The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1865-09-30

strongly attached to their own. that il was
tonna impossible. This vexed question
WIS compromised, by allowing to each
State to determine what Glasses of its
citizens should be the electors of Repre-
sentatiyes. and what should be their quail
ifications, hy Incorporating into the Con
siituti6h this provision, declaring that
tho electors who choose the most numer-
GUS branch of each State Legislature
should also choose its Representatives To
Congress. When this principle was
reached il satisfied all the States. and ii
became another ,y9.tdt sStftts 3f5lt Under
the Constitution. 1t Also established
homegeneeusness in this. matter of the
electors of Representatives to Congress
in several aspects l. Each State was
invested for itself, with the same separate.
Independent, full, and equal power over
the subject. :. The constituency of the
Democratic feature of each State. both in
the General Government aud her own.
were m he and continue the same. how
ever they might be changed in the per-
senael aud qualifications, from time to
time. > Combinations uf States 20 build
np, or PUT down Il class or classes of elec-
tors. or any Features Of qualifications
were impossible Until this rrinciple of
the Constitution should be expmgel. or
modified by aR ameuslment, the Alioll-
ticRists and radicals could not helc t.
have the freed neero ci the slave Staies
invested with the II. lit of suffrage. for SO
loa<s rs the decision uf the questiun rested
with the. white people pt these States.
'hey would inexarably withhold from thai
race this transeendent political power.
They would never confer it on saG,o0U
freed negro men: lst. because they are
an interior race hy Go1 ) creation. aud
wholly incapable Of acting any part in a
government without PRO
ducing great mischief ID. the white
people of the slaves States know. that the
freed negro is the natural ally of the Abo-
litionist. ani would exercise this great
political power in absolute subserv.ency
to him; and they could not he brought
10 make this large contribution. still fur.
iher to augment the pGwer and aegran.
'lize the fortunes OF their oppressors, and
aggravate their own wrongs aad huu,ilia-
tim.
But the Abolitionists and radicals must
add to their numbers and increase their
political strength or they will lose office
aud power forevt 1t matters not hat
important State righl. what great princi-
pie Of constitutional f,w, or Of Just, wise.
aud permanent peliey of administration
may lie in the way Of the consummation
Of their designs. They are ever ready to
sacrifice all that, or anything that may
thwart thcir grasping and uHappeasabIc
Seitishness, provided it can be done at the
cost Of ether people. and without detri-
s.eat 70 themselves.
i be Aboiitionists are in power their
last hope TO hold it is to invest the freed
uegfo with the right to vote. The great
neei is to obtain power. direct or indi-
rect, by which the right of suffrage may
be conferred upon the freedman. and
which woull not prejudice the Abolition
ists and the radicals; and this cannot be
done without aholishin@, or modifying
The provision Of the Constitutions which
invests each State with the power to fix
" ho shall be the electors of her Repre-
in Congress and to attempt
directly to cIokish that provision of the
Constitution, so as to secure Their object.
weuld probably bring to the movement SO
much of public attention and disapproba-
ton as to defeat It, Therefore the second
section of this proposed Amendment,
> Congress shall have power to saf force"
the freedom of the negroes declared By
the first section, "by appr9priatee lesgsislaas7
ton, was designed, This vague section
is to Serve the purpose Of the wooden
horse in which the armed Gfeeians got
within the walls OF Trby.sl
This frst section will modify the exist
ing provision Of the Constitution in rela-
ton TO electors Of Representatives. in Con
gress, to the cxteilt of an the freed me-
grecs Of the United States, and invest
Congress with the power to pass all laws
which the Abolitipnists, who constitute
the majority in both houses, may assume
to be appropriate to support their free
dom. LawsndeclaTihg them to lie citi-
zens of the United States, and to be en-
titled to all the rights, and privileges Of
that the negro shall be equal
with the white man before the law; that
he shall be a witness and d Juror IN
courts that he shaha have the right to
vote, and be eligible. to office alike with
white men; that. negro children shall be
admitted to free schools; and that all
State laws prohibiting intermarriage be-
tween the white ana the black races Shall
be of no effect viii be passed by Con-
gress on the claim that they are .,appro-
PIRATE to enforce the section that frees
the negroes The argument now is, that
if put in the enjoyment of all the rights
here enumerated, it would be impossible
to inlpuga their freedom; that without
those rights freedom would be but de-
lusion; that therefore a law of Congress
comforting upon them all those rights
would be appropriate legislation, to up
hold, to enforce their freedom. When
Congress, without any special power, has
passed law declaring that the wives and
children of all negro soldiers, who had
before that time or who might thereafter
enlist, shall be free, and without compen-
sation to their owners, can scepticism
doubt, that, being thus instructed and
empowered by this section, it would pass
such laws, and that they would by suz.
tanned by the weak and proflgate courts
of this day, composed of such men as
Chase, et I'll ontae genus? ,..s.
This amendment Of the Constitution is
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