Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-03-24

five and shall be actually and usually resident IN
,h oiJ Giles respectively, shall be entitled /" Voc lo'
representatives in assembly within his sau pace u IL
rims It appears that under the former Constitution
the free Nero had precisely the right OF sut"S
as The ,caic man. 1t EVERY MALE lNnA i;:
without any distinction OF color, or difference VI H"'
cation. J ,,,;. f-,ns;;,u.
tion assembled on tie 25ti Of August lei NJ '',
Buren was os!nembcr. The various parts were sa'''u
up among separate Committees The Coniit''e , 4,.
tile Rchi Of Suffrage consisted of seven members VIZ
NJossrs Sanford, Van Rensselaer, 7. H. Livingston:
Farlc, Young, Cramer, and Ross-(Mr Val DuF'" "0'
one of thcm.) , ru;.
On the 18th September, they reported the i"Hwns
amendment to the Constitution, VIZ Every l:ait maze
citizen of The age of 81 years. who shall Lave resided III
Ibis State six months next preceding any rirc':" &c.
(cyendng considerably the ght al suffrage i"f ti'
whites and doing away entirely The r'E;r'ciot ' lie
frsciod right- shall be entitled to vote at such Gee
lion in the town ward in which lie saE! reside 10!
Governor Lieut.. Governor, Senators. Members OF Tie
| Assembly,, DC. .
debate Mr. Ross said " it will probably be asked, are
blacks 10 be excluded: aa:wrr BECAUSE they are sell
DOM if ever required 10 sha:c in The conI;non Ouens
or defence of the STATE There also additional red
sons; they are peculiar people, incapable, IN my ludg
meut OF exercising that privilege with ANY sort OF dis-
crc.on prudence independence. ALTER other rea-
sons he added And fear that an extension to the
blacks would TO invite that KIND OF popuiaoh 10
|
deplore. ,
Gen Van Rensselaer, submitted a substitute extend
ing the right to every male cltiZeh on cetatn quar-
fcations-Col. Young moved to insert " 1ch"tc
Mr. Peter a. Jay always fana'ic) opposed Coi
Youn q s amendment, ana went to the other cXlreIue-
lie said it had " been clearly stated why they were de-
srous Of extending the right OF suffrage to some VINO
did present emmy IT, but he has wholly omitted 70
explain chy Mty deny to others cO actually possess H.
"a When this Convention first assembled, 1t was
generally understood that provisions would be ;ade 10
extend the right of suffrage, ald some were apprcneh
sve that it might bc extended to degree which tley
could not approve. But, sir, it not expected that
this right any instance to be restricted, much less
was anticipated desired, ct single person 1caS 10
he d$tranchiscd Why, sir are these men to he eXciud
ed from rights which they possess in common win thcir
| counLrymen: What crime have they committed Tor
which they to be punished? Why are they, who
were born free ourselves, natives of the same coun
try and dcricag from nature and our potcM inSttt"
tons tie same rgs and prieiees 'ehieh nee hare, mac
10 be deprrcd Of all hOSe rytS and doomed To remain
forever aliens among US ?'-' would submit 10 Tie
consideration OF the committee, whether the proposition
Of the gentleman from Saratoga is consistent with the
Constitution Of the United States That instrument pro-
vdes that citizens Of each State shall be entitled TO all
the privileges and imlnunrS OF citizens IN the sevcra!
States. - Now sir, is not the right OF suffrage phi
rirgc' And you deny il 10 citizen OF Pennsy Iva
MIA who comes here and complies with your laws, mere
y because he is not six feet high, because he OF
dark c0nlyr xUn -. But where is the necessity IN the
present instance: The whole number of colDrcd people
than lUrrth part OF the whole population. hen you!
Numbers TO theirs forty 10 one, do you still fear
them:
liea Root answered Mr. JAYS arguments. He said
among other things I'VE have been told by the honorable
gentleman from " estcllestcr (Mr. Jay) and shall be
again told that about to deprive these people Of
Il franchise with which they vested. Sir, it IS
impossible TO remodel your constitution without chang
ing the relative rights oil your citizens 1t is said that
these people are entitled TO vote under our cons
tuition, and that it is proposed 10 deprive them OF this
prvilrnc-Arr there not others who arc in measure
DISTINGUISHED by the report of this committee which re-
Guirrs nothing but residence, and 10 have paid axes to
qualify man to vote lor Governor and Senators:
| N7. Clarke against retaining the word "hue -
" unwilling (saId hey to retain tie word wAttc,
because its detention is rrpugnant to all the principles
and notions oi liberty, to which have heretofore pro-
isscd adhere and 10 Declaration Of Independence
which is concise and just expose of those principles
-" The people Of color capable OF giving their
consent, and since the formation Of your Govern
mcn they have constituted portion OF the people, from
whence yonr Legislators have derived their just pow
crs; and by returning that word. you deprive large
and respectable number OF the people OF this State
Of privileges and rights which they have enjoyed in
common with US, since the existence OF our
Government, and to which they are justly entitled
Sir, to this declaration we all profess to be willing
10 subscribe yet by retaining this word you violate
one OF the most important maxms it contains. =
" We are usurping TO ourselves power which we do
possess, and by doing deprive them Of privilege
to which they are, and always have been justly entitled
dill iITnt--a III "liICH We pietA
ourselves as constituting our superiority over every
other people eartha rg hL which they have enjoyed
ever since the formation Of our Gorernment-tl@ right
of suffrage.
the question required the original report of the com.
mitcc MIR. Jay moved 10 strike out the word "whlc.
Mr.. Kent supported the motion Of Mr.. Jay. Gle was
disposed however, to annex such qualifications ana con-
dtuns as should prevent them from coming III bodies
from other States at elections We did not come
10 this Convention to diEranchiSc any portion OF The
community, to take away their rights. Suppose
negro owning freehold and entitled to vote IN Vermont,
removes this Stale Can consL!tutonaly exclude
him from enjoying that PRIVILEGE The Constitution Of
the United States provides that, the citizens OF each
State shall be entitled to all the privileges and lInnunl.
ties of citizens in the several States; and it deserved
consideration whether such exclusion would mol be OPP
posed TO the Constitution Of the United States.
Col. Young said, The minds of the blacks are not
competent to vote. They too much degraded TO es-
,inalc the value or exercise with fidelity and discretion
that important right 1t would be unsafe in their hands
Their vote would be at the call Of the richest purchaser
Ii this class of people should hereafter arrive at such
degree OF intelligence and virtue as to inspire cnIdcncei
then it will be proper TO confer This privilege upon them
AT present canc pate and protect them but withhold
that privilege which they will inevitably abuse LOOK
your jails and pcnitentarcs BY whom arc they fill
ed: BY the very race, whom 1t IS now proposed 10
co,he with the power of deciding upon your political
! rights"
MIR. Van Vcchtcn-i The amendment reported by the
select committee contemplated to deprive electors OF CO.
lor of right acch they hnrc enjoyed since the 0dCg0"
| Of Ike Constitution, He asked why this should be
done Those electors tiecmen, and have been re-
conzcd citizens Of the Stale nearly half century,
have under the sanction of constitution and laws du-
~ acquired the legal qualifications Of electors Have
they done any thing forfeit their right Of suffrage
Are they not taxable and do not many of them pay
their proportion Of taxes in with white cIlizcns
This cannot be denied. How then can we IN framing
permanent form OF government, justly deny them the
rights Of free citizens OF their present eX
emlpton by law from militia duty, and their practical cx-
against their colour destroy their rights citiz*ns -
Gle should therefore vote for striking out the word