The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-10-06
s. For the Standard.
To Moses A. Bledsoe, Candidate for the
Senate.


gave the same privileges to negro from
Massachusetts when he came to North Caro-
| lima that he possessed in his own State; ana,
therefore, if Massachusetts gave him the
riyht to vote in her elections, he could vote
in North Carolina; if Massachusetts exemp-
ted him from taxation, North Carolina could
not tax him but he could vote in violation
of our laws and ride over our public roads
without paying taxes, by virtue of his priv
ileges as a citizen of Massachusetts.
appeal to the intelligent audience pres
ent to say whether your position has been
truly stated or not.
Allow me, Sir, to refer you to the second
section of the proposed amendment. 1t
reads:
"SEc. ?. Representatives shall be apportloned
! among the several States according to their re-
| spectiVe numbers, counting the whole number OF
persons in each State, excluding Indians not tax
ed. But when the right to 0Ote at any electlon lor
the choice of electors for President and VicePre-
| sident of the United States, representatives in
Congress, the executive and judicial officers OF
State, the members of the Legislature thereof,
is denied TO any Of the male Inhabitants Of such State,
being twenty-one years of age and citizens OF the
for participation in rebellion or other crime the
basis of representation therein shall be reduced
in the proportion which the number of such male
citizens shall bear to the whole number OF male
citizens twenty-one years OF age in such state
The meaning of this section is that if
vote, they shall be counted in the apportion-
ment of her members to Congress; and if
she does not choose to allow them to vote,
they shall not be counted. 1t, therefore, plain
" recognizes the right of North Carolina,
should She choose to do so, to deny her ne
gro citizens the right of suffrage. In other
words, should the black male population of
this State be allowed by the laws thereof to
vote 6 at any election for electors for Presl-
dent" &C., at the next apportionment under
this amendment in 1872, we would be entl-
tied to eight members to Congress; and If
that privilege were denied them, we would
be entitled to only five. Sir, could any thing
be more conclusive-and is not the right OF
the people of this State to regulate the mat
ter of suffrage for themselves emphatically
recognised? If you are an honest man you
will confess it, and cease to falsify the facts
Therefore, if a negro vote in Massachu-
sets, he cannot vote in North Carolina I'M
der this amendment, unless the laws of this
State permit him. Even then he must be-
come citizen and qualified voter, or his
ballot would be considered illegal.
But, Mr.. Bledsoe, you say that it is by vir-
the of the 1st section, that negro who has
a vote in Massachusetts,, will also be allowed
a vote in North-Caroina even in violation Of
the laws of this State.
1t has already been made apparent that the
second section gives Massachusetts negro
no such right-nay, it even denies him of it,
for it emphatically leaves the matter of suf-
frage to the States themselves. They can say
who shall vote and who shall not. and they
alone. How then, SIR can you arrive at your
conclusion? You construe the 1st section to
mean one thing and the second section is
left to mean another and contrary thing
Were the members of the last Congress a
herd of asses in your estimation, to propose
such 4 nonsensical, contradictory amend
ment to the Constitution Certainly sir, a
great glory were reserved to you, could you
prove such to be the case. You would make
the Congress the laughing stock of the
world-it would become contemplate in the
eyes of all men. But, alas, for human glory
your wreath of laurel is only a chaplet of
" odorous gimson and fragrant fennel" So
that, it amounts to this, that either inca
pacitated by nature to comprehend the true
meaning of this amendment, you are igno-
rantly engaged in deluding the people; or
you are doing it wilfully. In either event,
you are not fit person to be chosen to the
Senate of North-Carolina.
The 1st section reads as follows:
"SEcTIoN 1. All persons born or naturalized
in the United States and subject to the jurisdic-
ton thereof, citizens of the United States and
of the State wherein they reside. No State shall
make or enforce any law which shall abridge the
privileges immunities of citizens of the United
States; nor shall any State deprive any person of
o
law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdic-
ton the equal protection of the laws"
The first clause says that " all persons born
or naturaliZed in the United States and sub
ject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of
the United States and of the State 1cherein
they reside" That is, for citizen OF the
United States to be- considered a citizen of
any particular State, it is necessary for him
to become a resident of that State. Read it
over, sir, and see if / am not correct This
clause does not say that every Italian image
maker, circus-man or Massachusetts colored
barber, who happens to be passing through
North Carolina, is a citizen of this State
In order to be a citizen he must become a
resident Does this amendment define what
it is that shall constitute residence? That
matter is left to the State-as it has ALWAYS
been.
hope, sir, that you now perceive the force
of my argument. For Massachusetts, ne
gro to become a citizen of North Carolina
he must become a permanent resident of this
State. When he becomes resident of
North-Carolina. under the provisions of this
very amendment, he ceases to be citizen of
Massachusetts. In becoming a resident he
must also conform to our laws on that sub
lect. He has given up his citizenship of
Massachusetts and is now citizen of North
Carolina. He did 1t voluntarily. He will
lingly yielded all his privileges there, and
accepted what we were willing to give him
here. Who forced him to do it? It was his
oaom act How then isit, sir, that you affirm
that Massachusetts, negro can come to
North-Carolina and vote by virtue of Massa-
chusetts laws2 In order to vote in any State
he must be a RESIDENT citizen of that
State, or his ballot will be considered illegal
He cannot vote Ill two places he cannot be
a citizen OF two States at one and the same
time. Sir, upon what do you base your as
sertion? Do you think that all men are so
ignorant as you are learned?
But the second clause says that " no State
shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of cit
liens of the United States" Suppose we take
this with reference especially to the negro
What does it say ?-that none of the priviI-
eyes or immunities which he possesses shall
be abridged. 1t does not say that privileges
or immunities shall be ertended, but such as
he now possesses shall not be Abridged. Does
the negro possess the privilege of suffrage in
North Carolina or even Connecticut How
then can you abridge privilege which he
does not possess2 He can vote in Massachu-