Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-07-02
ask Eottiootfss ASB III hAff6s.

No man has ser stowa 30 indignant Ii dlstuas
sisn as has NJ Hassoh, evss what he calls ssiieh
suffrage" Hs says that the principle snbracsd in
the Kansss-Nsbrssks act--sfow.ng such of the for
eign-born inhabitants to vote in the first election Of
territorial Legislature, had fled their declare
ton Of intention to become citizens and had taken
an oath to support the Constitutions .nfarhous,
rank and smells to heaven. This feature IN terri
torial bills was never a part Of the creed Of any
party. For b-tter understanding of the snelecs,
we have concluded to copy the following eAlacs
from Cen. zoliicofer's speech in advocacy 9. 'ne
Kansas bill. 1t viii be remembered that ar. eiay-
ton offered an amendment restricting the right OF
fr,ve 10 citizens only, which was stricken out in
the House Gen. zOllicofer SAID IN answer 70 'hls'
among other objections to the measure;
"yhe bill as now offered onits me V!ay'o1 Z
amendment as incorporated in the Senate bill l
an an advocate of the Clayton amendment and
should prefer that it were retained In the bill
R1t this does not seem to an insuperable objec-
tion. The Clayton amendment restricts the rlgnt
of suffrage to citizens Of the Unit0d states have
looked TO what has been the usage OF the gov
eminent in this respect in organizing territories
heretofore 1 find that the usage has been variant
In organizing the first territorynorthwest OF
citizens and those oho not citizens, were per-
ntted to vote This, too scas the case IN the sosh-
tpsstern territoTya territory i0h:ch finally oecdae
the State of Tennessee II was SO IN the Indiana ter
ritory in that of Louisiana, in that of Mississippi
| Of Alabama of Missouri and Wisconsin. But there
have been other insar in conflict With this prac
ticef In the terrIsolles ST Arkansas Iowa, 'uten
| and Oregon citizens alone were permitted 10 vote
In Mennexsss tsrritory-and that Is worthy oil MOI
as Min ss-' wss formed cut d ia territory WhicI
wa .caalrcd IN 1908, at the time Kansas aGd Ne
l Recommendations. qEt INST rho
not citizsas, we're permitted vots, The conc te'
| beng precisely such as are proposed IN h,s OIL
1.-The practice of the government. then, has beer
variant. In all the old States, which were preeeoe'
| by territorial governments the right Oh surrey
was not restricted to citizens. At a suDsequen
time that rule was altered and the latest fdcties
government Aas been TO permit both citizens ana ms
,bO are not citizens to exercise the right Of sura
| in the territories
Thus Gen ZoIlcoffer shows that this practise 0
the government, which Mr.. Hatton can ind no bet
ter word to characterize than 'sinfan U.S. com
menced under the administration of Gen. Washing
ton and received his approval in orr niAing tn
territories northwest of the Ohio; 7Sseggent
adhered to under the successive adr itiOns {
Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and on dow
to the present time with few exceptions, which b
enumerstes.
1t is not just to suppose that this practice, 8
long observed, was without reason. Though Nj
Hatton, with his limited experience, and, perhaps
limited research, may not have seen at first Wha
that reason was, yet respect for the statesmen VIII
have SO long practised it, should have restraine
him from using language SO inspplcable to prir
ciple. Perhaps Mr.. Hstton was not aware Of thes
facts of history. II so he should have been siler
until he had opportunity Of learning them
How shallow are the pretences of Know Not
ingism, when exposed to the logic of reason an
| facts