New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-03-28
THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE IN VIRGINIA.

THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE IN FikGlNIA.
II "a. Editor Of TAs y. 7'iss"A
EIR: A publication in your paper Oh Inc 2iss ihS'''
under the sgns,ure of Wm. Goooeh protesting TO re-
view the dec.ion of the Supreme Court in the bred
Scott case and which you yourse indorse edtoriay,
n rsplete with uDntentona errors, and am sure you
can have no motive to perpetuate them BY the exclu
Gob Of the truth.
lind on examination that Mr.. Goodell is mi'taken
IN nearly oil ,he deductions he has drawn, and may
hsrsaft show this in historical detail.
III, only necessary for me nov to refer to one fatal
xisrep, esentaton with regard to Virginia, viii III may
terye TO show the limited knowledge which your cor
respondent has upon the subject
de saws: previous to the 5th Of July, 776 Viz
"siDis was der royal charter, under the British
"CoIstitnton and EDgEh common Law, whtch cosld
have ptrnitted no distisctson Of color. Ii well
known that negroes continued TO cote ia Virginia up
"to the gear 1850 rhea nep Constitution ras
I" 70, med, Shick excluded them"
am preparing publication on the hrst branch OF
bh ton herein made, 80 we'll az 10 regar1 to the
other oases cited by your correspondent and VII hn'
ply say that neither under the royal oharsr nor
under the Bntsh Constitution, uader the comm IN
law 10 he correct. The latter branch Of the subject in
controversy, 1t lie only requisite nov to notice
Negroes aeptr alO we'd TO vote, either under the
Colony, under the State They never did vote at any
period In the C0mmCn wealth, except as herein stated
IL the Constitution adopted June 80 l776 mot July
5 I776, a. Mr.. g. ssys it is provided tb. the right
" OF suffrage, N The election OF members OF DOtn
"Hsuies khall remain as eIercised at present."
What we're the qualifications then, iof suffrage at
the tune of the adoption Of the Constitution in june,
176i
The ordinance of the Convention Of 1775, ding
for the election Of delegat to the Convention to form
Constitution In 1875 confined the right Of suffrage
to Vk men, in possession Of the requisite qasntlty
Of land and claiming freeAotds thereto Tos Was tue
right Of suffrage when the Constitution wac adopted.
The freehold qualification confined TO phte men, re-
NAMED until the l4th of January, 1880, when a new
Constitution was formed. BY thst Constitution the
tight to vote 10 expressly confined 10 ptH mae ot
"zsns Of The Common wealth resident therein Of
twenty one ysars and upward" with specific requ.
sites which are defined.
third Constitution was formed on the 1st day OF
August, 1851. tprovides that every rhtts male c'
zen Of the Commonwealth, Of the age Of twenty ore
"yeAs who has been sresdent Of toe state two years
and Of the county, city, or town where he offers to
VOTE for twelve months next preceding an election,
and no other person, shall be quahded TO- vote for
members Of the General Assembly, and all officers
"skedve by the people," Exceptions then follow,
with regard TO psupers and soldiers, which it 10 not
The history of the State, therefore proves that Mr..
Goodsl 10 utterly and unqu sfedly mistaken In the
statement which hes been rscted.
By the acts of the General Assembly of Vrgiois
u5S3 4, %, edition 1885, page 3i4 free negroes,
indians and rsulatt0es we're expressly disqualified
FROM voting at eleCions and If up 70 toss penod they
might yoie in the absence OF any press restfc don o
the Legislature there can be doobt that from 1913
dow 10 the present hour they have remained disqual
fed az we have already sh0~n.
will take ,sion hereafter to expose, in extenso,
the mistakes of your correspondent with regard TO other
Slater.
In every vexed political question, from the POUNDS
lion Of the Government, you complain often that the
South has obtained the advantage The reason is OBJ
vious. The Northern mind IT, in the fret instaoce,
carried of by partial or prejudoed views Of public
qusstiors. 1t only the old race Of the hare snd the
terohe for truth at last ovetakes error and hrottes It,
VIII my acquaintance with you Justify this puolics-
WAss.s.s Pa, March 81. 1857.
Certainly, Mr.. Clemens We believe in Free
Speech and Free Press this way, and for any mis-.
take set forth through our columns, even by cor
respondent, We invite and gladly publish correc-
ton. We don't indlct people here for speaking oat
their convictions on any public question in this
State; while in Wheeling they forsid public lee
turers to read the lectures which their commit.
tees have selected and advertised Can there be
any doubt a. to which il the better wayi LEA.
MR.. B. STANTON ON THE NEW TARIFF.
- ~ Batter q TAs n T. rSsss~
Sir; Your reply to my letter of the 10Th calls for
very brief rejosder.
Although the controversy between as seems to amount
10 little than question Of taste to the terms
which used TO describe the late tariff it has in fact
much deeper and wider significance. 1t Involves the
question, whether protected interest 10 ast6able
b demanding the reduction abolition Of duties ion
posed for the protection of another, that the may
Be enabled to Obtain the products Of the other at lower
prices.
1t s In vain TO say that the reduction partial sbo
hion Of duties on wool win not reduce the price, The
whole theory Of Protection is based upon the idea that
the importer is compelled to demand higher prize in
consequence Of the duty be is required to pay and
therefore the domestic produce ostsin q higher
price also i know there exceptions to this rule
and IL claimed that Wool one OF them. do not be-
heve is. When article Is largely imported under
heavy duty, know of no case where the reduction
abolition Of the duty does not tend To reduce the
price Of both the foreign aud domestic Article.
II may be that the late tariff will not produce any
positive reduction in the price Of Wool nope will
not; but II t does not IL viii be because the rapidly
Increasing demand for wooden goods hiss greatly
6shced The price of Wool in the European ma ke:s.
But will deprive the American wool grower Of tue
corresponding Increase Of price In the American mar
kets which be would have had but for the redacoa OF
Ne duty.
But upon this question the WOOL growers aud WOODEN
manufacturers differed Who was to judge between
them The WOOL gro admitted the ojastce Of the
discrimination against coarse wooden goods. They
offered 70 take reduction Of 10 per cen; imported
wool of all grades the abolition of it cosrss WOOL
ing nearly the entire import from South Ansrica
with an Efficient guard AGAINST fraudulent invoices.
This vas deemed fair compromise that ought 70 be
satisfactory to ali advocates Of general sssten Of
Protection. The friends of Protection 10 the Hoaee 90
decided In Committee Of the Whole, BY voIe OF about
two to one in favor of both these propositions. The
WOODEN manufacturers refused to s,cept 1t, and de-
feattd IL by uniting with Letcher Il Co., ~ TIER
ssfss In the House, on the record.
am charged with taking liss free trader, becsuce
called thas manufacturers bill, /" which proposed
70 benefit the manufacturers by repesng the du les on
xh onlv Druteced commodity Shtch nv own cO0stitu-