Washington telegraph., 1862-08-20
The Confederate Constitution-No. 2

\ yond question, the doctrine of State SOY
ereignty, such changes arc made through
cut the body of the old constitution as
are necessary TO brush away every doubt
on that point, which might, possibly, arise
10 the construction Of any clause.
For instance, the old constitution de-
clares that call legislative powers herein
granted shall be vested in 4 Congress Of
the United States, which shall consis. III
q Senate and House Of representatives.. !"
Always remembering that wherever az nj
ted States is used confederate States"
is substituted, we have adopted this clause,
with the SIM lc change Of she word
"granted" into delegated"
From the obvious import of the word.
we understand that whatever is granted
becomes me right IF the grantee, and
passes beyond the control Of the grantor
At least such construction is plausible,
and may give rise to much scussion Tie
word delegated" is free Of obscuritv.-
II implies an agency, add also the power
Of revocation On the part Of tile delsga-
ting power. In this simple word Tie
whole right of Secession is asserted 10 a.
I fullest extent. Hence the change.
House OF REPRESENTATIVES, Under
the old constitution any one was qualified
aud entitled to vo'e for a member OF IN.
House of Representatives, who was COM
\ petent in lii own State to vote fir mru-
bers Of the most numerous branch of
the legislature Of his State. This pro-
duced crying evil. Although Congress
alone, could provide for uniform laws If
naturalization, and afix the character nf
citizenship NJ ne Eaitci States; there
was no prohibition upon the States, PIE
venting them in Stite elections. fr0m cX r
tending tie elective franchise ID persons
WHO were nol citizens. Consequently lv
\ allowing free negroes and unnlturlIiz 4
+ foreigners to vote at home il State cl,c
lions, they might throw the iuhlencs ID
\ chat vote into national councils By cz-
press terms of the VI. = constitution: tle
same qualifications only were requisite IL
en;itle those classes to vote for Reprs-c' =
tativcs in Congress. This power wa. a.
crcised BY several States. especially 10 TIE
North West, where, the citizen popul,
ton was scarce, and the foreign and uu.
naturalized element numerous and power
full. IL happened that members from IL,
South, elected BY free white citizens W
the United States, found themselves hu-
INFLATED, and their influence neulralizcd.
by sitting On equal terms with member,
elected. perhaps, hy tho prcp0ndcratIne
influence % foreigners and negroes III
their respective districts. On the othci
hand, il WIS important TO the States that
the General Government should not b.
allowed, M ID option, To extend tile priv
ilcgc Of voting for members of Congrr>,
to classes excluded from the elective frau
chise by any particular States in their q
nestle government. Our constitution
therefore, not only retains the provision
that electors for the House of Reprcsen-
tatives 'shall have the qualifications
requisite for the electors of the most nu-
mcrouS branch of the State Legislature
but also, provides 10 addition, that they
shall be ''citizens Of the Confederate
States" This excludes unnafuralized
residents, and also free negroes from 70
ting for Congress 10 any State
In view, perhaps, Of the danger TO arise
from the introduction of iuhirmonious
elements in the Legislation cf the differ
ent States; which might directly a feet
the Confederate Congress in the election
of Senators, and indirectly in many other
ways; our constitution goes step further
\ in this matter, and introduces restric-
ton upon the rights of the States not inn
posed by the old constitution Tie same
clause of the Confederate Constitution
provides that ono person Of Foreign birth,
not citizen of the Confederate States
| that is to say, not having been natural
lied under the laws of Congress } shall
be allowed to vote for any officer, civil,
\ Or political State or Federdt"
We acknowledge ourselves at loss
here to conjecture the reason why this re-
striction on the rightvof any State to ex-
tend the elective franchise at pleasure 10
State elections, wasconfned to persons 81
foreign birth. AS it now stands, any
State may still admit native born free ne
| groes to vote in State elections. although,
by the Confederate Constitution, they
wonld not, Of course, be competent to vote
for members of Congress. Unless we
mistake the construction which the claus.
IS demand. our cons titution might well
be amended by striking oct the words .'oi
foreign birth" in the clause last cited, SO