Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-03-15
The New York Times ON Negro
Suffrage.

The Neu York Times does not favor the
advocacy OF Negro Suffrage at this time.
Undoubtedly, it is apprehensive that the
popular verdict just now would be against
it. SUMNER, WENDELL PHILLIPS, and that
class of men, profess to believe that it
comes within the jurisdiction of Congress
to regulate the question of suffrage, and
that Congress should confer on the negro the
privilege of voting. On this point, The
Times expresses itself as follows:
ave find nothing in the Constitution, or
in common sense, to warrant this novel
definition. We see no reason to suppose
that the statesmen of 1877 meant anything
Of the sort when they incorporated into the
Constitution the clause, THE United States
shall guarantee to every State in this Union
a republican form of Government They
designed to impose upon the General Gov
ernment the obligation of taking care that
the sovereign power of the State should
reside with the people thereof-that it
should not be shared with a person claim
ing royal prerogative, making limited
mOnarchy-or be surrendered altogether to
any person, making dictatorship or des-
potism-or to class of persons, making it
aa oliggarchy or an aristoeracy. They in
tended to secure that the primary source of
power in every State should always be kept
exclusively among the people. This would
keep the form republican. What portion Of
The people should be Uested toith the franchise,
and tcdt not, ,ods left entirely to the discretion
Of each State. Most of the States of that
period, in their successive discretions, made
the possession of certain amount of prop
erty necessary qualification for certain
n md
a shorter residence within their limits, as
republication for persons from other States.
Some excluded all foreigners who had not
been naturaliZed under the Federal laws;
Others not. Almost all made African blood
disqualification. From one endof the Con-
StttttOR to the other, there is not line lchtch,
either in letter or By implication, IN dnynpdriaer
regulates or bears upon electoral qualifications
"Mr. Sumner has no better reason for
saying that the obligation, on the part of
the General Government, to maintain re-
publican form, holds it to the necessity of
securing votes for black men, than any wo
mans rights advocate would have for say
ing that it was in like manner bound to Sc
cure votes for women. A republican
form no more requires one than the other.
Either may or may not exist under it. A
State may continue to be republican in
form while admitting to its ballot-box ev-
cry person within its limits, without regard
to age, sex, or color. 10 may be equally re-
publican in form tchile precluding those Of a
certain age, seq, or color. The potcer Of regt-
Idting this is not among the pouvers conceded TO
he General Government By the States. IL still
lies ercttsiuely ,ohere 1 originally belonged"
This is juggle. The Times opposes Ne
gro Suffrage for the purpose of securing
for the Administration the continued sup
port of men who oppose such measure;
while, on the other hand, The Neo York
Tribune takes ground in its favor because it
processes to believe it right, and thus Sc
cures for the Administration the continued
support of the radicals--a body of men who
have controlled the Administration hereto
fore, and who will, undoubtedly, control it
in the future, if the spring and fall elections
shall be carried triumphantly by the Ad-
nninistration. The only way to put check
on their arrogant demands is to defeat the
Administration candidates at the ensuing
elections. II, as The New York Times ap-
pears to think, it is not proper to advocate
Negro Suffrage, it follows that it is not
right to confer on the negroes this privil-
ege; and not being right, there is no pro-
priety whatever in voting with the men
who will abate nothing in its advocacy.