Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1866-05-10


Herald,
, We find in the New York News
} statement of the principle of suffrage
which is somewhat remarkable as a
broad principle Of human rights laic
down in Democratic journal--a party
which seems to have known NJ rights
but slavery and secession-and which
, will do for the instruction CT some iourn.
ais which profess more loyalty. AT
ter arguing that the power to regulate
the suffrage belongs to the States, the
News goes on to show that this power is
only to regulate and protect, it is not
the power to create nor take away the
suffrage, for that is an inherent right oi
man which no law can take away, We
quote:
Thus much for where the power re-
sides.
What is the natute Of the power? Is
itnot plainly one to regulate, by need
ful and necessary rules, the exercise OF
the elective franchise: and not a power
to create the right to vote belongs to
each male citizen Of q years of age, 1t
is his by birth; and he, BY operation Of
law, becomes a citizen Of the United
States and entitled to all rights, privi-
leges and immunities through the rela-
lions Of his native State to the National
Union. The elective franchise is his
inherent right-the exercise alone is sub
ject to State regulation. Congress has
the exclusive power to make uniform
law of naturalization. By BIRTH or by
naturalization the relation of the ciii-
zen to the State and United States is
created The slave trade has been dis
continued since 1903, and, therefore we
assume that the blacks in the Southern
States are nearly all natives of this
country Heretofore nothing stood be-
tween them AMI full citizenship, but
their condition Of involuntary servitude:
"tho compromising expedient of the
ConstitutionWhioh regards them as in
habitants, butSs debased by seryitude
below the equal level Of free inhabitants,
(which regards the slave as divested Of
ttwo-ffthS of the man" Even under this
"expedient" they borea political rela-
ton, through their owners, TO society,
and were, tIroesA. them, represented
much in the mode in whic4 "a iisrant or
married woman is related and representa-
through the father or husband The ok 4
\ 6ctipgaLand Fs4itidal condition hi tho
slave in this country has not always
been clearly appreciated. An eminent
writer wei! defines him to be "a person
who is related to society through anoth-
er person, called a master, to whom he
owes due service or labor, and from
whom he is entitled to receive support
and protection" Nothing stood be-
tween the slave and full citizenship but
this involuntary serviee-that impedi
ment is gone through the actual opera
tion of the war and the liberated black
stands himself, actizen in his own prop
er person, and not through the relation
of another "called master" Then if
the abstract right to vote inheres
in every citizen, why not in the native
black man? What rule of law denies
him that right? Isjt, candidly, in the
power of the State or of the National
Government to give or to withhold the
right? Is it not his absolute personal
right now that he is liberated? And If
| It's his, who shall take it from him, or
who shall come between him and the
State of which he is a citizen? 1t, as
all other civic rights, may be forfeited
by an adequate crime; but this is com
mon to all citizens.
The proposition that suffrage is nat
ural right belonging to every man, and
which law cannot take away, is impreg-
nabie. But to assent to this it is not
necessary that we accept the declaration
thar no power can come between the
State and citizen to protect his rights,
for we find that the Constitution
of the United States does make dec
laratons of rights, such as liberty, habeas
corpus, trial by jury, property, and the
rights Of citiaenso Of each State to the
privileges and immuuities Of citizen, in
the several States, which make it the
duty of the Uhitad States Government
to protect and guarantee them to every
citizen. Weexeept, also, to the incl
dentabremark that citizen derives his
rights Through the relations of his ma
tive State to the National Union" He |
inherits his rights BY virtue of being
born or naturaized in the United States.
The state is creature of his own ma
king. He derives no rights from it,
The Constitution guarantees to every
citizen Of the United States his natural
rights without any reference to States.
But we return to the main principle
laid down by the news, The elective
franchise is the inherent right Of every
man born or naturalized in the United
States, of the ege of q years. Nothing
stood between the slave and full citizen
ship but this involuntary servitude,
which is now removed by the operation
Of war, and he stands citizen in his
own proper person, with all the rights
that are Inherent in manhood in this
Government. Government can only reg
ulate the exercise Of the elective fran
chise by ueedful rules to protect and Sc
euro its integrity. 1t cannot create the
right, for il is inherent in every man.
II cannot take it away for it is an ina
lienable right which Government has no
power over except to secure te the man.
We welcome this recognition Of the
rights Of man ia a Democratic journal,
and this declaration ofa principle which
is the very foundation Of free goyern-
ment-a right prsseryalive Of all other