Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-06-17
mssi. sop,.. s~.,s

descent, and allows 10 eash State ths right
70 give qualified State citlsgnIhiR that Reh
dlscrim,nationn as THAI which szists n Ne
consultation Of New York can be maln4nInea
II the opinion Of Chief Jpstioe fancy ~ The
decision on the point presented, and not >
dlotum only, u 10 prosumed that. with The
feellngs now prevalent u would b ovorfuled
on the Rrgt occasion, II u has not alrSndy
been. I have, therefore, assumed that Ne
groos and mnlattoss are eitisona. and they
have also been 30 recognized BY the executive
and Legislative departments q he 0ovcrn-
Inent Of tho United States
"Tho same Arguments, however, which
have sflectually In this State maintained The
disifanchisement Of nAturaiined citlsens, may
prevail In those cases In which tho Btate CON
stitutlon makes the disovimlnntion against
eolorsd persons, a. long a. those STATE con
stitutions romaln In force. To oannidor how
| fat tho validity q thoao consultations. In
general, Il affected By rscsnt events, would
LEAD 20 discussion beyond my present
| limits. II Il evident that u any argument
As 10 tho Rhode Island constitution, In It,
discrimination between native and natural.
lied citirens, DO correct, the new stafHs Of
the colored man would abrogate, whereverh
exists, the provisions Of the state oonstitu
tions excluding him from tho same political
privileges as arc enjoyed by other eltirsns.
"But there e another point In connection
with this subject, for which I contended when
proposition was made hero somo years ago
for a constitutional conventlon. I mean the
right Of every member OF The community 70
participate IN the formation Of the organic
law, and which IL the grand prinoiplo on
which all our Institutions rost. You may
place what restrictions you please, not In
compatible with tho Federal Constitution,
on the future right Of suffrage, but the State
constitution must originate with and DO as
sented to by a majority Of all the people, IN
oluding as we'll those whom u disffnnchises
as those with whom II invests the suffrage
Such was tho course, you will recollect, as 10
the pisbiscite, on which the title OF Napoleon
III rosts, rs we'll a. In the case Of the annex.
alton Of the States Of Italy 10 the govern
ment Of Victor Emmanuel.
ut may also not bo uninstructivo 20 no
ticc that the same principle was recognized,
on two occasions, In the State Of New York;
| and tho present constitution, ~ vol - the
previous ono, was made by oonventlOn
elected by universal suffrage, aud without
regard TO the qualification required for voting
. by tho thon existing constitutions. Tho fAet
, believe, Il the Ramo In reference 20 th'
4 constitutional conventions Of othsr States
+. Il seems TO mo that a. 10 tho oolored people
/ at tho South taking part In tho conyention
} which may DO called TO form or modify on
, isting constitutions, tho sole question 10, ar'
they citizens Of the United Btaiosi IL 90
! thoir right is perfect
1 "By.lho.by, tho term oltiIen, In the sense j
Z which We employed II is unknown 10 Kngilsl
/ law, and Attorney General Cushing. squaii
/, | with Attorney General Bates, was unable \
. give o satisfactory dehnl,ion Of what was mean
y by q citizen Of The United States. We must
I thorsiore. look elsewhere for u. In the con
d stitutional Governments Of Europe voter an
n cltlsen arc equivalent, Tho right Of CD
Il Eensh'p, (drosi de cite, y says tho Dutch pull
b lieist fhorbccke, ~ tho right Of voting ]
W tho government Of tho local provincial Q
y national community Of which one 70 . mon
70 bcr'
=. uIt was, a. you well remember, the al
m abilities 70 which the free eolorod people wei
On subjected In tho froo States which Induce
II ChRncollor Kent, In his Commentaries,
Ia n deny TO them tho title Of Uitlsona,' and ,
10 distinguish Thorn NJ native snbieotA' II
VI q soloclsm TO call those citiHena who are pc
la Potually disabled from aspiring 10 the electi,
n. franchise and declaring person oltiEs
10 logically carries with u all the attributes q
tAched to that ehaTnotor, ID. .....s.
i. ~ have written tho preceding o1kapio en-
Q. renis, but though my Language has not boS
10 studied, the Vows are the result Of deep .
he aoction. l am, you're truly,
10 .... "w, b, LAwRnSon."