The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1860-09-12
Who is Responsible for Negro sufragee

Attst > --.-rt} - - - ~ - 2 t-l7-AA-
There is disgust in Logan county, uni
versal and -"irrspressible.' at the enfran.
chisement of the negro as voter aad an
office-holder. Nine-tenths of all the peo-
pie, Without respect to party, are incensed
toa degree that we have never before wit
messed: On every hand we are asked
who IS responsible! Every man we meet
asks which of the parties made voters and
of1ice-holders of the mulattoes of Ohio?
For, strange to say, some Of the meanest
and silliest Of the Republican papers deny
the, responsibility. "a 8, eorgsff .a z,Hf.
| To all inquiries, we answer: The Re-,
lpublicans are responsible. wholly and ex-
1clusively, for this great insult to the dig
nifty. and injury: to the rights Of the white
men of Ohio.
No other party, directly or indirectly,
in whole or in part, shares the responsible
| ity with them The Republicans, o and
only they, are responsible for this great
wrong.
A decayed clique, through the dilapi-
dated columns of a, 'tgin eout'' newspa-
| per, published not thousand miles from
| Beltefontaine, has made denial of this ac-
cusation Let us examine the matter:
The old Constitution of Ohio ordain-
ed that all free achite male inhabstants,
should have the right to vote.
What. is an ..inhabitant?n A man is
an inhabitant of q house, and mouse is
an inhabltant of hole The word ''in-
habitant" does not even "cannote" a. raa
tional being. A. literal construction Of
/ that clauseQof the old Constitution would
have made votero of white horsel
1t is not strange, then, cat a.time when
there were few mulaitoes in Ohio; when
the "nigger" had no place in politics,
/ and was little. thought about or cared
about, that the Supreme Court of Ohio,
| in case Of particular hardship, held, that
o mulatto, if more white than black, should
be esteemed white man. heoA q siis}
But the neaO Constitution defines the
qualification of an electo-. with degree
I of precision the most exact which our
language. would allow. None but fool
would say the "clause is ambiguous :
None but falsifer, and silly falsiier a,
that, would say that "the language Of the
old Constitution was adopted without
change or modification in the new.ar;eps
The new Constitution confers the righ
to vote on .free srhite male citizens of til.
United States" 1t was the Republican
party, through the Republican .Suprem'
;, Court of Ohio, which made the FIRsl
b construction of that clause Of the Con
F sti,ution. They had no precedent in tht
4 Ohio, cases, one, way or the othe.; an(
they keld-Judge Gholson giving the de
cision-that mulatto is free whit,
male citizen of the United States TheJ
!, had'no "authorityndfo for what they did
{ They had 70 precedent in all tie books
n No Court, in Ohio or elsewhere, had eve
!. held that mulatto~ was "free white
male citizen Of f7lhe United States " ~
I 1t was ths Republican Supreme Cour
| of Ohio which first perverted the Consti
j tuition; which first outraged common
) sense; which first irsulted the who'll
white population of Ohio by the solemn
judicial decision that there was no differ
$ ence between a free white malescitizen Q
the United States, and mulatto! Tha
. a free white male citizen of the Unite,
i States was o mulatto! and that mulatt
8 Twas free white male citizen of fgthe Uni
f tied States! That both were equal as vo
e tiers, and equal in their right to hol
/ tIoficelgy fg{, basa5o7,li a4aa aga8 ~
= Who is a "citizen of the United States
= had been defined by authority highe
t than the dictionary. The Supreme Coul
2 hof the United States,y aftera careful RI
k view of the whole history of the Gonst
0 tuition, and of Legislation under it, ha
o held that persons of the African race, al
a NOT "citizens of the United States" an
IS that no possible proceeding Of any Stat
II in the Union, can confer this dignit
upon them. % nid gaidogoq8 sol ,a1as!e
II Hence we say, and we defy contradi
d tion-that, it was a Republican Con
j. which gave the FIRST construction ev,
sg made of that clause Of our State Const
= tuition Which prcscribes the quali6catio
81 OF electors;A 10 :i5a 8 ri sssp sogifNEi cd
That it was a Republican Court, az
- no other Court, at any precedent tim
ii which held that a mulatto was free whi
n male citizen of tthe United States, ar
t eligibleto vote and hold Office in Obi
N And that when, this, Republican Cou
IN made, this Republican decision, it did 8
d not only withou: authority, but in dire
le aud wilful conflict with the decision
s. the highest tribunal known to our laws.-
5. Logan Gazette.
ir THE GREAT ELEvAToR-A Southe
In gentleman at ashotel in Ohio, the 9th
!: day, gave a negro waiter dollar, whi
or the darkey thus acknowledged: isss7g,
=. n h,oLsa s1ssnacsags4l Sonthor ru y no ~, m