The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-09-19
The Negro suffrage question.

Although there is no plank in the Nat'ona'
Republican platform which refers IN the re-
hottest degree to Negro Suffrage, it IS q well
i I,nown fact that there are many men IN the
p,rty who are in favor of it. This class OF
Republicans. including the editor of the st,
Paul Times, advocated the leaving out OF the
word "white" in the Constitution. The MIN
hssotian backed by more than two thirds of
ba members of the Constitutional Conven-
ZION stood up in favor of retaining that
word. and of course succeeded. But all were
Wiling and determined that the question
saould be submitted to the people at an ear
!, lay. When the Democratic members of
N, Committee of Conference took ground
that such should not be provision Of the
Constitution, the Republican members stood
firm to man. When JOSEPH r. BROWN said
10 Mr.. MCCLURE, that the Democratic party
would not now nor hereafter agree to submit
this question to the people. Mr.. McChuREs
reply was, "Refuse if you dare! We
want no better issue than this to 60 before
The people upon
Mr.. BROWN was too shrewd man not to see
the position his party would have been in,
hai The not yielded. So he went to work and
drew up the following, which is section one
Of article fourteen:
Suc ZION /. Whenever a majority of both houses of
Ii * gslaure shall deem 1t necessary to alter amend
tbs Constitution they may propose such alterations
s with the laws which have been passed at the
and said amendments shall be submitted to the
for their approval or rejection; and If it shall APP
pear manner to be provided by law that majority
q! ne nbers present and voting shall have ratified such
teraons or amendments, the shall be valid to all
lnteas and purposes, as part of this Constitution.
This was submitted to Mr.. NORTH and 9TH
ers Who favored Negro Suffrage, and with but
one exception, we believe, was received with
more favor han the original plan, adopted by
the Republicans. And why? " Because, "
the agued, ''if this question is submitted to
t2 cople on the same day that the Consti-
tuticl is submitted, and upon which day an
eNc'i ng election will be going on, there will
Dc u1 possible chance for even an approxim-
at.t1 TO success. We will be voted down ten
f. orc as We were in Iowa a month ago. But
le get Republican Legislature, and then
.e. lem provide for submitting the question
at an early day, and upon a day when no 9th
Ct wing is to be done. Previous to that
TING. argued the friends of the measure, "we
can lave ain opportunity to labor among the
people and endeavor to break down the pref
ulces most of them have to universal suf-
fra,e
1t strikes US that the original COM
promise entered into among the Republicans
who are for, and those who are against Ne
gro Sn frage, has been more than carried out
by tine latter. ALI must acknowledge that
had the question been submitted at the COM
ing exciting election, the act would only have
increased the excitement, and increased it to
the injury of the measure and the Republican
party. We fear our neighbor of the Times,
and others who have denounced the action of
the Convention in this respect, did so with
ou. having carefully read and examined the
COnstit Ition