M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-04-05

% - NOtCIs
Parties on The Rtcord--Houss Joint Resolu-
lion Intr0ducsd by Mr.. Pdrr-Rsport
Thereon, and The Vote of the House.
JOINT RESOLUTION NO. Al.
WHEREAs, AS it appears that the
Supreme Court of the State Of Ohio
has unanimously decided that every
male person Of the State Of Ohio, Of
the age of tweuty.one years, having
more white than black blood, is an
elector Of said State, and thereby is
eligible TO Office and to sit on iuries;
therstSs. 8 -
Bee rfsoIxd By the General As.
senlbiy of the SfatA Aaf 0hseS thFee
tlfths Of the members elected to each
house eOncurring therein, That it be
and hereby is proposed to the electors
OF this State to vote, on the second
Tuesday of October, 1851, upon the
approval or rejection of the following
amendment as a substitute for section
one Of article five of that instrument,
viz:
Section I. Every white male citi.
zen of the United States, OF the age of
twenty.one years. who shall have
been Q resident Of the State one year
next preceding the election, and of
the county, township, or ward in
which he resides, such terms as may
be provided by law, shall have the
qualification Of an elector, and be en-.
titled to vote at al elections; provided,
that every person having a visible
and distinct admixture of African
blood shall not have the privilege Of
an elector, or hold Office, or sit on ju.
ries.
The foregoing resolutions we-e refer
rcd 10 select committee Of thee-
Me,srs. Hutchinson, Harlan and Pirr,
a n9urity Of whom (Messrs. HlAche.
son aud fSa) pade the fOllow!Iiy re.
port: S,A
The undersigned6f the Select Com.
mittee to whom was referred House
JOINT Resolution No. AT, have had
tho same under consideration, and
now beg leave to submitthe following:
REPORT.
1t has become apparent that there is
not only diversity of npiutn,amonta
the people of Ohio as to the true
meaning of Sec, 1, Article 5, of the
Constitution Of Ohio in regard to the
Qualification Of electors, hut also as to
the propriety Of extending the right
OF suffrage and the rights Of citizen.
ship generally to the negroes and
persons Of Il visible admixture of AZ
rican blood in this State. 1t is equal.
ly apparent that justice, as well as
good policy, require that this question
should be clearly and definitely deter
mined, one way or the other. And
this determination Of the question,
when made, ought to be expressed, as
the sovereign will OF the people, in the
organic law OF the State. Ii it is the
will OF a majority of the people of
Ohio that the negro and his descen.
dants should be entitled to the rights
OF citizenship, it is unfair and unjust
to compel that class of persons to re.
sort to TIC Courts in order to establish
their rig hts by judicial Interpretation.
II such is not the will of the people,
that will ought to be so clearly and
definitely expressed that there could
be no room for misapprehension, and
no uncertain ground left for the
Courts to interpolate into the Consti-
tuition anything else as the will Of the
people.
The phraSeology employed in the
old Constitution OF the State, to define
an elector, was "lohite male inhabi-
tant Of the State over twenty-one
years ofage." With nothing save the
force of language itself to indicate the
meaning aud intent ofthe clause above
referred to, the question OF, construc.
tion got into the Supreme Court of the
State, which gravely decided that
"black" ant"white," ,"ifit happened
to fall below the Ethiopian degree;
and the righ. of suffrage was accord
ingly conferred on all persons Of not
more than one-haF African blood
Now, q man is either white, or he is
not; he is either OF the Caucasian
race, or he is not. Color and race, as
applied to men, are convertible terms.
There may be degrees of consanguin-
ity, but there can be no degree OF col.
or, or of race, as applied to mankind.
Ii different races mix, the offspring do
not purely belong to either race; but
as the tendency of amalgamation is
always downward, the offspring are
classed with the inferior
race.
A distinguished professor at no.
torious seat of learning in Ohio, has
scientifically accounted for the "color"
Of the negro, by the discovery of"a de.
posit Of q kind Of coloring matter be-
tween the inner and outer coats Of the
skin, which gives him dark COM
plexion.n II. therefore, a person is