The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-01-26
What is Meant by the Provision In the
Federal Constitution Guaranteeing Each
state q Republican Form of Govern
ment

Inc 1OuEIn seCtlUu VI IOuE VI VIC
constitution provides The United States
shall guarantee to every state in this Union
q republican form of government, and shall
protect each of them against invasion, and,
on application OF the legislature, or executive
(when the legislature cannot be convened)
against violence"
Under this provision the pubiicans claim
the power to regulate the right of suffrage in
the states, and deny to the southern states
the right to return to the Union until they
shall confer this right upon the negroes
THIS principle will enable them to control
every state in the Union, and to shut out
their representatives and senators until this
demand is complied with, whether it has been
in rebellion or not
This provision, adopted as a consideration
for the surrender of certain rights and privi-
eyes possessed by the states under the arti-
Giles of confederation, means what 1t did in
1887, when the constitution was framed
That meaning is to be found in the lexicons,
histories and commentaries of that day. The
celebrated DR.. Rees, who prepared his Ency
elopeda soon after this time, defines repub-
lie as "A commonwealth popular state, or
government, or a nation where the body, or
only part of the people. have the govern
ment in their own hands" Barclay says it
is IA state in which the power is lodged in
more IMAM one II HSdiiH w al
kar uses the same cnguage. DR.. johnson,
whose great dictionary was published in.
1865, 6e6nes it in the same words. Monies
quieu in bis Spirit of the Laws, first pub
hshed IN 1850, thus defines it: "a repub-
lcan government is that in which the body
or only part of the people, is possessed OF
! The supreme power" b. ii. C. This
great and popular work was undou btedly in
the mind of the convention when framing the
! provision ia question. Ii is often referred to
/ By Madison IN the Eederaiist, as the highest
! possible authority. Hence, at that time, e
! republican form of government meant one
/ administered by representatives. OF such por-
: ton Of the people the state constitutions
; allowed TO vote. Mr. Madison, in the thirty
mint n number of the Fe3eraiist declares that
the federal government under the oonstitu =
/ ton is repu blican ain the most rigid sense"
/ And still, under that constitution, or any
/ Other-not direct, or any other vote Is given
! tor any federal officer except such as the
! states may choose to permit; and no power
of control is provided, however limited the
/ right of suffrage might be made by the states,
/ In the twenty first number of the Federoiist,
Mr. Madison says OF this provision lit could
/. be no impediment to the reforms OF the state
constitution by majority of the people in Il
legal and paaceable mode. This right would
/ remain undininshed. The guarantee could
! 0ulY operate against the changes to be effect
| cd by pi0tence" Ia the forty third mum ber
! he says: But the authority extends no fur
! ther than to guarantee OF a. repu blican form
| Of government, which supposes a pre- existing
government Of the form which is to be guar
! anteed. As long, therefore. as she existing
/ republican ferns are continued by the states.
they are guaranteed by the federal constitu
/ tim. Whenever the states may choose to sub
! tba- bar
| right to do SO, and to claim the federal guar
antee for the latter. The only restriction i'm
posed on them is that they shall not exchange
| republican for anti-repubiican constitutions. -
| These and many other other comments by
him in the FedcrdIiSt are quoted by Story
| in his commentaries on the constitution, sec
| ton 1867. and subsequent, as controlling au-
! thority upon this question. MIR Madison, and
the tramers Of the constitution had before
them the constitutions of the then states,
which they ceemed truly republican. These
were the practical standard, which conforms
to our definition, some Of which still exist
and are denounced by the republicans as an
ii republican. We will give extracts in rela-
ton TO the right of suffrage from some OF
| those represented in the convention, and from,
| others which congress have deemed ''repuhl-
| eau" In Massachusetts, by her constitution
| of 1880, none could vote for governor sen
ator except those having freehold estate
/ within the commonwealth of the animal in
4 come of three pounds, or an estate of the val
ue of sixty pounds" Connecticut required
| the eleet0r to be "a white male citizen of the
| United States" with freehnld qualifications
New York, by her constitution of l777, re-
| quired those voting for assemblymen to be
| freeholders, possessing freehold of the val
| ue of twenty pounds. or having rented Q
! tenement of the yearly value of forty shil-
lungs, and been rated and actually paid tax
es;" and for senators and government, they
must be freeholders, possessed of freebolds
of the value of one hundred pounds above all
| debts charged thereon"
New Jersey, by her constitution of 1776, re-
quired the voter to be worth fifty pounds, proc
| lam alton money. srs
| Maryland, by her constitution of l776, provi-
| ded that call freemen having freehold of fifty
acres of land,n might vote.
| Virginia bv her constitution of l7T6, required
a freehold qualification and that the voter should
be free white citizen.
North Carolina, by her constitution of 1776, re-
guired the voter to be "freeuan." and possessed
of freehold within the same county, of fifty
acres of land.
In Virginia and South Carolina the Legislatures
elected the governors.
The Georgia constitution required the voters
to be "citzens and inhabitants of the state" and
| ''to have paid taxes
| The trainers of the constitution, with those
| constitutions before them, deemed thes states
to be republican :" and that character has ever
since been accorded them Not one of the orig
inal thirteen states permitted negroes to vote
Still, until now, no apostle of change has arisen
| in congress requiring q state to change its con-