Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1867-04-03
Negro Suffrage to be Enforced In
the Northern States.

1t will be recolected by the readers OF this
journal that during the election canvass Of
last fall we steadily directed the attention Of
the people to the proposed alteration Of the
Constitution, and that we sought to prove to
them that, if adopted, it carried with it the
right Of negro suffrage withou. regard to
the wishes Ct the people Of the States. This
assertion was strenuously denied by the Rad.
Hal newspapers and speakers and they de.
Olared that the question Of negro suffrage
was not at issue in the canvass Many in.
telhgent men who read our paper without
prejudice, although belonging to the Radical
party, agreed with us, and cast their votes
in opposition to the Radical candidates on
that ground. But emboldened by the sue.
ecss Of their party, and inspired by the new
lease Of power which they managed to ob.
tain, the Radicals in Congress have thrown
of the mask, and their determination to
foist negro suffrage on all the States, North
and South, is no longer concealed. In the
Senate Of the United States Mr.. Henry
Wilson, Of Massachusetts, has introduced
the following bill
Whereas, the fourteenth amendment Of
the Constitution has been ratified by sufh.
Gent number OF States, and il part Of the
fundamental law, and whereas the frat SEQ
tion OF said article Of amendment declares
that all persons, born or naturalized in the
United States and subject to the jurisdic.
tion thereof, are citizens Of the United States
and Of the State wherein they reside" and
that mo State shall make or enforce any
law which shall abridgc the privileges or
immunities OF citizens OF the United States"
aud whereas the said fourteenth article Of
amendment empowers Congress 10 enforce,
BY appropriate legislation, the provisions OF
said article therefore
BE it enacted, elc. That there gnsll lie
no denial Of the elective franchise to anv
male citizen Of the United States by any
State on account of color, race, or previous
condition, anything in the Constitution or
laws OF any State to the contrary notwith.
standing; and that all persons who shall
violate the provision Of this &c. shall, on
conviction in any United States court, be
fined for each oliense not less than one thou.
sand dollars, or be imprisoned not less than
eaA LuonthS, Vt Dotn.
Two things are remarkable in this propo-
eition; first, the unblushing falsehood with
which the preamble sets out, and second, the
provision that there shall be mo denial of
the right of franchise to any male citizen of
the United States by any Stale, on aecoun:
of color, race, or previous condition" Ths
eo-caIled fourteenth amendment" HAS NOT
BEEN RATIFIED BVA SUFFICIENT NUMBER
OF STATES to engrait it on the Constitution,
and the assumption that it mas is piece Of
bold etfrontery, which was without parallel
or precedent = the history Of the countrys
legislation until the meeting of the second
session Of the thirty-ninth Congress- But
we are not surprised at anything which may
be proposed or done by this revolutionary
Congress, for the determination is most
clear to root up the government from its
very foundation, and to overthrowit The
Almighty may yet interpose and save us
from such fate, but there can be no mistake
about the intentions of the Jacobn element
which is now ruling the country. 1t is nee
essary to enact a LIE before the reserved
right Of the States to control the question Of
outrage can be taken from them and this
We presume will be done before the close O..
the present Congress, unless the people shall
make themselves heard and falt among its
members during the recess, which it is hoped
will soon take place.
Ca. The country may well feel rajoiued
The Rump Congresshas adjourned, oragreed
to take recess until the let of July The