The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-09-08

WILL THE PEOPLE SAN cTIoN IT ?
Historical Account Of tie Subject from the AdOp'
ton Of the Constitution OF M
Ou;nions of Several Of the Most Distin'
guisted Men Of New York.
Ae,, g"

M ouer,lor Of allowing negroes equal sahr'ee WIN
Nv - q one which has causei considerable con-
1870 n this state. II Is periodically prcsEed upon
g. ,,,aturc ard uniformly upon the CONVERSIONS held
:, spd the constitution. Although has been decided
ard over again. and the deleged representatives Oh
,se peops a well as the pecYo Themselves, have de-
,fberate passed Judgment ureu the msttsr. stu the
sts are Eot content and will not submit 70 the
voice q the people and Su forcing an alteration Oh
te STATE construction 10 h<s all negroes, ndscrsnatey
nav pcssess ecua suffrage with the white pecpss Of tins
sxte il IA admitted TACT that Of the political
parties amongst IL ready to enorace wh7 its foids
svsry Actsc1 and ism II has for years held out induce
nsnts Ill combinsions and - partial saceess IN TINS
aSs n owing the fact Of having been ready ana Wiling
% mako the most solemn promises to further the osuse
md contribute to the interest O. any and Gil factions wien
nave arisen or may arise TIE Legislatures OF ioe7-s
,a..a resolutions in accordance with the provisions
q the consttuor amending that instrument so Is ogve
.u., susrsre to the negroec Of this stet Tho party in
rover had agreed that negroes chord have that pr
village or course as the people could rsy the
vroposed amendments Of the constitution, tEr liberal
Marty was to receive t benefit OF any Thousand black
votes The resolutions thus adcFtcd were sons TO the
exeu,ive chamber nss,ad of being delivered 10 the Sc
cretary Of State. ne negroes, not sus9ectng any
reschery confidently believed That the question would
be submitted to the people at the general election In 1855
hey rested content having assurance thai their whso
brethren would engineer the meter rightly and Justly r
shsm they remained quiet until late n the seasen
whaa not discovering any nc.:e in the public prir's
,uued bv authority that suot question 10 be ~ib
itted 20 the peore they mgds inquiry the Office Of the
Secretary Of state Mr. Heedey, then secretary, cssed
csuse ana diieen search &c made through all tho do
p~rtments OF the Office bet after overhauling al the
ssks cases drawers and pigeon holes in the Office most
deliberately and enectuaiy, no traces OF the miss
ing document could be found, neither had either
q his clerks any recollection that any paper
q the kind had been received from the Legis-
nature Accusations were then freely made against
ne Secretary that had purposey islad srppress
"a tho resolutions because be was well known 70 be de-
csdedy opposed 70 universal black voting TIE disap
pointed negroes joined with their Gympathizng white
brethren "a ringing tic matter through the streets
q the capital, declaring that tho Secretary Of State
Aad suppressed the PAPER which authorized the peo
pie 10 vote upon black suffrage. Indignant any honor
sbIe naturally wocid and ought TO be, be despatched
his chief clerk, company with Of the republican
editors Of Albany 10 tho executive chamber in the Capt.
so for the purpose Of discovering IL possible the missing
document Gov King was present, but did not 10
take much interest in the Affair." He too being opposed
70 universal black voting, was apparently rrconcerned
Boweycr after careful and proiracted search the miss
ing paper discovered snugy deposited IN OF the
pigeon holes Of the executive chamber. The boot was
nsw placed the other foot Instead Of dcnouncng Mr.
Secretary Headey any longer, the negroes and their
especial friends freely apologized for their hasty and
minus, censure OF the secretary. Then Gov King was
s.sailed with equal virulence, disrespcct and venom.
Many Of the leading negroes Of both coors went
70 accuse The leaders Of the republican party Of prsne
sisased intention Of defeating the matter finally
Uncovered that resolutions sent to the executive
chamber by sAmucP. Alien, Clerk Of the senate. An
oxperenced officer, he was IL was readily believed
that be had also dessn in sending them TO the
tive pigeon holes tsey would slumbg unmolcsed
s conduct prevented vote Of the people at ha, time,
Sanse before the papers discovered the time had
er~ed IN which the Secretary Of state directed TO
ue the necessary notice TIE blacks becoming cnraged
opsuy accused Turow Weed with having parposeiy do
nraudei them. Threats were directly made that the
eeyen thoand cOlored votes under the property quail
sos,ou which had uniformly been in body for
pubican candidates. should, therefore, be withheld from
sha, PARTY But before the next election arrived, tho
,erross became oouciisied by pledge from d Nor
s.p men candidate Tor Governor that they would sup
~, Inn Tor The on V The proposed amendment, shord be
rssdcp,ed by the Legislatures, Il republican, during
N. term Of ofoe This pledge togcthcr With the mo1cy
aoonpanying H. satisfactory. Tbs negroes all voted
mr. Morgan, he elected, he kept HIS word like
nssorsble man b. s, the resolutions were rcadortei
~ he TOO LegsAturcs The dcci nen Vas regularly
scost.d IN the osce Of the Secretary Of state and
Ne people are notified legally that the general election
N November electors 10 decide whether they viii
"a uiaie the consultation - 70 give all the runaway
srccs nom The SOUTH their way TO Canada on The
s.rrroupd Railroad the right vote FOR all tho civil co
orr OF this state government
Let . loox INTO The history Of this negro voting ccntro
~ ar~f M ON alnbll shcd
for sud BY The people Of ne sane Of Ne~ York in
sseyesr lI Aconvsn,icn assembled for that purpose
shs village Of Kingston lister county, In the mouth Of
Apr Of tina, year. daring the early part OF
srurre for rdepcndcnoe from Great Britain. Al that
s,e there we're cs or nofsc blacks In ths state They
we're mostly slaves and or course, a. n nos In the
pu,hsrn states they could not expect 70 excrsse the
elective franchise Therefore the trainers cf The lrst
sttou being mostly sisveholders wen their
sttusns Al the time made provision In relation 10
nero voting, not anticipating anything OF the kind.
rbe manner IN which the fret ocnstsutcu originated and
uu adopted % ths'-A Convention of representatives Of
the state q New York asscmNed Inn nedisieiy After ,he
-caratcn take Into consideration the exciting state
az srars nat threw OF The style Of colo
az y ana substituted state government" commit
sss wa APPOINTED prepare the dram q state ccnsii,1
iscn and report Subsequent period The
ssowins dsinxuls shed patriots constituted that mpor
sars csmmitsee, vis,-Joan Brown Charles Dc witt VIII
liam puer John ; Hoesrs, John Jay Robert r. Living
ssnn, couve-ueur Norris John Norm Scott, william
fsith samuel Townsend, Henry wisncr, Abraham YATES
ga Robsr, Yates ne report vm made March, III
rhe dscussion UPON occupied marty moash, when
uas aGoyssd The arss Constitution Of The state Of Ses
yors: and many q me vise~s Of the present day
are IN the fa be that whatever progress the people Of
ms sAie mag have made IN arts, scenc and most other
s,ass~rs which affect them, there "a Improvement In
me coassaon q consultations since The days Of the Re-
violation me members q that conventiou bard
fpssross rnsy determined 70 form slch consultation
N would settle the foundations Il social order and improve
nd smecrsse the condition q pscp'e thcn struggling
!os ,he freedom Of election themselves No party feelings
were enls,ed no selfish rrsudces were stirred W, and
no excsmen, produced against eseh other or any one
cs rhey rccriminaiico snd fully realized tho
@crsdne~ Of ths trus, reprssd m them. matter %
sH.f q