The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1866-11-21
Power af the First ArticIe-PrS-
posed Amendments.

If Ohioor Virginia, by law, shall deny
the privilege of voting to any Of the
male inhabitants peing twenty-one years Of
age, or shall abridre the rights conferred
Is eitizcnship-fnr example by declaring
that no negro shall hold the Office Of Gov
rrnor If the State-woud tins or would it
not, conflict with the FIRST article of the pro-
posed amendments? What says article |?
IAN persons Including male negroes
born or natursliged in the United States.
and subject to the jurisdic ion thereof are
citizens Of the United States and nj the
State wherein they reside" This is the
6rst part Of the article, which unquestion-
ably would instantly make every negro who
had been born in tn" United States--or if
not born there, naturaliEed-s citizen in any
state wherein he might choose to reside. -
A citizen of Ohio or Penn<ylvanis in
October, citizen of New York in Novem-
Der; no period being provided in the amend
ment to fix, or constitute residence.
No state shall make or enforce any law
which shall sbridgc the privileges or in
muni,ies of citizens of the United States. "
This is the second. part Of article. -
INV the question is, whether denying or
witt holding from the negro the privilege ol
being Governor of Ohio, Pennsylvans
and New York, conflicts with this ptrt of
the proposed amen .ment? Suppose th'.
majority in Congress would decide that
the second part Of article lGt, lin case il
shoald be adopted as part Of the new Con.
stitution) abrngates and annu's all State
Constitutions and State laws Gbf1d9,ng tn
prir,!eqes of negroes; and Congress shoulc
declare that denying the right OF negroes
to vote, or to be Governor is unconstitutIon
al-contrary tn the new United States Con
stitution, and therefore void, and of no eff
fret where would be the remedy? Not ii
the President, for Bingham and other Rad
icals assert that Congress is the "mastcr oI
the Prisid ant, not in the supreme Court
for the Radcals say that ''Judges" are the
"supplest" and the worst OF men. There
would be no remedy; and the Constitution
Of Ohio, deliberately ado2ted in solemn
convention of the people if Ohio, would be
abrogatcd by an &C. Of a majority ir
Congress
1t is true that the second article of 'ht
amendments fixes one punishm emf Of a State
that shall deny the privilege of voting tr
negroes, twenty-onc years of age-,which is,
a reduction of the State representation ii
Congress But that is another point alto
gether. The first article would put it ii
the power OF Congress to prevent any State
rrom denying. not merely the privilege O
voting, but the privilege of being GovernoI
Or any other privilege. The Privilege o
the front pcws in churches-the privilege
of the front seats in theatres and assemble:
the privilege of the choice of seats.at ho
tel tahles-in the cars, on the Steamboat
the privilege OF negroes doing just as the!
please, disregardinr all the social 'iistinc
tions whice society has set up for its securi
ty and reasonable protection.
The article was conceived and arranged
by fanatic; and this We believe is its de
sign. and scope. If this lst article does no
embrace so much power we would be pleas
ed to see il cnntrovcrted and disproved.