Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-03-16
CoySTIrUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

We pat on record the following from
Mr.. WILSON, the Senator from Massa-
chuSetts, in the Senate on the sth inst,
in reference 10 the Constitutional amend
ment abolishing slavery
Mr.. Wilson said: 81 viii endeavor 10
auswer the questions Of Mr.. Yates
frankly. Twill say TO begin with that
the constitutional amendment, which
was proposed here 10y the Senator from
Missouri Mr.. Henderson,, and reported
by the Senator from Illinois Mr.. TrUm-
bull, adopted by Congress and ratified
Boy the people, was eve understood 10y
any MAJ In the Senate or House OF Re
preventative OF by the public press of
the country as comforting upon Congress
the right % force the suffrage on any
State of the Union. / say further that,
II it had been supposed that IL gave that
right. IL would never have passed Con-
gress OF received the sanction Of the
states. J will say, sir, that / think,
beyond doubt or question, iicluihedi Ton
gress with ample and full power To pro
Ject the civil rights and lmmuulue~ ui
every eInaucipatrd slave in the country.
That that slave is as free aS lam that
the child emaucipated Iu ms cradle To-
DAY, Is As free as the Senator from Hill
p0is or myself. and as much a citizen Of
the United States as either Of rs bui,
sir. citizenship never did iu this country
carry with ID the right Of suffrage, OF the
rigjlr 10 hold Office. y man may be q
citizen and not have the right Of suf-
frap,. There are men ia Massachusetts
who have been citizens fer forty year-,
and have not the right cfsufirage to-day.
Mr.. Nate--Wa- IL understood at the
lime OF the passage of the amendment
that il would confer civil rights2
Mr.. Wilson, supposed II did give
Congress ample power 20 make these
men as free a. the nOn-vOtlng white pop
Nation of those States-as free a. women
and children, or persons who had not
lhe right of suffrage. But did not an
der-tani then, and ] do not believe now,
that it gave Congress the power 10 clothe
these people with the right of suffrage or
the right 30 hold Office.
Mr.. Nates-SuppO-e / do not deny the
pr1DoSition Of the Senator, ! will put this
question 10 him- lido not denythG power
6Tthe states 20 regulate suffrage by anN
means, or 90 decide upon the qualllica-
ffauS Of those who are 10 vote, u devise
and 90 make rules and regulations. It Is
the duty of the states 10 regulate this
right but they cannot destroy 10, and i
ask the senator frem Massachusetts
whether he believes il in the power Of
the State Of Massachusetts, or Of south
Carolina, in simply regulating the right
of suffrage, % deprive the citizens Of q
State of the rightto vote altogether
Mr.. Wilson, answer that, right or
wrong. the state of Massachusetts has
done il.
Mr.. Yates-That is not the question.
Mr.. Wfl-on-The Senator may saythat
il Is not right, that DC ought not to be
done. I agree with him. In my own
state I voted against m amendment 10
the state Constitution requiring the quail
ifcatiun OF reading.
Mr.. Nates-I ask if this proposed
amendment does not allow the rebel
States TO exclude freedmen from yoting@
Mr.. Wilson, have never read, or
heard OF seen anything that convinced
me that the adoption of the cOustitu-
fional amendment gave the Congress Of
the United States any power % regulate
suffrage In any state.
Mr.. Nates-I desire 70 know whether
by the pending amendment South Caro-
lima or any other state cannot disenfrau-
chi~e them entirely
Mr.. Wilson, may answer the Sena-
tor simply by saying that / think this
amendment leaves the matter 10 the
States precisely where il is now. There
Is no implication in d.; no compromise
no surrender OF any power of the Gov
eminent.
Mr.. lstes-Tle position I assume Is
this: that before the adoption Of cousti-
tUtiJnal amendment the States had a
right under the Constitution and
under the decision Of the Supreme
Court Of the United States % dis
franchise the c1loTei people. Colored
men were considered "a subject race
not part Of the people not part
of the sovereignty. But, Sir, by the
constitutional amendment they are free
as the Senator from Massachusetts, this
day. Vow, the question is whether.
with this amendment before us, we viii
put into this amendment y new amend
ment hy which these States may dis
franchise those persons altogether?
Mr.. Wilson, in reply To Mr.. Yates,
read from the opinion Of AttOrney-Geu-
ersl Bates, that political rights and POI
litical power We're essentially different:
that the former belonged To all citizens
alike, and We're I'm the very name and
nature Of citizenship but the latter doe
not belong 10 all citizens alike.
Mr.. Wilson continued his speech at
some length.