The Plymouth pilot. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1851-1852, 1851-06-04
For the Plymouth Pilot.


Mr.. EDIToR-I noticed in the 10th
No. Of your paper, an article. headed "a
few reasons why the provisions of the
New Constitution for the exclusion of
Negroes from the State, should be adopt
ed"
Without stopping TO inquire into the
merits or dement's of your correspond
ent's communication, / will, with your
consent, offer few thoughts on the 18th
article of the new Constitution, which
prohibits colored persons from settling
in the State.
lst. l object TO this article, because it
is at variance with other parts of the
Constitution. The trainers tell us in the
first article and first section, "that al.
men are created equal; that tkey are
endowed by their Creator with certain
inalienable rights; that among these
are life, liberty, and the pursuit of hap
piness." In the 18th article, they posi-
lively tell us that no negro, or mulatto,
shall come into or reside in the State"
Now it does seem TO me that they not only
disregard these God given rights of cer-
tain class of men, but that they have gone
as far as legislation can GO, to annihilate
them, themselves being judges.) Now
sir, if all men mean all men, and all men
are created equal there has been dead
" blow aimed at the liberties of that
! class Of men described in the above ar
ticle. Did they declare the truth, when
they said that all men are created equal?'
| If so, can any man, or set of men, take
away the right that was given to man by
his Creator, without being guilty Of ty-
ranny-the blackest and basest kind
One, of two conclusions, inevitably fol-
lows: First, that article |, section l, is
false, and libel on the Creator, or ne
groes and mulattoes possess the rights
the rein declared, unless it is proved that t
negroes and mulattoes are not men.
I'd. object to this prohibitory clause,
bees Sc it is opposed to the Federal
Coustitution. This provides that the
citizens of each State shall be entitled to
all the privileges and immunities of citi
zens of the several States" R. S.. page
IL. You will bear in mind that in sew
eral states Of this Union, negroes and
mulattoes have the right Of suffrage, and
are citizens to all intents and purposes.
By the rrohibtory clause in question, these
rights, guaranteed to them by the Fed
raj constitution, are entirely set aside.
Suppose that one Of these citizens should
happen 20 see this rhetorical flourish Of
human rights embraced in the first arti-
Gle of the new Constitution, and should
be vain enough to suppose himself a
man; should gather up his all, and start
for this boasted land of equal rights. He
is met at the State line, and told that he
cannot set his foot on the consecrated
soil of Indiana! He presents, in defence
OF his rights, the Constitution of the
United States, and, also, article first Of
the new Constitution Of this State. He
| is informed that his case is not embraced
in the above declarations; and to his as
tonshment, for the first time, he learns
that he is not man. He, therefore, in
this State, has no right TO "life, liberty
or the pursuit of happiness" And what
is all this for? Has the man ever for
feited any of these rights, by crime--or
is it for wearing the skin that his Crca
tor has given him? More anon.
May 80. 1851. A SUBSCRIBER.