Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-10-12

Militia, is denied them, if not by law, by pub
lie opinion. Is the right then of voting an
lnaeniable right, and the right, far more valua-
BILE, of being elected TO office not? We come
not here, says Mr.. JAY, To disfranchise them,
(meaning the free blacks y they are our con-
stl'uents as much as men of fairer complex
ions. Why then, Mr.. JAY, do YOU dsqualify
them in fact, whilst you privilege them by law?
Why do you not enable intelligent blacks to
assist iii making your laws, to act as Magis-
trates and Jurors? But expediency forbids
this, would he the reply Well, why may not
expedcncy forbid the denial of the right to
vote also? Why may it not be expcdient to
forbid the exercise of an important privilege
tn class of persons, who have no sense of its
value, whose votes are for sale in the market
to the highest bidder, and who, discharged
periodically from the jails and penitentiaries,
may turn the scale of closely contested cleo
ton, and place even the Chief Magistrate of
the State in office? But New York was COM
PEELED, we suppose, TO appear consistent with
herself. She could not deny one of the first
privileges of citizenship to free blacks in the
teeth ~ her own resolutions the last winter on
the Missouri Question.
Yet, it is amusing to perceive how perplex-
ed Were some of the members of the convcn-
ton with regard to the question, should the free
blacks he admitted to the privilege of voting
Mir. KENT declared that the denial OF the
privilege to Il free black, coming from any
other state, would be tantamount to viola
ton ofthe Constitution of the United States,
as it is therein expressed "that the citizens Of
each state shall be entitled to all the privileges
and immunitles of citizens i'm the several
States" But Mr.. KING seems to have been
the most puzzled with the difficulties of the
question. The following is part of his
speech:
"The Gentleman from n. York (NIr. Rad
clf,e) thinks, that the meaning of this provis-
ION in the United States constitution extends
only 10 cir'l rights such is not the text, it is
To- all rights. This seems to me to Law an i'll
sur cradle barrier in our way. But am, at
the same time free TO confess, that am fully
alive 80 the difficulties of the question, though
do not feel that they now press upon us.
am not sure how black, unless born free,
may become citizen a man born a slave
cannot be citizen; red man cannot be a
citizen they cannot even he naturalized, for
naturalization can only be effected under the
laws of the u. 5. which limit it TO the whites.
The subject is evidently full ordiliicultics,
though, as before said, they are not now press
ing. But the period is not distant when they
must be. AS certainly as the children of any
| white man citizens, so certainly the chill
dren ol the black men arc citizens"
Now, according TO this commentary on the
text of tie Constitution, the free black man, il
born IN foreign land, is dsfranchiZed, for by
that instrument, none but whites can be ma
tirali3ed, yet according TO another part of the
same instrument the provision alluded 10 by
MIR. KNOTT is commended by him that the ma
fice free back is by constitutional right citi-
zen equally with the white man. 1t remains for
Mr. KING 10 show why the constitution makes
this distinction. " AS certainly, says he, as
the children of any white man an citizens. so
certainly The children of the black man free
blacks we presume he meansl are citizens."-
This Mr. KING was obliged TO declare, after
contending that the constitution recognized all
free (natlvc) blacks as citizens. Yet the con-
sitriion excludes from this privilege the fa-
Tiers II pcrchance they were born abroad, al
though free, of these fee black children; for
II limits, says he, naturalization TO the whites.
Mr.. King goes further, and declares he
~ not sure how black, unless born free, NAV
become Il citizen a man born slave cannot,
says he be citizen" Then Mr. KING means
to coa;inc the right ofcitizenship to the native
black born free, and deny it TO the black who
has been enfranchized. According TO this read
ing of the constitution, he disfranchizes large
class OF free blacks in the union, and as New
ork possesses, we may presume, her full pro-
III.
who arc in fact enfranchized, this exposition
OF the constitution cuts them off fromth rights
OF citizens.
But" says he, ga red man cannot be a
citizen" And why ? For no reason that we
know, but that the trainers of the constitution
conceived that the black man equally with the
red man,was not qualified to enjoy the privilege.
Mr.. King has evidently puzzled himself with
distinctions that have no existence but in his
own mind-with distinctions between the
black, native, horn free, who he contends is
citizen under the constitution, and the free
| hlac!i, foreigner, who is not permitted by
That instrument to be aturalized-between
free black children, who, he insists, are citizens.
and Their enfranchsed parents, who, he alleges,
annevcrbecome citizens, because born in state
OF slavery. Now all pcrplexity IS avoided by
the following short and simple exposition, by
one OF the members of the convention, of the
constitutional provision in question, which is
In harmony with every other part of the in
str'imcni, IN which it appears. Mr.. YOUNG
understood the language of the constitution to
mean that a black man or white man COM
ing into this State New York; should be en-
titled to al the privileges and mmunities To-
which black men or white men are i'm this en-
titled. Mr. Roof expressed similar opinion.
lie remarked that if il were otherwise, a man
gong from one State where a freehold was
not required as qualification for voter, into
another state, where freehold was required,
might stiE claim the right of voting.
Charleston Patriot
LrOuisiand.-About the period when this
| territory was coded, some public documents
were withheld, something i'm the same manner
as 10y Col Callava. Gen. Wilkinson, if we
arc not mistaken, called upon the agent and
made formal demand, which being refused,
he seized the papers, took an inventory OF
them, and gave the agent receipt for them,
without the least show OF yinlencc This