The Portland daily press., 1865-07-14

al inl&bitfnts OF this colony of full age
VITO are W 18th nifty pounds proclamation money
clearast3te in the same, and have resided with
in the county in which they claim to vote for
twelve months immediately preceding the cleo
ton, shall be entitled toyote for Representatives
in Council and Assembly, and also for all other
public officers that shall be elected by the peo-
pie OF the county at large"
The Constitution. of Pennsylvania provided
that:
every freeman of full age of r% te sn oce
years, having resided in this State "a Jor f H.
Of one whole year next before aid Ia puRl;e taTes
ton for Representatives and pr; s'aos
during that time shall ea3y some rassosdaSs &c
the age of twenty-osnaey not paid taxes ~
vote although they '" - - f t,~N 's'A se
The Constitution OF DelaWare declared
that:
s.rbs right of suffrage in the election of MEM
hers Of both houses shall remain as exercised
by law at present.
The declaration of rights, prefixed to the
Constitution, contained the following: 81 q
Every freeman, having sufficient evidence of
permanent common interest with an attach
ment to the community, hath right of suf-
frage.
The constitution of Maryland provided that:
"All freemen above twenty-one years Of age,
A1NAh5 a 1lCEuOlu VI MY dCIcS VI ld4lu III tuCs
county to which they offer to vote, and residing
therein, and all freemen having property in this
State above the value of thirty pounds current
money, and having resided in the county IN
which they offer to vote one whole year next
preceding the election,9 shall have q right of
suffrage in the election of delegates for such
county"
, The Constitution of Virginia contained a
provision hiatt .slJlaa iaaipq D
"The right Of suffrage in the election of mem
bers for both houses shall remain as exercised at
present" -l--
The declaration of rights, pre6xed to the
constitution, contained the following.
"All men having silfficientevidenee ofperina-
nent common interest with and attachment to
the community, hare the right of suffrage"
The constitution of North Carolina provided
that MYtNM .gNA1I Aa&
Gan freenen Of the age of twenty-one years,
who have been inhabitants of any one county
within the State twelve months Immediately
preceding the day of any election, and shall
avepaid public taxes, shallbe entitled to vote
for members of the House Of Commons for the
county in which they residerfAN
The constitution Of Georgia declared
that
"The electors ofthe members Of both branches
of the General Assembly shall be citizens and
VI LdNe tttttiIl-
ed to the age of twenty years. and have paid
tax for the year preceding the election, and
shall have resided six months within the coun-
ty." ssSeag sas..frs -,ygsa 8 s4assF sfvss,s
The constitution of South Carolina provided
that "a - aorezrI safsw d asassa xaa
@The qualifications Of an elector shall be, ev-
cry free WHITE man, and no other person, who
acknowledges the being of God, and believes
in a future state of rewards and punishlnents.
nd WI n nf
ty years, and hath been an inhabitant and res
ident in this State for the space of one whole
year before the day appointed for the election
he offers to give his vote at, and hath free
hold at least OF htty acres of land or town lot,
and hath been legally seized and possessed of
the same at least six months previous to such
election, or hath paid tax the preceding year
or was taxable the present year, at least six
months previous to the said election in sum
equal to the tax of fifty acres of land to the
support of this government, shall be person
qualified to vote for, and shall be capable of
electing, q representative or Representatives.
Who believes that but for slavery, the re-
striction upon the Negroes right to vote would
have extended to states that once permitted
him to exercise that right ?. The odious prop
erty qualifications have generally been remov-
ed in the case of white men, but from the in
vention of the Cotton Gin-when negro plan
tation labor, and Virginia slave breeding be-
came proftable-the power of slavery began
to restrict the political rishts Of che black man.
First property qualification was imposed on
the negro, or left on when removed from the
white man. Then franchise was totally re-
fused by Constitutional amendments. Next,
In the progress of this spirit of persecution,
nd nxro of End hot froa
negroes were denied State asylum This work
was all carried on through the demands ofslaye
breeders, and through the fundamentally of
NotheTn Democrats, who were ever ready to
do the bidding Of Che South. The seed was
thus scattered which finally terminated in
rebellion and civil war-the war which we
have just closed, and which, in its great
catalogue of crimes, eliminated in the assas-
nation of the President Of the United States.
1t will be seen by the above that South Car
Dina alone, at the time our present Oonstitu-
ton was adopted, excluded free men from the
ballot-box on the ground of color, She alone re-
stricted the sacred right Of franchise, to schite
men; and it is curious to note that she alone
the since prolific mother of treason and
traitorsv7ipcorporated a religious test into her
constitution, defining what man should
'beIieUe in order to constitute him voter If
morally as pure as an angel, unless he endorsed
the creed he was excluded from the ballot-box !;
If he would endorse the creed, though his
hands were red with murder, and his heart
full of treason, he was worthy to elect his own
rulers! The lesson is significant one. .,.,
1t is but just that we should acknowledge
oar Indebtedness to the Marysville (Cal) al,-
peal for much Of the material of which the
the foregoing is made up.