The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-09-10

night before the Republican Club of Law
rencs, Hon. T. P. STANTON, gave his rea-
sons for supporting the Wyandott COnsti-
tuition. The western boundary did not
suit him, as it cut OF the gold region, thus
the State Of the benefit of school
lands in the mining region, which prob
ably would have added greatly to the !
amount Of the school fund. He also OBJ
jscted TO the apportionmsnt, as unfair,
giving the Republicans the advantage in
the first Legislature. He did not know
the basis of the Wyandott apportionment,
but he knew that the appor,ionment of
the Lscompton Constitution was based on
notorious frauds, hence the two ought not
to be mentioned the same day. The Le-
compton apportionment was based on
false returns, but did not group counties
in the gerrymandsring style of the Wyan-
dott Constitution. While the Repubii-
cans combined counties in one district
with the svowed purpose of overbalancing
Democratic majorities, the Border Rufians
did not attach strong Republican counties
to the border counties, with the purpose
of overbalancing the Republican vote by
Missouri importations.
Mr.. Stanton, without knowing the ba
sis of the Wyandott apportionment, steps
forward as its apologist. Based. as it is,
on the statements of members of the Con-
vention, instead of on legal census, there
is 10 proof whatever of its flirness. But,
if it had been fair, so far as the populs-
ton of the various counties is concerned,
the partisan grouping of counties is an OBJ
jectional feature as damning as the Bor-
der Ruffian frauds-a feature less justifa-
BILE because perpetrated by the very men
who denounced those frauds and that ap-
portionmsnt SO loudly.
"The Governor" says the Lawrence
Republican, "went into an elaborate dis
cussion of that (sufrage) article of the
Constitution, showing mos: conclusiyely
that under its provisions, no negro could
be allowed b vote" If Mr.. Stanton used
the word negro in the sense of including
only full blooded Africans, he is correct
but if he includes mulattoes in that clas.
sifcation, he is incorrect The 4th sec.
ton of the suffrage clause provides thai
"The Legislature shall pass such laws al
may be necessary for ascertaining BY
proper proofs, the citizens who shall b
entitled to theright of suffrage hereby es
tablished." In view of this clause, tn,
Palermo Leader, Republican paper, con
tends that the Legislature may confer tn,
right of suffrage on half or qiarter-blood
by defining the term "white" to includ
all persons who have one-half or three
! quarters white blood. While the Consti
tuition does not confer the right of suf
frage on negroes, pure and unmixed,
does leave loop-hole open, which MI
Thacher, as Legislator, and Mr.. Phillips
as judge, may take advantage of to con
fer the right of suffrage on mulattoes.
In the opinion of Mr.. Stanton, the righ
/ of suffrage is not conferred upon woman
but merely the enjoyment of equal privi
, leges in tho schools themselves. He mex
/ touched upon the privileges of colore
, children in common schools, and wa
guilty of the same sort of special pleadin
, in explanation of the Constitution whic'
| he took exception to on the part of NJ
Johnston The colored children, he said
. would be entitled to an equal share in tn
school fund with white children but tn
t Legislature "would conform to the unmis
taxable sentiments of the community
and provide separate schools for whit
5 and colored children" This would be i
palpable violation of the Constitution
which requires uniform system of com
; mon Schools" not one system for colore
! children, and another for white children
} Such is the legitimate construction of tn
Constitution, which will be given by
Republican Supreme Court. Grant NJ
, Stanton's position to be correct, it virtual
, ly debars large portion of such childre
r from school privileges for few neighbol
hoods will contain a sufficient colore
} population to maintain school, on th
, Equitable proportion" of the school fun
a which would fall to the lot of the colore
children. Still farther, if the Legislator,
t without any constitutional warrant, ma
4 pander TO prejudice, and turn the Africa
{ race out of the public schools, what gual
? anty is there that they may not draw dis
, tinctions in reference to ether races, an
4 build little school-pens for the Irish an
t Dutch races, 10 humor the whim c
r "Know Nothings," or class the Bible
5 hating Catholics on one side, and th
5 white Protestants on the other side of tn
State nursery for colored children?
the State is under obligation to educat
the colored youth, is it not a State dut
TO provide for them schools of highe
{ grade, embracing normal, preparatory, col
legiate and university departments
Nothing is palmer than the conclnsio
that, under the Wyandott Constitution
the colored children stand on the sam
level with the children of Mr.. Stanton
and can claim and enforce their right {
attend the same schools with his children
and enjoy equal privileges with them.
Mr.. Stanton supported the Constitution
because he believed the time had no,
, ] r. a r.