Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-01-23

ueT tndt cOnSlllutlOn' MS Is tne more me-
cessary, because it is sometimes said that
those who framed the constitution did not
contemplate the blacks, or take them into ac-
count as a part of the people, and that there
is no direct ~allusion to them in that instru-
ment.
The convention assembled at the town Of
Chilicoihe, in the county of Ross, on the first
Monday Of November, 1912, to form a CON
stitution for the State of Ohio. On the eth
page of their journal it is recorded, (the 18th
article Of the constitution, designating the
qualifications of electors being under consid
e%ration,) ''that a motion was then made fur
ther to amend the said article by striking out,
after the word all. in the first line of the first
section, the word Whifc," which would ex-
tend the right of suffrage to all the male in
hlbihntS OF the State. This amendment was
rejected by a vote OF 10 10 II. On the 2Sth
page we find, ''another motion was then
made further to amend said section, by add
ing to the end of the section, a proviso, in the
words following-Provided that all male ne,
groes and mulattoes now residing in this ter
ritory, shall be entitled to the right Of suf-
(rage, if they shall, within -- months
make a record of their citizenship" This
was carried in the affirmative, by a vote Of 10
to Is.
After this, a motion was made to secure the
same right TO their male descendants, and
lost 10y "A vote of II to Is.
Page 90. The seventh article being un-
der consideration, - motion was mido fur
ther to amend slid article, by adding a new
section as the scye tn section, in the words
tollowlnc-' No negro or mulatto shall ever
be eligible TO any Office, civil or military, or
give his oath in any court Of justice against a
white person., be subject to do military duty.
or pay a poll tax la this State" This Il
mondment WAS at first adopted, by a vote of
ID to l6. But four days after, it was strick-
en- out. by a vote of II to l6.
Page 81. 4 motion was made to strike
out the proviso added to the first section of
the fourth article, extending the right of suf-
trage to all male negroes and muldttoes now
residing in the territory. On this question
the convention was equally divided, and it
prevailed only by the casting vote of the
President. These quotations from the iourn-
al OF the convention, prove that the members
OF that body were not Unmindful of the col
ored inhabitants of the territory, that they
We're fully aware of the existence of that class
of the population, and that the consideration
Of the rights Of the blacks held a prominent
place in their deliberations And as the re-
suit Of their deliberations, it appears they saw
fit, under the constitution, to deprive the
blacks of the right to vote at elections, and
to exclude them from the enumeration in
making out the representative population. In
all other respects it evidently was the inten-
ton of the trainers Of the constitution to leave
the colored inhabitants of the State in the
full possession and enjoyment of he same
rights with the whites. Buthow do our laws
accord with the provisions Of the Conotitu-
tionl
The voice Of the constitution proclaims,
''7H men are born equally free and lndepond-
ent, AMI have certain natural, inherent, aud
lnalienablo rights; amongst which are the en-
ioying and defending life and liberty, acquir-
ing, possessing and protecting property, and
pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety
But your law meets the cOlored man at the
threshold Of our Site and says to him, you
cannot crme in here without first pro Iucinn
atair Ger fcte, from some court of record OF
your actual freedom" Can there he a more
oii)us Inconsistency than thisl Ccrtlin!y
This is one bow to the denonof slavery which
is entirely super!luous, which VIC are under
no obligation to make, by any existing CON.
pact or compromise. Most surely, a free
State, Promulglting such liberal and glorious
principles, is bound 10 consider every man,
whose foot touches her soil, as free, until
proof is made to the contrary.
Again: The constitution declares, THAT
all courts shall be open, and ecery person, foI
any injury done him in his lands. goods, per.
son or reputation, shlll have remedy by due
course of law, and right and Justice admins.
tered without a deni.il or delay" Is it pos,
sibIe for language 10 be broader and more un
ra-frinfn4 tI,p tbi, L'r,,,, -o-,. -, a.
white man or the black man alonr, but - "a
person may redress his injuries by due course
of law. How is it possible to rec lncile tii:
with the law which forbids any coloreJ per
son to give evidence in any cause in which
a white person is concernedl How can The
colored man have remedy by due course o
law, and right and justice administered with
out denial, when his witnes ics, although o
good character, are excluded When his op
poncnt, because he is white, is allowed L
testify to his book account, while he is no
permitted TO swear to his own. How can he
protect his property, when the white mar
may ROB him in open day, in the presence o
his family and friends. and yet he be unable
to prove the outage, because his witnesse;
are of another color.
Again: The constitution provides, 'that al
schools, which are supported, in whole or il
part, by revenues arising from donations made
by tine United States, shall he open 10 schol
ars and teachers of every grade, without any
distinction or preference whatever contrary
to the intent for which such donations werl
made" Now, what was the intent for which
these donations were made! Let the law o
Congress determine. Land laws Of the Z,
nited States, page col, section I, provides
That the section, No. l6, in every town
ship. and when such section has been sold
granted or disposed of. other lands equivllen
thereto, shall be granted to III, inhaJit1n's o
such township for the use of schools" Here
is no distinction of white mr. black. one elias,