Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-04-27
STATE RIGHTS.

FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 27, 1855.
STATE RIGHTS.
The know nothings are unintenlionally accom- |
plishing good result for the country, in forcing
the people to discussion of fundamental principles
Ill the structure of our Government which have |
been too long overlooked We are indebted TO an
issue raised by the Gazette for a communication
which appears in our paper to-day. from gentle
man whose views of political questions are always
sound, but who too seldom commits them to pa
per Tie puts clincher to the question of the
right Of tee States to fix the quahcaiio7 oil their
own voters We doubt if the Gazette will longer
deny the right of the States to control the quaf-
cations OF their voters.
The question has another aspect which we have
not vet discussed but which is important as show
leg the tendency Of kaow-nothingism to eentrali-
cation. his other feature relates to the policy of
yielding to the Federal courts the sole power Of
nataralising foreigners. We understand the Ga
gstie advocating this policy. 1t has been adopt
cd by a. least one know-aothing State Legislature
And We therefore purpose discussing the tendency
o. such legislation at an early day. We wait to
If we bave misunderstood TIE Gazette in supposing
that it ayors this policy and we should very much
like TO hear the opinion Of the True Wing on the
came point
LINCOLN County, April %, 1856.
MEssss EDITORS Il have read with pleasure
your article in the UNION lSD AMERICAN of the
18th inst, in vindica.on of the right and the
"power Of the States to FIX the qualification of
their voters" To prescribe the qualification Of vo-
tiers in free republican government, is to draw
tie Inc Of demarcation between the citizen, who
IS constituent part of The sovereignty of the gov
eminent, and the subject vsssal serf I care
not what the name of government be- the indi-
vduai who is dsffanchised, who has no vote, In
whom 70 sovereignty is vested, and who conse-
quentiy exercises none,-aud who is taxed With
out being represented in the body imposing the
tax, is mere subject yassal or ser nothing more,
and has nopart in the government under which
he lives hut 10 bear its burdens and render it ser
vice aud homage. To fix OF prescribe the qualif-
GATOR. OF voters, is then, perhaps the exercise Of
the very highest prercgstve Of sovereignty. Who
so competent to exercise this high prerogative,
this vital poA or in a republic and especially in
confedeIaled republic as the people in their pri-
mary capacity Of the several States each for ITSELF
composing tie conlederacy? 1t is one of the
powers expressly reserved TO the people of the
States respectively by the constitution of the Uni
ted States. Tt is not only SO reserved, but it is
right in principle thatit should be- Bat, did not
commence with the intention Of writing essay
or argument in support of the correctness Of this
ore Of TIC plaiEest and most easily comprehended
provisions Of the Constitution. But rather to add
another to he extracts quoted by you, and which
WI. think, be successful aud triumphant yindi-
cs,icn Of ha right Of the several States to exercise,
and exercise eseh for Itself, the power claimed for
them by the democratic party. The extracts which
give are entitled 10 high consideration because of
the source from which they emanated, and the
tlala and Circumstances under which they were
written and first Published. But they are entitled
10 higher yes the highest consideration because Of
the approval and endorsement Of them by the peo-
pie themselves, directly, Of the old thirteen States
il the adopting OF the Constitution These extracts
were published during the tendency Of the consti-
tuition before the people Of the States for ratics-
ton or rejection. 1t was violently opposed as a
whole and in detail. Numbering among its OPP
ponents some OF the most powerful and command
ing intellecis as well as truest patriots oftle Revo-
luton, who in their efforts to ensure its rejection,
arrayed against in every objection, whether real
imaginary. which common sense could discern
genius make plausible. 1t was during that time
and under thrse circumstances, that Alexander
Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay wrote and
published tie numbers of g. TIE FEDERALIsT vim
dicating the constitution as a whole and giving
their understanding and construction OF most if not
al Of It's provisions in detail And among the
rest that clause which provides, that, "The House
of Representatives shall be composed Of members
chosen every second year by the people Of the
several States, and The electors in each State shall
hare the qualifications requisite for electors Of hs
most numerous branch Of the State Legislature"
No. 80 Of the FedeGlst, in explanation of this
provision ofthe constitution was written by James
Madison, who was himself member of the Con-
yerlion which framed the Constitution and took
elaborate notes of its debates and proceedings which
have been since published who was subsequently
regarded as and styled the father Of the Consti-
tuition; And whose views and opinions of that
sacred instrument and his constructions given to
its various PROVISIONS, nave ever oeeh looked upon
and regarded ty the American people, with at
lesst equal if not with greater confidence, than
those of any other man. In speaking OF the House
of Representatives, he says;
"The first view to be taken of this part OF the
Government, relates 10 the qualifications OF The
electors and The elected
Those OF the former are to be the same with
those Of the electors of the most numerous branch
of the State Legislatures The definition CT the
right Of suffrage is very justly regarded as unda-
mental article of Republican government Il was
incumbent or the Convention, therefore, TO define
ard establish this right in the Constitution. To
have left it open for the occasional regulations Of
De CoagreSs would have been improper for the
reasons inst mentioned To have submitted 1t 10
the LEGISLATIVE discretion of the States would have
been improper for the same re son; and Tor the
additional reason. that it would have rendered 100
dependent on the State governments, that branch
Of the federal government which ought 10 be de-
pendent on the people alone. To have reduced