational standard, I cannot on tho 

 present bill simply because the controlling 

 necessity under which we act will not allow it. 

 By a singular Providence we are now con- 

 strained to this measure of enfranchisement 

 for the sake of peace, security, and reconcilia- 

 tion, so that loyal persons, white or black, may 

 be protected, and that the republic may live. 

 Here in the District of Columbia we begin the 

 real work of reconstruction by which the Union 

 will be consolidated forever." 



The amendment was then rejected by the 

 following vote : 



YBAS Messrs. Anthony, Buckalew, Dixon, Doo- 

 Jittle, Fogg, Foster, Hendricks, Nesmith, Patterson, 

 Riddle, and Willey 11. 



NAYS Messrs. Brown, Cattell, Chandler, Con- 

 ness, Cowan, Creswell, Davis, Edmunds, Fessenden, 

 Frelinghuysen, Grimes, Harris, Henderson. Howard, 

 Howe, Kirkwood, Lane, Morgan, Morrill, Norton, 

 Poland, Pomeroy, Ramsey, Ross, Saulsbury, Sher- 

 man, Sprague, Stewart, Sumner, Trumbull, Van 

 Winkle, Wade, Williams, and Wilson 34. 



ABSENT Messrs. Cragin, Fowler, Guthrie, John- 

 son, McDougall, Nye, and Yates 7. 



After some amendments, chiefly verbal, the 

 bill was passed by the following vote : 



TEAS Messrs. Anthony, Brown, Cattell, Chand- 

 ler, Conness, Creswell, Edmunds, Fessenden, Fogg, 

 Frelinghuysen, Grimes, Harris, Henderson, Howard, 

 Howe, Kirkwood, Lane, Morgan, Morrill, Poland, 

 Pomeroy, Ramsey, Ross. Sherman, Sprague, Stewart, 

 Sumner, Trumbull, Wade, Willey, Williams, and 

 Wilson 82. 



NATS Messrs. Buckalew, Cowan, Davis, Dixon, 

 Doolittle, Foster, Hendricks, Nesmith, Norton, Pat- 

 terson, Riddle, Saulsbury, and Van Winkle 18. 



ABSENT Messrs. Cragin, Fowler, Guthrie, John- 

 son, McDougall, Nye, and Yates 7. 



In the House, on December 14th, the bill 

 was taken up, and passed without discussion by 

 the following vote: 



YKAS Messrs. Alley, Allison, Ames, Anderson, 

 Arnold, Delos R. Ashley, James M. Ashley, Bmker, 

 Baldwin. Barker, Baxter, Bingham, Elaine, Blow, 

 Boutwell, Brandagee, Broomalt, Buckland, Bundy, 



