M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1864-02-25


'bars OF Congress, President and Vice.
President, Federal Judges, and al
the army Of Office holders under the
State and National Government. The
power 10 regulate suffrage, to declare
who may vote and who shall not, "i3
bot delegated TO tho Omitted States b.
ihe Constitution, nor prohibited by it
10 the States" !! 10 therefore re
served to the States or the people"
/ There is no such thing aq United
States voters; on the contrary, the
htiote fabric q: the General GoOeru-
9qent is bailt upon State suFRge.
Article I. section 2, Of the Consfitu-
Bon, provides as fpllow0: The
House Of Representatives shall be
composed OF memberS chosen every
gicoud year by the people Of the sev,
efal States, and the electors (v9ters)
bf each State shall havo the qualiti2a,
6pns requisite for electors Of the most
Numerous brnnch Vi no State LeSis-
Mnro."
Ia other words, ell the people ofthe
several States who are qualified by
their State Constitutions and laws TO
xole tor members of the most nnIner.
Ga branch Of their State LesislA!ures,
and no others have a rigttto vote for
rlembers OF the House of R9presen-
q Jes ~ qseltas United S'atea
at eAosen Va Stale Legialaturea,
sbo deriyctheir power from the same
voters. The electors as President and
Vica President also derive their exis
tsnce aud power directly Or Indirectly
from tie samo voters.
Thus il 10, that through the Cxar-
else OF a power preserved 70 the
States or the people," voters quail
fed by the Constitution and laws Of
the several States form the foundation
If our entire system Of Government
He who looks into the Constitution
Of the United States for any grant Of
power, express or implied, authoriz-
| ins Congress or the Executive 10 pT)
scribe qualifications for voters, whe-
ther voting for State officers, members
OF Congress or President hDd Vice
! President, will not tini i. No such
power was given or intended to be
gwen, and u, assumption is q btotO
ati6e Asayt : "a lifs Of coNtitasion1L
liberty.
Now let Us consider the net OF the
President iu connection with these
principles and the state OF things in
Louisiana. The President recognizes
that STATE as 4 State in the Union.
Its Constitution and laws, constituting
its government and regulating the
right OF suffrage, remain intact, not
haviug been abolished or altered by
the rebelliou. They have been 50 far
rescued from rebe grasp that the paO.
pla in Il large portion Of the State
might exercise that right nnintimida.
ted by armed rebels, But they ara
restrained not By tho rebels, but by
the army OF the United States.
The President assumes that the
government OF Louisiana has been
subvcrtod BY the rebellion Of sone ol
her sons, and that, aS a consequence
OF that rebellion, all her sons have lost
their right OF sulirage--an assump-
tion without reason or law. He then
proceeds to grant tho right to sIch OF
them as will take al oath prescribed
by him-we say grant, for however
obscnred by cunning phraseoIogy, it
amorn'S to grant. The essence Of the
TRANSACTION 10 mora clearly expressed
in Tie following words, viz: "Whero.
as, by reason Of the rebellion Of a
portion OF the people of Louisiana, all
the citizens OF said State have lost
their right OF suffrage; now, | Aha-
ham LiBeoln, President OF tho United
States, by virtue of (what y do here
by give, grant and convey to 40 many
Of said citiz9us as shall take the
oath aforesaid, the right TO vote for
State officers, members OF Congress-,
and electors OF President and Vice
President; to have and hold said
right as long as they shall keep said
oath, and no longer" Now, by what
authority is this graut made 2 But
one pretext is icing alleged for it, and
that is scarcely worthy OF notice. It
is that the President has a right to
grant an amnesty. and TO annex con
ditions to that amnesty. We concede
the principle, with the reservation
that the conditions mnst in themselv.
CO be lawful. We admit that whom a
citizen has forfeited life and property
by rebellion, the President may spare
his life BY amnesty, and leave his
property to coniscatiOn. But be can
not accomplish any unlawful purpose
through the conditions ofan amnesty.
BE can not overthrow State institu.
tons through the conditions of an am.
nesty to traitors against the United
States. He can. not, By such condi-