Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-02-16

/ 49, 49, 49, " AAN RAANBG
suited him, and he wished TO vote now.
Mr.. Pugh was opposed to the amend
ments; but he was fearful that if the bill
was sem back TO the Senate. it would be
DESTROYED there. He should therefore
feel called upon to vote for the amend
ments.
Mr.. Mcclure also thought the amend
menis wrong; but like the gentleman
from Hamilton, he had fears Of The ex-
pertinent of sending the bill back to the
Senate.
Mr.. Olds spoke at some length in ia
vor of the Senate amendments. He did
not agree with the gentleman from Ham-
ilton, and the gentleman from Ashtabula,
that the bill as it passed the House, would
exclude blacks and mulattoes from serv-
ing as Jurors. That bill swept AWAY Gu.
cry distinction on account of color, ex-
cept that which is found in the constitu-
ton. 1t not only brushed off, as a mere
cobweb, what have been commonly cal.
led the "Black Laws" but it penetrated
every nook and corner of statute law in
the State, and ferreted out everything,
erery,chere that made any distinction be-
tween the races, and wiped it all out
Without the Senate amendment. this
class of persons a be placed on your
%luries, because there is nothing in the
constitution defining the qualifications of
jurors. By statute they must be "iudi-
cious persons having the qualifications"
and you lind in the constitution that cleo
tors must be "tchite male inhabitants -
this statute therefore creates a special
disability against the black man, by say
ing that n juror must have the oualifca.
tons OF all e%lector, and it is c%onseouent-
ly repealed by the express terms of the
bill. The Senate has done well in pla-
cling some little limit TO this act. They
have discovered that besides repeating
The BLACK Laws so called, we have
made a change in the jury law and the
poor laws"-can any gentleman now
say how much farther this act reaches:
or rather. where it does not reach We
have had statute piled upon Statute year
after year, for the last forty-six years.
conflicting and discrepent often to such
Il degree that even good lawyers cannot
always tell what the law is. In how ma
ny Of these statutes, and upon how many
subjects may there be some little, unob.
served distinction on accoun Of color ?
Can any gentleman here now tell p
Whatever they are, and wherever thew q.
are, excepting in the constitution, they
are all wiped out. By the constitution a
black man annot vote, but can he not be
voted for? For Justices of the Peace,
and Judges of our Courts, the constitu. |
ton gives no qualifications that would
prevent his election. Can he not be e.
lected Governor and member Of the Leg
He recollected nothing in the
constitution requiring a candidate for Of.
fee TO be a citizen of the State, except
regard to county officers, where he must
be "a citizen and inhabitant OF tie coun.
ty."
Mr.. Mcclure inquired if the Constitu-
lion did not require that the representa-
live should be a citizen Of the United
States
Mr.. Odds replied that ii did. The
language is, ga citizen of the United
States, and an inhabitant of this Slate."-
But he did not recollect that the cons,i-
tuition of the United States defined what
should constitute citizenship. The only
provision on hat subject, as far as he re-
.membered, was, 1.-The citizens of each
State shall be entitled to all privileges
and immuniiies of citizens in the several
States" In some of the States, as the
gentleman was aware. black men were
citizens, and had the right of suffrage,
and by the same token, could thew not
come here and vote, as well as be voted
for
Suppose, said Mr.. Odds, that this bill
had passed last year, and the citizens Of
my county had sent up a respectable
black man as their Representative for
there are respectable black men there,
who would be more likely to be disgra-
ced, than to disgrace this body, by hold
ing a seat here. Would gentlemen dare
to exclude him under our constitution
and with all the disabilities Of statutes re-
pealed?
Mr.. Smith Of Brown, onquired Of Mr..
Odds if black men could be voted for,
why could they not vote
Mr.. Odds. If The gentIoman's constit.
uents, in compliment to him for his vote
on this bill the other day, should see
proper 10 put a black man in the field a.
gninst him next summer, | assure the
gentleman as much as | esteem him, that
| should not so on a special mission 10
Brown county 10 explain 10 1.-THE 600 blacks
there why they could not vote for one of
their W color TO represent that coun-
~.
But Mr. Speaker, to treat this subject
with becoming gravity, | regard these a.
mendments ofthe Senate as imporant-
And believe we should have done bet
ter TO have put some other limitations up
on this ACT. With a few such limitations
should have been able 10 vote Cor The
bill the other day, But | regard it as ex.
tremely unwise to work these radical.
sweeping reforms, in society at a single
dash. A proper regard for The interests
and welfare of the black man himself