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

Senator EJmunds, in his speech on the
Colorado bill, which we copy from the Con-
gressional GioJe, announces the creed Of Yer
mont, in his refusal to allow color. race or
sect, to be proper ground of distinction be-
fore the law. Social distinctions there may
and must necessarily be. Intelligence. edu-
cation, worth, Of course make differences
Of standing and influence. and nowhere are
such grounds Of eminence more fully recog-
nized than here Bnt let the color of no
mans skin be a ground for denying him
his rights before the law, any more than the
color of his hair or of his coat. Such is the
true republicanism of Vermont, and always
has been. There were unquestionably strong
reasons why the republicans of the Senate
should desire greatly to augment their
strength, in the contest with the Executive,
which is growing more pronounced and Bit
ter a. time goes on but there were also
strong grounds Of objection, which once be-
fore this session caused the rejection Of Col
orado, and which taken IN connection with
the defect in her constitution. make reason
enough why she should wait And We be-
lieve the action of our Senators in the mat
ter, viii have the approval of their con
stItuents
Mr. Edmunds' remarks are described by
"Perley" of the Boston Journal, as "espec-
tally eloquent. able ami to the point" When
he closed. Mr.. sumner rose and thanked him
for the noble stlnd taken by him IN defense
OF human rights Mr.. Sumner then offered
proyiso that the act should not take effect
until there should be no distinction Of color
in the new State at the ballot box, and all
persons should be equal before the law, but
II only received seven votes, among which !
were those of both the Senators from Yer |
mont. and Of Governor Morgan Of New
York The bin was further opposed by Sen
at.r Hendricks on the ground Of irregulari-
ties attending the adoption of the State Con-
s,itution, and by Senator johnson, on ac-
count of the insuffciency Of the ropula-
zion.
Mr.. Lane o; Ind. regretted that the word
white vas iu the constitution Of Colorado, but .
did uo- think this fact sufficient 20 justify Con
cress n refusing 20 admit the State after having .
passed an enabling act.
Mr.. Williams oi Oregon. said the question Of .
negro suffrage In Colorado was different from 4
what il is in the southern States. Ia Colorado I
there were only eighty or ninety ueer5es to be /
affected by IL. tie believed the tune was not far |
distant when the right Of suffrage would be con-
ierrei upon al men by constitutional amend .
meut.
Mr. Howard of Mich, discussed the two ob .
iections- insuitieieucy Of population and the re-
s;rictlu Of the right ~ suffrage 10 Whites-and 1
held that they dii not constitute sufficient 1
grounds for refusing 70 admit the State
An uliourrmcnt was moved, bat it was
defeated. il was evident thar those who de-
sired TO reinforce the Republican vote by /
gaining two new Senators. intended to have 1
the question decided before adjourning, and .
50 the vote on RECOMMENDATION was at last I
reached, and the bill was resonsidered and .
passed by the following vote
YEAs-Nessrs. Chandler. Clark. Conness, ,Cra- /
gin, CrcssWeil, Howard. Howe. Rirkwood, Lane /
Of Ind, Nye, Pomeroy, Ramsay, Sherman,
Sprague, Stewart, TrumbBll, Van Winkle, VIII |
ley, and Wilson-lg.
NAYs-Messrs Buckalew, Davis. Doolttle, |
Elmunds Foster, Grimes. Guthrie, Heniricks, 1
McDougal., Morgs n, Poland, Riddle and Sher-
man-l3.