The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-12-14
are NEGROEs voTERs? ?

Most of our Mopgre! friends deny that
negroes are voters. Below we give an
extract from letter recently written and
published by Thad. Stevens, of Pennsyl-
vania--a man who has done more to shape
the course of the Mongrel party than any
other. He says :
Having thus shown that tho elective franchise
is of the inalienable rights of man without
which his liberty cannot be defended, and that it
was suspended by the arbitrary constitution of
lTS9, let if that suspension has been rem0v-
ed, to leave cur hands unrestrained in restor
ing its full vigor while still acting under the Con-
stitution. That right nppertains to every citizen
But while the suspension existed the natural love
of despotsm induced communities to hold that
each State might fix the qualifications, rights and
dspriyations of It's own citizens
The fourteenth amendment, now so happily
adopted, settles the whole question, and places
cry American citizen perfect equality of rights,
so far as merely national rightsand questions are
concerned. 1t declares that "all persons born, or
naturaliaed in the United States, and subject 10
the jurisdiction 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 and immunites of citizens
of the United States nor shall any person be de-
prived of lifc liberty, orsproperty without the
process of law; deny any person within its ju-
risdiotion the equal protection of the laws"
If by the amend, d Constitution, every Ameri-
can citizen is entitled TO equal privileges with
cry other American citizen, and il every Ameri-
can citizen in any Of the States should bo found
entitled to impartial suffrage with every other
American citizen in any State, then il follows
an inevitable conclusion that suffrage throughout
this nation is impartial and universal, so far
every human being, without regard to ace or col
or, shall be found concerned, and so far as il af
fects the whole nation.
Can be who swears to support the Constitution
in all its parts refuse to aid in carrying this into
effect without clear, direct perury-a worse perju-
~ than would have been committed by those Who
under the old Constitution could not agree to that
construction, and thus refused their aid to their
fellOwmeny
Again he says:
If every citizen of every State is entitled to all
the inaliepable rights, privileges and immunities
of this Government, and il one of those inalieua-
bic rights is the right TO cast his ballot for every
man Who is 10 take part in the Government, show
me the man who is so imTudent as 10 deny that
suffrage by the ballot is due to every being with
in this realm 20 whom God has given Immortality
He must be an impudent citizen, and ought never
TO profess 10 believe in the existence Of Deity /;
for that a world could be created and governed
wthoet Ovcrrulins cause. is more feasible than
such proposition. What would be the effect of
comforting this just right upon every citizen in this
republic. according to the original intentions Of
our fathers?
1t will be seen that Mr. Stevens holds
that the fourteenth amendment to the
federal Constitution settles the question
as to whether negroes can vote. 1t de-
cides that they are citizens of the United
States and of the State wherein they re-
side; and that they have the same priv
ilegcs and immunities of the white citi-
zens Hence Stevens concludes that
"a suffrage throughout the nation is i'm
partial and uaiUersai, so far as erery hu-
man being, without regard to race or col
or, shall be found concerned, and so far
as it affects the whole nation" Stevens
thinks the Constitution now gives not on
ly negroes the right to vote, but China
men, Indians, Kanakas and Greasers, al
so.
We ask conservative men of every sect.
name and party, if they endorse this doc
trine? IF you do net you must vote
with the Democratic party, for it is the
only party opposing this most atrocious
aud revolving theory.