Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-05-22

T.
or be eligible to Office who cannot read the
Constitution Of the State in the English lam
guage and write his name-the provision
not to apply to persons whose physical disa-
bility renders il impossible to write; to any
person who now he's the right TO vote, or TO
any person who shall be sixty years old or
upward at the time the amendment takes
effect,
While the details of the article do not
please US exactly, we are free to confess that
the general principle is exactly to our mind,
and substantially the same as we suggested
through the AMERICAN, for incorporation in
our own Constitution in 1850 We believed
then, and we believe yet, that, though politi-
clans may despise il, and dread to touch it,
or have it touched by others, genuine states
manship requires its adoption by every State,
and ii will be adopted sooner or later
OF course il will be assailed by partizans
and demagogues, and instead of being dis
cussed on its merits, 1t will be opposed by
those who viii stoop to any measures to
court the influence and votes Of those who
seem to be prescribed by it Already the
Cincinnati Enquirer, and the leading Dem
ocratic papers of Indiana are aiming to ar
ray party prejudice against it, while not a
Republican party paper has dared to say a
word in its favor. lnded we suppose the
Republican party to be as much opposed 10
its adoption as the Democratic party, and,
per consequence, the Republican organs
dare notspeak favorably fit, however much
the judgment of individuals might approve
its adoption.
That our readers may have a specimen of
the statesman-like arguments used to prju-
dice the public mind against il VIC quote a
few paragraphs from tho Enquirer
" Ii is the first successful move by party
in this country, hostile TO popular Freedom
who would, IL they had the power, make
tho ballot-box accessible only to the few,
and deny its privileges TO the great masses
upon the plea that they are incapable Of
selfgovernment The cardinal principle OF
the American Revolution, and OF all legisla-
ton which is in harmony with ii, was that
there should be no taxation without repre-
sentation,' or, in other words oil those who
had an interest in the support Of the Gov
eminent should have voice in the agents
who were to administer IL
Observe this; tbs "the move of party
hostile to popular freedom" OF course this
will pass for argument as well as fact, among
those for whom it was intended though il
is neither the one nor the other. The En-.
quircr knows that itself iavors the "cardi.
nal principle" that taxation and represen.
tation should 90 together, only in an accom-.
modated sense IL does not allow women
or negroes to vote, though they pay taxes
and "have an interest in the support Of the
Government" The votors allowed by the
Enquirer must DO white, males, over TWEEN
ty-one years Of age. Now, If these three
additional qualifications may be wisely re
quired, why should those who propose an.
other, and give good reasons for it, be de-
nominated " hostile to popular freedom ~
Again he says;
mo matter how great an interest citi-
zen may have in the welfare Of the State
how large may be his property, if he cannot
read and write in English, he is TO have no
ballot TO defend il. A man is not TO vote by
virtue Of his inalienable right as a man, as
an intelligent and rejecting being, but his
privileges are made to depend upon his abil-
ity to read the Constitution Of Massachusetts
in English"
Now, no matter how great an interest O
citizen may have in the welfare Of the State
how large may be the property" if that
citizen be female, or have the least drop
of African blood, he or she cannot vote
"A man is not to vote by virtue Of his ina
lienable right as a man, as an intelligent
and rejecting being" if he is dark skincd
though he may be worth a million, and Us
we'll versed in political wisdom as any living
being This cant about inalenable rights
as mar" comes with poor grace from pa
per that would consign to the position Of
mere brutes whole race Of men, and hun
dreds Of descendants Of white men--mem
bers of Congress, judges, Legislators and sol
diers, because with tho blood of white par
ents Is q tinge Of darker blood.
Such is a specimen Of the EHquirer's ar
gumcnts against this new test Of citizenship
II is the best that can be done on that sid,
Of this subject. A base appeal to the pref
udices Of ignorant men, Is the only support
the opponents Of this measure can have, anc
In this appeal, like tho Enquirer, they mus
constantly do violence to their own opinions
and practices, in regard to similar matters
And, 80 few are the people who dare aci
independent Of their party leaders, the dis
cussion Of this subject, for the present n
least will be Of n party character and Sc
anxious are men Of all parties to court thu
votes OF those whose interests seem TO b.
affected, that we have not tho least idea tina
any party In Indiana will espousc II soon.
But, promising that the provisions shoult
be prospective-say not 20 take elect FOL
some five years from It's adoption, and tina
II should not work n disiranchiscment
any who are voters nj the time Of its goin,
into effect docs not the true interest Of
Democratic Government require an earl,
adoption Of such proyisionf Let II b.
remembered that the people are sovereign
and that tho will Of u majority should b.
law, Now by as much M tho will Of tn
people may be thwaried by want Of abillt
10 exercise II intelligently, by so much d
We fail Of having y popular Democrat
government If our government was
monarchy-if the will Of one man was la'
If IL were an aristocracy, and few che
sen ones made and administered the law
would any one say that II would not be vii
dom for that monarch or the lords should q
least be able TO read tho constitution In Oh
language in which II Ii 10 be administered