The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-04-11
From The N. Y. journal Of Commerce
NEGRO SuEFRAaE.

| NEGhO SUFFRAub.
According to the existing constitution of the State OF
New York. no man OF color unless he has been citizen
the State for three years. and has for one year
freehold property Of the vsluc of two hundred and fifty dol
lars which be has paid taxes any election
The republican members Of State legislature hare ia
ken the FIRST step towards repeal Of this feature of the
constitution in order TO pace negroes far suffrage
concerned footing of equality with white men /,
fortunate that those who initiated this so-caed reform
have not the to give it legal effect but that it must
be approved by quent legislature and then submit
ted to the people before the change be effected II
openly avowed by the republicans that their object is
ceusure the Supreme Court of the United States for
recent judgment in the bred Scott case in the bofe
that other State legislatures will follow the example
II remains to be whether the good sense Of the
people, TO whom ample time for rejection ia wisely
| allowed, will sanction a hasty, passionate and uu-
necessary measure for the purpose of enabling
few political agitaors achieve empty tciumph over
the weconsidered and authoritative dctum OF the su-
preme expoundes Of the federal constitution We say an
empty triumph because negroes permitted to exer-
else the elective franchise in this in any other State on
the conditions white men, this permission would
extend beyond the limits OF the State in which 1t was
accorded aud could not in the slightest degree affect the
judicial decision that the Africans and their descendants
cannot under the constitution be citizens of the United
States The Judgment Of the Supreme Court dees not sf
feet or interfere with the power of individual States to
confer political rights within their own mits ii only a
firms that State citizenship conferred upon constit
onay unqualified to become citizens Of the United States
does not their disqualification The Supreme Court
has decided that New York. Massachusetts or Rhode
Island is not entitled to confer citizenship for State
free negroes than that they entitled
they think proper to grant the right of suffrage
razed Aliens but they have decided that the comforting
this right upon IAN alien any other description or class
of persona does not constitute its recipient a" citizen
the OF the constitution of United Statcs To
the language OF the Albany Argus sTbe bred Scott
decision will prevent the elevation Of the negro here to
any degrees of privilege He may have the right to VOTE
the right hold the highest Offices the right equal eu-
catons privileges and political franchises he m,y be even
lifted above the level and be made superior caste
and the Supreme Court of the United State, will not gain
say it. They leave each Stats the full power within the
State bat he cannot carry his pripges beyond the 6oundores
of ire State that 5eors them This is what the bred Scott
opinion mesnsp More than this, State can within its
own limits II il pleases make negroes privileged class
as seems be contemplated by the republicans of this
State by giving them all the privileges OF citizens without
the burden Of citizens such military duty jury duty and
the like
While deplere the dsgracefn misuse of the legisa-
tive authority of which the republican members of cur
State legislature guilty do believe that even
majority OF their faction will sanction their proceed
ings and confident that majority of the peops
win indignantly repudiae any proposal to alter their Or,
cnt CONSTITUTION TOT ne ete purpose OF reoukng that
tbory which has been spty designated ahe protecting
power Of the whole government"
When Secretary Toucey was called to the cabinet Of
President Buchanan. the Tribune and similar prints affect
ed consider him the representative of hopeless nino
ty in his native State
The people Of Connecticut ~cver have regarded the
question from different point of view They have re-
versed the political decision Of 1856 have driven the black
republicans and proscrptvs Americans into coalition and
substantially defeated them thus united Connecticut IL
not already democratic State win be fully so In another
year. and has given OF her intention now Senator