The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1858-02-24

ty-on3 sovereignties u judge for themselves In
~ whose hands they will commit civil power
into whose hands they will place tho elective
franchise. We have appealed to them as "the
people," the only people known to the laws,
the only people known 10 the constitution, ''per-
iectly frse" free to execute this right according
to law and in no other manner.
The idea Of tie Topekaites, that under the
Kansas abraska act persons we're to te allow
cd TO vote at the balot-box whenever they
thought proper and that those who did not like
the territorial government might make rebel
lion against it for themselves, is perfect free
dom" that was discovered 10y the enemies Of the
bill; not by its friends To this day none Of
the friends Of the measure, none ofits legitimate
expounders, have ever held any such "periect
freedom" as that. That i perfect freedom"
claimed by its enemies. They could not get
theI views endorsed here nor in the other
house. nor before the courts nor before the peo-
pie; and they have attempted to Strangle great
measure, TO which they arc opposed, by inter-
probation. The question is plain one. The
law as written is easily interpreted. Who are
'the people?" and how do they speak? We
know of no people in this country except those
recognized as such by law. In the formation OF
thus government, believe Connecticut and Mas
Sachusetts were recognised as republican States,
but they put limitations on the right of suffrage;
they excluded men from voting if they were not
reemen Of town. My own State excluded
some because Of their color, and so did many OF
the on-slave holding States. Rhode Island
and Virginia excluded men because they did not
own land. North Carolina excluded them for
some purpose because they did not have land,
and granted the franchise to the lack -landers
for ether purposes. She divided it between
land d-holders and lack landers. Other States
excluded from the right Of suffrage those who
would not perform military duty. 1t was con-
ceded that it it was for the governing power to
determine those who should share at the ballot
box in its exercise; and when they have spoken
this government, has never inquired into its
righttulneSs orits republicanism.
Sir, this government never could have been
formed on moGern wisdom. 1t was formed on a
very simple plan by those who met in 1887, at
Philadelphia. They found those various pro-
visions as to the qualifications Of voters in tho
thirteenth sovereignties which met there to
make constitution. Massachusetts might
have wanted her own rule, Rhode Island hers;
Virginia hers. My own State was more lber-
al in her franchise. SHE had but one distinc-
ton. She gave political power to every man
that bore on his face white skin. We chose to
make that test. | know some gentlemen
think it Is unjust but we do not. When we
came into the Union the same test was made
by two-thirds Of the States, that the voters
should be white. Some inserted and addition
al clause against the universal right OF suffrage
even by white men by which thousands and
tens Of thousands OF men who fought for the
liberties Of the country, as we say in ordinary
parlance, lived and diel excluded from the right
Of ever dcpositing single lallot in the ballot
hox, or once casting vo,e at the hustings.-
| The trainers of the constitution said I'VE vii
not fix any rule; it is local question:; il is one
! we cannot control; it is impossible for US to set
tie IL; we viii leave it to the States and there
fore we will say that whoever is entitled under
State laws to vote for members Of the most nu-
merous branch ofthe legislature in any one State
shall be entitled to vote for members of Con
gress That was q simple solution. The con.
vention did not say to Virginia you must in
cIude black people; it did not say to Massa-
chusettS, YOU must exclude blacks; it did not
say to Virginia, You must let in the black
landers; but it said to each State, determine for
yourselves what portion Of your community il
is safe to intr,iSt with pot cal power and NC
will take your rule and whoever your laws en-
franchise for the most numerous branch OF your
legislature saal stand enfranchs,d for the Of
ficcas of this government. That was the sim
PIE RUE.
When speak Of the people Of Kansas,
speak ofthe people whom the law has declared
are entitled to yote; who vote because the law
gives the right AS for inherent sovereignty ]
know it not; it is an absurdty; it Is not an idea
Of government; it is not an idea ofliberty. 1t
does not exist in nature 1t exists nowhere
but in the fancy or brains Of some politicians
who want to work themselves out ofa dilemma
| by manufacturing a term. God gives nobody
the right to vote; nature gives nohody the
right to vote. Ten men necessarily have nc
natural right, and no Divine right that know
Of, to govern nine. 1t is question OF con7cn
tion,
! Mr.. WADE. The people Of Missouri seem
to have that "Divine right"
Mr.. TO0MBS. Ifthey make any such claim
it isa had claim. They may, like others set uT
bad claim but do not think they claim any
such thing in this cause. lam putting the qnes.
ton on the great fundamental principles that
will live through all time and all ages. Missouri
may violate them Ohio may violate them but
they will live as long as liberty is preserved
Those whom the constitution and the laws have
eniranchSad are the people meant in legal sense
the only people anybody any possibility could
mean in this act You did not mean women
you did not mean children, you did not near
IDIOTS. Whom did you mean? The people mn
der the government you were making. Yor
made government, and declared in the act Gre
atins it who should DO enfranchised. and how
other people should be afterwards enfrancliised
| Isay now it did not necessarily happen, anC
perhaps 1t was impossible that it could happer
in single one ofthe thirteen original States o
| the Unicn, that its constitution was ever adopt
cd b. majority Of its people, in fact or by con
sent because most Of them were adopted b,
conventions, and they were divided into districts
for the purpose of electng delegates to the con
ventions. Population is the usual rule for sucl
diyiions. In our section Of the country VIZ
usrslly take the federal population, including
whites and blacks, according to the proportions
recognised IN tho federal constitution. You
take numbers but you do not by any means de-
termine how many OF them are voters. think
probably Kansas comes nearer to proposing an
absolute naked rule OF governing by numbers
than any community have ever known. The
Lecompton constitution was based more noarly
on that idea than any which has ever coma un.
der my observation. They obliterated all coun,
| ty lines, took CENSUS, and said, we win have
sixty members in the convention; we will take
the whole population aud divide il by sixty, and
give the sanle proportion all over the Territory
| say that is more nearly according to mere
numbers than, any instance hare known.
When we proclaimed that tho people should
be FREQ to form their Institutions, we declared
who were the people who had the right Il
mako institutions. They are made niour coun-
try, BY representation, Weproside 4 govern.