The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1859-08-13
sostA Csroiino and saa.achusrsi,.

IL Was alleged, about Sthc etime that
Massachusetts adopted the Two Years
amendment 70 Ter Const tuition, ,that Che
had only copied from Democratic pre-.
csdcut set by the State d South Caro-.
Iiaa--that State having, in the year 1856,
effected change in her Constitution by
which the right Of suffrage was restricted
t. native citizens or persons who had been
fully uaturs'zed tro years This fact
was instantly denied BY majority ofsthe
Democratic press iu the North. In or.
der to set the questio,sat rest, the editor
u the Ger.aasia, a German pro slavery
sheet issued iueCleveLnd, wrote 70 the
Secretary VI State in South Carolina in
curing whether any such modification of
the elective franchise had been made
in that commonwealth. The fuDctionary,
not being posted on the fundamental law
Of which he was the legal custodian, be-
took to "Miller'y Compilation" Of South
Carolina Ststutes-a work designed We
suppose to assist the Carolina Secretaries
Of State to become familiar with the local
law aud Constitution. But At happened
that "Millers Compilation" did not come
down to 1855 50 the learned Secretary
wrote to the editor Of the Ceymania that
"a foreigner under the present law, SO
9 soon AZ he has taken the oath. Of allesi-
80 ancc aud received his certificate under
+" the seal Of the Clerk Of the Court, is Gu
F" titled to al the privileges Of native
8. born citizen" The letter was ut once
published far and vide, aud the previous
statement was characterized by all good
Democratic as Black Republican lie.
s So far aud wide was it published tina,
it finally fell under the notice Of the
Southern Guardian, Of Columbia, s. c.,
which Journal called the attention Of the
Secretary to the fact that the Two Years
Amendment Has effected in the year
1856 aud enforced in the local elections
Of 1857, himself to the contrary, notwi,h
standing. Mr.. Secretary thereupon over
hauled his documents again aud tished
out the following curiosity FROM the legis-
'at,ve proceedings Of 1856: ....
Be it enacted by the Senate and the
House of Representatives,, now met and
sitting iu Genera! Assembly, and by the
authority OF the sauc, that the aueud-
mcnt Of the fourth section Of the FIRST ar
ticle of the Constitution OF this State, rat
lied on the nineteenth day of December.
in the year Of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and ten, be altered and
amended to read US follows: Every free
white man OF the age of twenty-one years. !
panpcrs and non COM ulIssioned officers
aud private soldiers Of the army of the
United States excepted, who hath been
q citizen and resident ia THIS STATE tus
gears precious to the day IF election, aud |
who hath freehold Of itty acres Of land
or town lot, Of which he hath becu lie. |
gally seized and possessed ut least six !
months before such election, or not hay |
in. such freehold or town lot, hath been |,
a resident in the election district in which !
he Offers to give his vote six months be. !
fore the said election, shall have RICH,
to vote for member or mcmbcrs, to serve |
in either branch Of the Lesislatu re or til. |
election district in which he holds such |
property, or is resident"
The keeper Of the South Caro,iua stat
utes was thus forced TO- plain the error
involved in his letter to the Cleveland
man, which he did by casting the blame
upon "Mi!ier's Compilation" adding as
'urther explanation. that lit is not in.
% eumbent on this Office to expound the
!. law ri the State, '--au announc. meut
NJ icn must have been gratifying to that
portion of tic comn."i!y which has al
ntcrcs, in the laws.
The .Sonthe GuIrdtan. somne,.. ting
iron the amendment, says it mus, - ev-
dent that no perssa can vote who has
lot been Invested with the right. Of ci,i.
ensh'p two years. |, sums up the civil
'rvileges conferred upon foreign born
:it'rens comprehensively thus: Except
$ to rrt@s aud rs to being in tie L+g,sla.
sr and c.tec'st'cs departments and to serr.
"g as jsrors, there is no, a, presen, any
Il trlmination between native born and
aturallzed citizens in South Carolina"