Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-05-04

Nnll but that BY rea son Of the accident Of th
color Of a mans skin or Of his rlce, Of origin
independent Of color-becausc | take il the wor
''white'' in this constitution means white as
race distinguished from the negro race-a por
tion of the people are to be excluded from pal
ticipation in the government We are calle'
upon under this constitution, ! say, TO declar
If we approve il and submit It TO this people
that a provision, fundamental in It's nature. II
this constitution Of that description is correct
. | cannot consent to the doctrine. IL rightly
understand the theory Of the formation Of gov
ernmeut, it is That constitutions are formed
I (aside from the mere framework and machinery
/ Of goyernment) for the protection Of private
7 rights and the fundamental rights Of minOriue:
i and individuals against the powers Of maj1rties,
B against the exercise Of arbitrary power or OF
/ tyranny cn the part Of the GOvtrnment
Now, sir, what is there So sacred, what is
there SO fundamental in the right Of the white
men 10 rule the black, that the white men
cannot be trusted with the power Of WELD
ing It by a majority? What 3, there IN the
nature a this question which makes 1t our duty
to say to the people Of Colorado, We Will not
trust msjUrity Of your voters 20 repeal the
clause, but We Will allow you O. pat II IN your
Fundamental law 90 that the free Eill Of your
majority can never getit cut | fail 10 see
suffrage and in the duty Of the absence Of suf-
frage on the part Of the black mau, - 10 require
it TO be inserted in the fundamental law Of the
Government.
You will ful, sir, AMI seniors will find, that
this constitution contains the usual clause that
two thirds Of the Legislature are requisite to
amend il in any particular. IL Is not, there
fore, az | said before, the qutsflH whether IL Is
right or "a that q State siouli decide hr itself
who OF what portion OF IT, citz-r- should vote,
but it is the fundamental quCs 100 whether We
will allow a Territory over which we have con-
troll 10 impose uI0u itself au obi cation which Il
cannot recelc from, tO exclude from any Of the
political rights Of government aay class Of its
citizns. That il the qugsti-. DO not know
but that ii this were left, as the original enab-
lirg act left IT, % the people OF that Territory TO
declare of themselves when aud under what cir
cumstaucls the C0lorel race should be clothed
with political rights, / should uot be s,tisfel.
| should then have preferred indeed that We
should have some voice iu the matter but ]
fail TO perceive how We can be appellei 10, 10
give 10 these people a constitution which ties up
their own hands from doing what every one Of
my political brethren sgys j. an act Of justice
What Is there so sacred ia this thing that this
same constitution does not require the Legisla-
ture, ty two thirds of its members, 20 allow
any other class Of citizens 90 vo,e' L il not
the subject Of ordinary legislation 10 declare
who shall yo,e and under what circumstance
ar5 n so ,rbv i II rs,a.s.-v d. iu.art i'm a
cors,itutio, v.bicb csr,ro, b.. CENTRALIZED nv a
mai rity Cf white uien, that the mere ac-deut
Of race or color shall be q fundamental objection
to any allowance On the part Of the whites 70
the blacks of the right TO vote
Mr.. President. 10 arrears Go lie. without cu-
Ai5.'s lon 'N.s "l'1' '-'' '-' o. 20
ol '.lss, 'ue ~ ''s',-i'1! % 'i'''' as "a az -5
'he AIl-''oialN vi h'.rS' ]. '"e s'.-' ""
anu Cd, inoJil'.y pm i.,ss 's '.a. HH.-1
ahil.A''s 'ne ~ 's,'1i'e..' '--' -.'''' 'N1 1yH-
hicn'e7 % 'nl "'i "'''l' ."'! PUG .'''" '' SIe
aIls'..'1'! 's 'y' ''i'i1i ID. t'- .-' I''
~! seI'' ''n IL H-'''--,''. .N '.' '-- --I
ol tue .,Il-, It u'-'' s.-.- ..- -,'1'' J"
'Le I'.'..e" 'f-A.! 10 ".' ''',' '-
u, s'ei ',iN'7S ot '.' i'-'- o ''' -,'i''
A"i !'' i-- -'A' o.
gentlemen. a- one h.''iH I'D A'".'' i-'i'i'Al
''7"t '".t NY i".! '7 i' I''s'"'s' '' VIC
III! 'Ne '' '-l N---'''
C'ei-- ''' m -SH'' .' ''.' "5 i''"-i ii''' !" 'i-
Het ~ aeN.,N' ',.-t .i'i! se-',1' o-'' e.N-
nor d'nl' 4 cannot '-i" l-' .'-N '' tN.ss P'.u-
li,s Nh',- are ,-i '''i.'' ''- ~ ,.'.'' '' 'n.
- f.1'....' =. ,' i.-g,.. - .,,-, IL
O., q.
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II - - o.. ,i,, al So
=. .r.. - MI Nv, -. ,.,,..;I-, ~,
reso1s'i,r,t.as o.es more: 81, If ygu can trust
Yourselves by n moi rity % decia- -e whether You
will allow uesr,c, 10 vote 90 not. Have YOU not
confidence enough iu Yourselves to leave il ont
Of your constitution and not 90 Gee yourselves
up foreyerm1re 10 a principle of this doscrip-
ton -. And then. ou the lrst Monday Of De-
cember. If majority of that people are still de-
sirous Of being represented iu this toiy. can
they not present themselves 60 us with "a consii-
tuition to which 10 objection can De made. which
sets no bad precedent ia morals or in flulamen-
tai right that Will come 10 pla ue us by-aud-by
when we apply necessary hesitation o. other
portions Of the country Aul will these peo.
pie have been harmed, The tyranny Of taxa
lion without representation. If % Dc a tyranny,
will not then have lasted lauv / &c ro 4 H.