Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-08-27
uYNCmBURG, August ~. Is3s.
MR.. VAN BUREN'S VOTE FOE FREE NE
GRO SUFFRAGE, &c.

five could be astonished at any thing in po.c
matters IT would be AT the Ingenuity which certain
partizans OF Mr.. Van Buren, display, in SO constituting
his offensive vote i'll the New York Convention, in
favor of extending the night Of suffrage TO free
grocs, make II appear that he was absolutely OPP
posed TO such extension, but that, II having been SO
dccreed, in despite Of his exerions TO rrevenlir he
then endeayored 10 throw restrictions around the
right thus extended, as to limit ii TO few otthat
class OF voters possible II ere never was Il
grosser ,civersion of historical truth than thls-a
-nore pa!pable attempt 10 disort the plainest Ian
,l age, aud to mysty the most lucid facts
20 the law aud TO the testimony appeal.
On the 10th OF September, 1921, the committee
Of the New York Convention, on the tight of suf
irase, reported the following amendment TO the
s,itution:
Every iohite male citizen OF the age OF ~ years,
who shall have resided in the State (or SIX months
next preceding any election, &c shall be entitled
10 vote" &c. (See Debates Of the Convention,
P,sc13l)
On the 10Th of September, (sec page 1861 the
above amendment being under consideration, Mr.
Jay moved that the word "uhite' be stricken out
aud after long debate. in which the political cquai
~ ofilec negroes broadly asserted, the motion
t'>s'h "A - o' NUS an b"fth t"th9 Z"
he qhrnahre.
by this vote, the equality Of the free negro
uncquivocally asserted, and his right to vote was
mcondidonaity recognized. And tins will the
more certainly appear from the positions as
suncd in the debate, by the advocates OF the amend
ment.
Mr.. Clarke, quoting the abstraction ofthe Declar-
aion Of Independence, that all men are created
equal" &c. &c. declared tina, the exclusion OF the
blacks from he right of suffrage violation of
shs Fundamental principle, and that by retaining
the word ''white in the constitution, they would
"depriye large and reputable number of the poo
pie Of the State Of prritcgo and rights which they
have enjoyed in common with and 10 Wlic. HeyaJc
jusflg CohHod." Mr.. Kent and Mr.. Livingston took
similar ground. Mr.. Jay coutcnded that the OPP
ponents the extension Of the right of suffrage to
the free blacks aaeie Influenced by criminal rreiu-
dice against the people Of color and expressed his
nope that the Convention would 'no consent to vo.
late all those principles upon which free insliu
Mons ale founded, to contradict all tLose probes
SONS which .me proluseIy make enng the
natural equality Of all men, merely to CRAFTY odous
aud, he hoped, temporary lncjndices'
These h,1f .ausions 10 IlIc character OF the
debate VIII slow The grounds upon winch the all
>oca,cs Of heete 30 suffrage in the New o,k Con
yendon, placed the question. AID it is certainly
not unfair TO presume that Mr. Van Buren, WAS IN
luenced by these alsumcnlsin giving his vote in IA
OF the proposed extension If the right Of SUI
ilage, suce we no where find that he uttered
word in opposition them. This prcsuml ton, too,
derives additional force from the fact that it was
Iy IN The January preceding Ns20,) when the Mis-
sour question agItating the whole Union, that
Mr.. Van Buren,, i.hcn member Of the Senate of
New orh, voted for reso luton instluciing the
Senators of that State in Congress aud requesting
their representatives., "to oppose the admission
State, Ito tho Union, OF any Territory, not
priscd within the original boundaries of the United
States, without making the prohiJiti0n Of .Siarery
lhGrein an Indispensable condition." This is the very
ground, be itrecoIIoc,ed, assumed 10y the North
Aboton,sis and which, in especial reference
the admission Of Ioda into the Union, the, are
about to make test question in their elections -
And the South is asked take this man for
President, in preference to Henry Clay the bold
and eloquent champion of her rights. at a moment
when Van Buren, en,cavoring to subvert the
very foundations and TO overthrow the pillars upon
which Southern institutions are based 8u il was
our design 10 give historical facts tor the norma-
'NoH ulouf ltdutIs, IdlitT tUdn 10 comment upon
them. II their bare recapulation be not enou Oh 10
open the eyes of the Southern People nothing that
we can say add TO their force or give efficacy to
their warnings.
But We told, with air of great triumph, that
after Mr.. an Buren, bad voted for The condition
al extension free negroes of the right Of suffrage,
lie then concuned in throwing around its practical
exercise the restriction of property qualification
but who first suggested this restriction Mr..
kent,-one of the most decided advocates of free
negro suffrage. Aud what The which he
gave Tor II 1t was, not TO exclude from voting the
'eS'"e"t Tree blacks, " but prevent them from
coming IN bodies from other States, to vote in cleo
lions So that the main object of this mucll-talh ed
o' restriction was TO exclude non residents from the
Pos and not to affect those who dwelt within the
limits of the State,
IL IS alse worthy of remark that a motion sub
cquentiy made to the original reading OF the
cause by re inserting the word ",ohie"-and then,
'of the first time, Mr.. Van Buren, took the floor de-
'''fng that he in favor Of the plan as it stood
anu opposed TO the proposed amendmcnt-he
'"o"ght that the committee had done themselves
s'" credit by their concession to the opinion of those
nun ""o" they differed,-(this concession was the
"'e'"o" o' the property qualification ia and he
'or one returned them his sincere thanks Unde,
Ill circumstances, The con,;nu,d \ Lo ,roJ o ,,,I