The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1859-07-02
ro,.,eusr. :. American women.

Foreigners W. American Women.
The Massachusetts, two years amend
ment has called out an almost universal
condemnation from the American press.
In Kansas, the Republican editors have
disavowed the principle on which it is
based, quite as loudly as have the Demo-
cratic knights of the quill. Both parties
concede 20 the foreigner, so soon as he
has declared his intention to become a
citizen, and has resided in the Territory
three months, the right to vote. They
concede it, rot because he is property
holder, but because it is his natural right.
They deny the propriety of any State
making determinations against foreigners
when they have declared their intention
to become citizens. Our Democratic edi-
tors grow eloquent in regard to the equal
ity of the foreigner, and Republican edi-
tors attempt to show that they are quite
as much in favor of that equality as their
opponents, and even claim that they
"haye been more liberal toward our for
eign population than the Democracy ever
thought of being" that "the policy of the
Kansas Republicans has always been most
liberal in this respect, and always must
continue to be-" The Lecompton Demo
,rat, speaking Of the foreigner as man
who "has evinced his love of our native
land by making a voluntary choice of it
for his future home" says: Certainly,
when such man swears allegiance to our
country, and being member of our race,
having like destiny with ourselves, he
is entitled to enjoy an equality of politi
cal rights with u.s."
The question, then, whether foreigner
shall vote as soon as he gains residence,
they claim should not be dependent on
the consent of the State to which he
comes, but on his own free wili-he is
entitled by nature to an equality of rights.
The right Of suffrage is denied to the ne
gro, because his natural status is declared
to be that of slavery, to which none of the
rights of manhood attach. The natural
status Of the foreigner is the same as our
own, and neither modern Democracy or
Republicanism dares to avow the doctrine
that State has any right to deny him an
equality of civil rights. Even radical
Horace Greeley contends that the Repub-
lican party is committed 'to the MAN.
tenance of the rights of the adopted citi-
zens, as well as those of the naiive-born,
and to perpetual resistance to all pro.
scription based on caste, or creed, or place
of BIRTH"
Such is the position of the large major
ity of the voters of Kansas in regard tc
the right of suffrage. They have, ap.
parently in spirit of magnanimity, re-
quired bu! three months residence tc
entitle native or foreigner to vote, while
the majority of the States require a years
residence. The foreigner has thus pow.
erful inducement held out to him to f1
his choice upon Kansas as his future
home.
Are the liberty loving men of Kansa:
ready to carry out the same principle il
its legitimate application to the womeI
of this Territory? Do they regard native
born American women as entitled to les
consideration than the foreigner ? l
"caste, or creed, or place of BIRTH" canno
be made the basis of the right of suffrage
why should ser? Why should womel
be placed on the same political basis will
the negro, as having no civil rights tn
white man is bound to respect?" If it b
perfectly proper, as the Democracy bold
ly avOw, and the Republicans virtual,
admit, to deny suffrage to negroes, n,
valid plea can be urged in favor of class
ing their wives, and mothers, and sisters
and daughters on level with negroes
, unatics, and idiots" The only plea LEI
for the exclusion of women from the cleo
tive franchise, is that custom or preceden
has never awarded to woman civil equal
ity. Even this fails, for it is historica
fact, that in New jersey, under the frs
= State Constitution, adopted in 1875. tn
privilege of voting was accorded to ga
inhabitants Of this colony, Of full age, VIII
are worth fifty pounds, prociamatio
money, clear estate in the same" an
who had resided twelve months in tn
=. county in which they offered to VOTE l
1870, the act of the Legislature in refer
= ence to elections was so drawn as to reaC
''he or she," when referring to qualife
voters. This remained in force till $780,
during which period women voted, espe
cially in the Presidential contest of l90(
The equality of woman with man wa
Q practically recognized in that State. l
' North Carolina, the first Constitution wa
adopted in l776, and provided "that a
persons possessed of freehold, in az
town in this State, having right to reE
resentation, and also all freemen VIII
have been inhabitants of any such tow
. twelve months next before and at the da
|
: of election, and shall have paid publ
taxes, shall be entitled to vote for mem
Der to represent such town in the Hous
of Commons" &c. Certainly, wome
were included in the first class, thong
whether they exercised the rights thu
guaranteed to them, we have no histor
cal means of knowing.
The Constitution of Delaware of 179:
! gave the right of suffrage to "every tchii
citizen" No distinction of sex.
The Constitution of Georgia, as revise