The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-08-27
and been rated and actually paid taxes to the

By the Constitution of New York, adopted
In 1921, art H. Sec /, the qualification of elect
ors was 10 some extent modified; the word
"citizeu" was substituted for the word in
habitant," and other notifications made, among
which was added the following clause:
"But no man of color, unless he have been
three years a citizen of this State, and for one
year next preceding any election shall be seized
and possessed of a freehold estate of the value
of two hundred and fifty dollars over and above
all debts and encumbrsnces charged thereon,
and shall have been actually rated, and paid
tax thereon, shall be entitled to vote at any
such election"
The old Constitution did not contain this
provision discriminating against the " man of
color"
The Constitution of New Jersey, adopted
July z, l776, sec. A, provides
q" That all inhabitants of this Colony, of full
age, who are worth fifty pounds, proclamation
money, clear estate, in the same, and have re-
sided within the country in which they claim a
vote for twelve months Immediately preceding
the election, shall be entitled to vote for Repre-
sentatives in Council and Assembly; and also
for all other public officers that shall be elected
by the people of the county at large"
In l844, the Constitution of New Jersey was
amended, and the elective franchise was re-
stricted TO white male citizens Of the United
States"
Maryland adopted Constitution in l776,
the second section of which provides that
all freemen above twenty-one years Of age,
having freehold Of fifty acres of land in the
county in which they offer to vote, and residing
therein, and all freemen having property in
this State above the value of thirty pounds cur.
rent money, and having resided in the county
IN which they offer to vote one whole year next
preceding the election, shall have right of
suffrage in the election of delegates for such
county"
And by the fourteenth section, all persons
qualified as aforesaid to vote for delegates,
were also made electors of Senators.
The Constitution was so amended in 1912
that the right of suffrage was confined to Stree
white male citizens above twenty-one years of
age, and no others."
North Carolina adopted Constitution, Dec.
Is, i776. This Constitution contains the fol.
lowing provisions:
"SEo. Z. That all freemen of the age of TWEEN.
tyone years, who have been inhabitants of any
one county within the State twelve months i'm.
medistely preceding the day of any election,
and possessed of freehold, within the same
county, of fifty acres of land, for six months
next before and on the day of election, shall be
entitled to vote for member of the Senate.
"SEC 6. That ali freemen ofthe age of TWEEN.
ly-OhC 1chis, WIZ uhfc Dc6n 1Dn6Dlt8QLS OIL 2uV
county within the State twelve months imme.
distely preceding the day of election, and shall
have paid taxes, shall be entitled to vote for
members of the House of Commons for the
county in which he resides. -
SEC. y. That all persons possessed of q
freehold In any town in this State, having q
right of representation, and also all freemen
who have been inhabitants of any such town
twelve nor'hs next before and at the day of
election, and shall have paid public taxes,
shall be entitled to vote for q member to repre-
sent such toSr in the House of Commons"
La 1895, the following amendment WAS adopt
ed, touching the right Of suffrage: i
No negro, free mulatto, or free person of
mixed blood descended from negro ancestors to
the fourth generation, inclusive, Though one
ancestor OF each generation may have been a
white pe-son,) shall vote for members of the
Senate or House of Commons"
In the case of State dgt. Manuel, decided by
the Supreme Court of North Carolina, in 1898,
ID Dew. and Bat, 90 CASTOR, j., in a very elab.
crate opinion of the Court, uses the following
language:
"Before our Revolution, sll frss person,
born within the dominions of thu King of
Great Britain, whatever their color or complex.
ion, were nsfive-born British subjects; those
born oct of his allegiance were aliens. Slave
ry did not exist in England, but it did exist in
parrance persons, pur propery. The moment
tbe incapacity disqualification of Slavery
was removed. they became persons. and were
then either British subjects or not British sub.
jects, accordingly as they were or were not
born within the allegiance of the British King.
Upon the Revolution, no other change took
place in the law of North Carolina than was
consequent upon the transition of a colony de.
pendent on an European King, to a free and
sovereign State. Slaves remained slaves. Brit.
ish subjects in North Carolina became North
Carolina freemen. Foreigners, until made
members OF the State, continued aliens. Slaves
manurnitted here became freemen-and there
fore, if born within North Carolina, are citizens
of North Carolina-and all free persons born
within the State are born citizens of the State.
Again, he says:
That Constitution l776l extended the
elective franchise to every freeman who had
arrived at the age of twenty-one. and paid a
public tax; and 1t is matter of universal no.
toriety that under it free persons, without re-
gard to color, claimed and exercised the fran
chise until it was taken from free men of color,
few years since, by our amended Constitu.
tion."
The soundness of the doctrine of this opin.
ion has since been recognised by the same
Court in the case of State agt. Nelson, Iredel
$50.
MAaGl.
chusetts, adopted in March, 1880, reads as fol
lows:
"The Senate shall be the FIST branch of tho
Legislature; and the Senators shall be chosen
IN the following manner, viz there shall be a
meeting on the first Monday in April, annually.
forever, Of the Inhabitants of each town in the
several counties ID this Commonwealth. to be
called by the selectmen, and warned in due
course OF law, at least seven DAYS before the
first Monday in April, for the purpose of elect.
ing persons to be Senators and Councillors
and at such meetings, every male inhabitant
OF twenty-one years of age and upwards, having
freehold estate within the Commonwealth OF
the annual income of three pounds, or any es.
tate of the value of sixty pounds, shall have q
right to give in his vote for the Senators for the
district of which be is an inhabitant. And to
remove all doubts concerning the meaning of
the word 'inhabitant,' in this Constitution. ey.
cry person shall be considered an inhabitant
for the purpose of elec,ing aud being elected
into any office or place within the State, in that
town, district, or plantation, where he dwelleth
or hath his home"
Slavery has not existed in Massachusetts
since the adoption of the Constitution, in 1880
(Com. agt. AYES, lS Pick, 1897 And from
that day to the present, those free men of Afri-
can descent who possessed the qualifications
required of white citizens have enjoyed the
rights Of the elective franchise in that State.
The Constitutions of other States, adopted
before and since the formation of the present
Federal Government contain provisions equally
broad and liberal, with reference to the right OF
voting, Is those from which we have already