Maryland free press. [volume] (Hagerstown [Md.]) 1862-18??, 1866-09-27
Negro SnfTrage--Nothing More!

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selves upon the policy Of Congress, and the
! policy Of Congress consists ,9f al Amend
ment to the Constitution, and tina. Amend
mem. me means, Negro Sufrage-unething
more. We donpt intend that you shall
take @, our mere assertion mithis. :Ilere is
the Amendment eln'dl!m rent. Head bf Yourself 1t
you can coax any other meaning out Of it
-ifyou can tortue it into, any other pur-
pose or aim, you will surprise aud dissp-
point, not Gully u-, but also its fran ers
and advocates. WHY, IT,,
The Amendment is in these words:
ARTIctE-Section l., IN ptrsons born or natur.
slizcd in the Entel States, and aubject to the
| jurisdiction thereof ere ehizrns Of tie. EnteG
| Satfs and Of he Stdtss vhtrcia Mty resiJe. No
States shall make or enforce any law which shall
ahridge the privileges or mmunitics Of citizens
ofthe United States. Nor shall any State de-
prize amy person oflifa liberty property with
out due process law, nor deny to any l~rson
withinils Jurisdiction the equal protection Of The
laws. llt .t D.. 'lI' . -.., b.;
This, mark you. constitutes all r,er.oas
citizens of the United States. The term
all persons therefore includes negroes as
we'll asswhitcs. But it does not ltop here,
1t goes on and says, after constituting the
negro a citizen, mo State shall mako or
enforce any law which shall atr.tl5e the
priritcges or insm mites Of citizens {" Now,
one Of tho pririleges of citizens is the right
ofsuffrags. Then. is it not plain tina.
il you first make the negro citizen. and
then declare tl.at no rights Of a citizen shall
be Abridged, that he stands upon an equal
ity with white man in all Mings--tic
right Of voting included. Not only 40, but
having constituted him a citizen, and de-
clarca that none of the citizen rights shall
be abridged, he is as much entitled to ri,
in the jury box as he is to vote at the bal
lot box. because these are both rights BE-
longing to the citizen, and to deny either
would DO to. ''odriaye" his rights. .'~ ,'l
But, say the Radical advocates Of thi.
Amendment. the laws Of the State do not
recognize him as citizen, and it is the
State laws that regulates the right Of .vo-
ting. This is ROC true. But, adopt this
Amendment, and where do yoa then stand!
You then hare Law. higher than your
State Law. and that declnres that oH are
citizens IN that you shall dbrid,e the rights
Of none. From the monontyo adopt this
Amendment IL becomes tho supreme lar. Of
the land, and your Stste laws mist be al
tered so as to dccond and not conflict With
the provisions Of this Amendment
From the hour this Amendment is adopted
the power Of the State to regulate the right
Of suffrage is surreadered and belongs, 10
congress. .alr'r l. .rrvior :.
As the next Legislature Of our State will
be called upon to act upon. this Amend
meiit, II bchooves every man to examino-it
carefully and dispassionatcly. It's mean
lug and intention has been carefully con-
ccaled. but when Invested Of it's ambiguous
surroundings and its vcrbiage Of language.
nothing can be more plain, i means ne
gro suffrage-nothing morc--and the man
Of ordinary Intelligence who advocatesTits
adoption and says he is opposed to. negro
suffrage 10 wilfully blind himselfapd rocks
TO misleaj aud deceive others, ., o1,E
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