The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-08-12

WHO SHALL NOT Re ABLE TO READ THE
CONSTITUTION IN THE ESGLIsH Ian
nIIAGE AND WRITE His OWN n ME.

WHO SHALL NOT BE ABLE TO READ THE
CONSTITUTION IN THE ESGLIsH Ian
GUACE. AND WRITE His OWN NAME: Do
r,ded. h@rerT. that the provisions Of III,
amendment shall not apply 20 any person pre-.
vented bys physical disability iron comply.
ing with its requisition. nor to any person Who
nov has the right 10 vote, nor 10 any person
who shall be sixty years Of age or up wards at the
time this amendment shall take effect. -
AT. 20, Amsndis. 10 Mass. Cons, sdopfsd 1857.
Tie amendment shows on its face what
was its object. While it was directed gen.
orally against foreigners, as q class, it was
specially directed against the German Dor.
ton Of that population. The foreign born
citizen was not merely required to read and
write. but he must b. able to read and write
III the E"gii'h language requirement
with which large proportion Of even the
best informed OF the German, Swedish, and
Norwegian classes could not comply. This
provision excluded from the right Of sui.
frage, thousands Of as honest, industrious
wealthy and IN their own language, as well
informed, men as lived in the State Of Ma.sa-
chue,ts. But this prescription did not sat
idy the bigo,ed demands Of the Black Reput-
lican- X nowN othings. The foreigner mus,
be still further insulted, and degraded still
lower So, flushed with the success which
attended their first foray against HE rights,
the same party in the sessions of 1853 and
1859, brought forward and passed by the
same majorities, and against the same Dem.
ocratic opposition, the following amend
ment, which We have before published, and
with the history, spirit aud object Of which,
our readers are already familiar:
NO PERSON OF FOREIGN BIRTH shall be
ENTITLED TO VOTE, or shall be ELIGIBLE
10 OFFICE, unless he shall have resided with.
IN the Jurisdiction Of the United States FOR
TWO YEARS SUBSEQUENT TO HIS NATU.
kALlIATlON, and shall be otherwise qualified.
according TO the constitution aud laws of this
Commonwealth; Proceeded, That this amend
ment shall not affect the rights which any DER
son OF Foreign birth possessed At the time of the
adoption thereof; and, pyocidsd further, that IL
shall not Affect the rights Of any child OF citi.
zen oil The United states, born during the tenn.
porary absence Of the parent therefrom ART.
~ -dme"df' 10 Mass. Consf., adopted 1859.
We have thus given lair and impartial
account Of the character of the legislation
OF the States of South Carolina and Mas
sachuset,s. upon the question Of the right of
suffrage. We are quite willing, without
further comment, TO leave the legitimate
differences from the facts presented, TO be
drawn by those whose rights are most in.
volved in the success Of liberal, Democratic
doctrines, and in the defeat OF illiberal, pro-
scrip,ivc, Black RepubIcan- X now n othng
bigotry. We will merely add, that, in re-
viewing the legislation of Massachusetts,, it
must be remembered that that State is now,
and has been since 1855, the head and EN-.
bodlment Of the Black Republicanism of
the country while South Carolina Was never
claimed as Democratic State by the Dem
ocratc party, nor have its politicians ever
acknowledged allegiance to, or been gov
crncd by, either its principles or its policy.