Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-07-20
IGRAID.
r. |
FRIDAY. july IA, 1865,
. mnn.ling LAO Nonstitution.


Coyernment mas 40 right TO prescribe
the qualifications OF voters IN the sew
eral States. He regards that as mat
ter belonging to the states themselves
and III they are members OF the Union,
las he believes them To be) they must
be allowed to exercise the rights that be-
long to them Very many persons as
sumo that, inaSmuCh AS the doctrine of
State Sovereignty, as against the Fed
eral Government has been exploded by
the war. the doctrine of State Rights
has been abrogated also. This is a
great mistake The war has not con-
solidated the National Government in
any such way as to blot out the States,
or impair, ia any degree, those rights
and powers which belong to each State
under the Constitution. There are very
MANY subjects over which State juris-
diction is perfect and complete and it
is just as important as it ever was, that
should be maintained. 1t is only where
State authority comes in contact with,
National authority upon subjects COM
mitted TO the latter by the Constitution,
that the former must give way. Hith-
erto the authority of the State over the
subject of suffrage has been undisputed
The National authority has never
claimed right to change or set aside or
override State laws on this subject.
Thousands of voters in the rebel States
have disqualified themselves from vot-
ing by taking part in the rebellion-and
they can only be restored to the exercise
Of that right by trial and aCquital or by
pardon at the hands of the President.
But in no other way has the President
acquired any right to interfere with the
question of suffrage in the several
States
The proposition which comes from
some quarters, to hold the Southern
States under military rule until they
shall have become converts to our polit-
ical teachings, is preposterous such an
attempt, instead of converting the South
would tend to destroy whatever right
feeling may now exist there; it would
require large army for an indefinite
period; it would, especially, be subver-
sive of our Constitution and democratic
form Ofgoyernment. We have right to
demand and compel obedience to the Con-
stitution and laws of the United States,
but we have no right to go further and
force our political notions upon the
South at the point of the bayonet. Mil
itary government in time of peace, is
out of place and fraught with the great.
est danger.
What then can Congress do? If II
should declare a southern state to be
without republican form of govern
ment" because it excludes negroes from
the ballot-box, those congressman from
the nothern states which do not allow
Their blacks to vote would at least be in
"a very delicate position, But Congress
may pass q constitutional amendment
forbidding the exclusion of any citizens
from the ballot-box on account of color
or race, and this, when ratified, would
settle the question forever.
1t is right for northern states and in
dividuals to declare themselves in favor
OF negro suffrage. 1t is right for all to
urge its justice and propriety upon the
South. But if southern state should
be convinced this year by these appeals
and act accordingly. or could by any
means be coerced into granting negro
suffrage as a condition of it's full resto- |
ration to the Union, we know of moth
ng now existing to prevent such State |
rom reversing its action next wear. |
should iSsee fit. The white race will, |
n any event, be the dominant race at |
he South, and if united, will control
tate action.
Slavery Is not dead beyond resurrec-
ion without the constitutional amend
nent forever prohibiting it. In the alb.
ence of this amendment there is no
9gal obstacle to the revival of the insti
ution at any time hereafter by any
tate within its own limits. So with
ne suffrage question. There is no guar
nty Of permanent equal suffrage" ex-
9pt by amendment of the United States
constitution. Said Henry Winter
avis in his Fourth of July Grafton at
hicago:
'More glorious still would it be for
0ngress to follow the great example we
ave just had of abolishing slavery by
amendment of the Constitution. Let
lem pass by the two-thirds majority
both houses of Congress, an amend
ent of the constitution, securing for
er the mass of the people as the basis
the republican government of the =.
1ited States, and submit it this very :
ming winter, before the legislatures
Journ, for their information. And :
hen it shall have received the ossant l
three-fourths of those now recooni1ad i
states and represented in Congrass 1
Congress instantly proclaim il as tho '
ndamental law of the land, valid and i
nding as the constitution itself, of c
llch they will thus have made it a =
IT. under which they set, and which !.
state caprice, no question of political I
rites, nothing in the future, except the
umph OF slavery over free institn- h
ms, can ever shake or call in ones 4;
n" ~ 4"e'-
~ The first through train for Rich :,
mo passed over the Orange and Alex h
ira Railroad veSterdav TIL - | or