Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1857-08-28

either British subjects or not British sub
Jects, accordingly as they were or wer.
rot born within the allegiance of tn,
British King. Upon the Reyoiu
ton no other change took place in tn,
law Of North Carolina than was conse
quent upon the transition of a colon,
dependant on an European Kin, to fie,
and sovereign stare. Slaves remained
slaves. British subjects n North Carroll.
ma b came North Carolina frecmen.-
Foreigners, until made member, Of State
c ntInucd aliens. Slaves manumittcC
here became freemen--and therefore i
born within North Carolina-and all
free persons born within the State. arl
born citizens of the safe
Again, he says:
That constitution l7761 extended
the elective franchise to every freeman
WHO Ind arrived at the ase of twenty
one. and paid public tax; ald it is a
matter OF universal notoriety that under
it. free persons without re !arl To color,
claimed and exercised the franchise un
til ii was taken from free men OF color, a
t2w y 'ars since, by our amended consti
tution.'
The soun mess of the doctrine OF this
opinion has since been recognized bv the
m Court in the cas-, OF State V. New
son, ) lrcdcI, $50.
Sect. Of ch. Of the constitution %
Massachusetts. adoptci in Mrca. 17s9,
reads as follows:
Tn senate shall be the first branch
Of the .egs atuie AMI the senators shall
be chGsca in the following manner, VIZ ::
there shall b. Il meeting on tk, f s.
Monlay in Aoril, anautl)y, forever, c.
tn" inhabitants of each town in the >1y-
e,al counties in this commonwealth. co 10 be
called by the sclectmen, AMI warned IN
due couse Of az, at least Seven d ys b.
fore III, first Monday in April, f5r Ia
purpose otelsctirg Q persons to b. NJ
torsan councillors and at such mae.-
ings every male inhabitnt of twanty-
one years Of az and upwards. haSin9 4
freehold estat within the commonwealth,
to the animal income OF three poGn Is, or
any tss"te " e1' N"1'S W NY ta''N'
snail have a fiSht TO slFa III MS vote II
The senator's for the district If which n
Is an l2AahitaAt, Ana to rene a.
doubts cnnceinnt the meaning of tAe
word .inhabitant.' in this constitution.
every person shall be considered an H.
hahi'ant, tor the ppfnoSe OF eieath| INTO
my othre, or niaee wtAn the Sat, n
that town, district or pI'n,a'.oA, "hafe
ha dwcilcth, OF hath h.' nom
Slavery has rot existed N MaSsaA@H-
: - ~.ace the laop'ion OF the eoa.lta-
ton. IN $50. Com. :. Aves, Is fiek
1874. And tfom that day t. the present
those ire mn OF African d scent, VINO
possessed the q1a1fica'ion required OF
white citizens, have enj'yed 'Ae Ii3Ats oi
the elective ranchise IN that State
The constitutions ot oth StateS,adoP'
ted before and since the torm1tion ot
the present federal government, contain
ing provisions equally broad and hberat.
with reference to the right of voting, as
those from which We have already qqo-
ted; while in others of the thirteen
States which originally composed the
Union. the right of voting in the general
elections was confined to free male
white citizens The same formula of
word, is also used to limit and define the
rights of electors in several of the con-
sti utions OF States which have been
created and admitted into the Union
since the Constitution of the United
States was adopted. AMI also in suadrv
laws passed by Congress under the
Constitntioa. Whether this form
of words lons not carry the implica-
ton t'Iat acitizc1," exist VINO are
no. piilf, W. do not deem it important
now to consider nor d. we deem it
ess initial TO pursue this branch of our
inquiry iufther at this Tune.
Such was the condition Of Thugs in
1920. when Maine. then constituting
mart Of the State of Massachusetts,, WIS
erected into A new and Independent State
and her citizens after having live | uader
the Constitution of 1880, for a period of
forty vars. f1rmei the Constitution un-
der which we now live. The Convention
which formed that Constitution was com
posed of our most in rlli,ent and inhu-