The Placer herald., 1863-09-05
The Negro Suffrage Question.

lnere IS OUT one loyal league paper IN
the State, so far as we have observ cd, that
affects to deny the fact, so often charged by
US, and other Democratic journals, that it is
the purpose Of the Republican leaders, under
the sanction Of The Grand Council Of Loyal
Leagues, Of which Mr.. Postmaster Parker,
Of San Francisco, is President, to recognize
the adult male negroes of the State as
citizens entitled to the right of suffrage,
and to protect them in the exercise Of that
right wherever they have sufficient numerical
strength or military power to overcome the
white men who may object to the outrage.
The great body Of the Republican people do
not now credit this for the reason, as they
allege, that the leaders Of their party will
not attempt so paIp pable and tlagrant a
violation Of the Constitution and laws of
California, by which negroes are expressly
disfranchsedd. Those who thus argue over
look the fact that one Of the fundamental
articles of Republican faith is. that the
Constitution and laws Of State may be
legally set aside at any time by an act Of
Congress, or BY a military or civil order Of
the National Executive, and that the Gov
ernment-that is, the Administration-ha
formally declared that negroes are citizens
Of the United States, and as such, entitled
to all the personal and political rights that
are or may be enjoyed by any other class of
citizens whatever This decision OF the
Government being, according to the princ'
Piles Of Republicanism, the supreme law Of
the land from which appeal cannot be taken
to subordinate authority, it follows that, in
their view, there is no violation Of the Con-
stitution in granting the elective franchise to
class Of persons from whom that franchise
is withheld by that instrument. If the
premises be admitted-and no Republican,
whether for or against negro suffrage, will
deny them-that when the Executive will
comes in conflict with the Constitution of
State the Constitution becomes void, the
conclusion is inevitable that that portion of
our Fundamental law which imposes civil
disabilities upon the negro race is rendered
null and void since the Supreme Government
the Executive-has decided that the pro-
scribed race are citizens of the United States
in the fullest sense Of the term. If this be
true-and the conclusion must be true if
the premises are-then the negro residents
of California are TO all ntents and purposes
citizens duly nvestad with all the legal and
political rights held by native born and
naturalized white men, and the Consitu
tiona and statutory laws denying them
those rights are nugatory, dead, of no force
whatever.
The Republican argument may be sum
mariy stated The Federal Government is
supreme; the Administration is the Govern
men,; the Administration has declared that
| oiti1anc. tbot 1o,l l,rot;Np ka;n,
supreme law as to the status Of the negro,
all Constitutions and laws Of States or
municipalities conflicting with the Supreme
law are null and vol /; the Constitution and
laws of California, 80 far as they touch the
status of the negro, being in conflict with
the Supreme law, and hence null, cannot
longer deprive the negro of the elective
franchise or any other right enjoyed by a
citizen; in admitting the negro to equal civil
rights with white men, no Constitutional or
statutory provision is violated; the negro
must be admitted to the full exercise OF the
rights declared by the Supreme law to be
bis, or else he must be deprived of them
wrongfuly and by mere force.
This is logical conclusion from which
there is no possible escape except by re-
Puu'aVio" VI tue Pre'nIses iToun WHICH tne
conclusion springs. One of the two things
must be true: The negro is lawfully dsfran-
chised by the Constitution Of California; or
else he is lawfully enfranchised by the
decision Of the Administration. No man
can, without stultifyug himself, deny the
civil and legal equality Of the black with
the white man, and at the same time support
party whose primary principle admits, and
whose policy compels that equality. The
Republican theory must be repudated, or
the legal, civil, political equality Of the
negro with the white man must be submitted
to and endorsed. Cdlaveras Timee.
Senator Harris, of New York, elected as a
Republican, but eschewing Abolitionsm, ex-
pressed right views conserving the conscript
bill while it was pending in the Senate. He
said:
England with her many wars and often
scarcity of men, never resorted to this des-
potic measure. 1t was mode Of raising
armies only used by despo;s, but never by
republican governments, and the principle,
if adopted, would provide large standing
armies, which almost lead to despotism. Is
government of delegated power, and
which rested upon the consent of the gov
erned, it was nexpedient and unnecessary.
CopOrocc hoe MT Tho nowar undar tha