Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-10-24
&c mature citizens. Nothing less than this

Ii will be noticed that Senator Trumbulls
argument that Congress derives no authori-
ly over suffrage from this clause does not
take any broad ground of reasoning hut is
composed entirely of objections of detail,
of such n character that they may all be
generalized under a single head-a supposed
difficulty of explaining what " Republican
Form Of Government" really is. Some of
these difficulties arise from his taking il for
granted that all our existing institutions are
essentially Republican. For, he says, some
judicial and other officers are appointed, not
elected; women do not vote electors OF
the President are TO be appointed in such
manner as the Legislatures shall direct be-
cause these anomalous features exist in what
we have been accustomed to regard as a
Republic, our authority concludes there is
no such Government, or il there is that il
has no distinct characteristic!
Finally, to refer to one or two allegations
of fact. That at the time of framing the
Constitution "Suil'ragc was much more re-
" "stricted in all the States than il is in any
of them, at present, is certainly not true.
From 1887 to 1867, when for the first time,
National authority inicrposed and gave their
voting right back to tlft excluded class of
nine States, there had been steady restrict.
ton Of suffrage, by the usurpation of local
law. In the frame of their Constitutions, of
the thirteen original States, South Carolina
solitary and alone, excluded black voters, by
placing the work "white' rs qualification.
Yet of those thirteen, eight more have, since
the adoption of the Constitution, excluded
colored citizens from voting, and one has
fixed so burdensomc property qualification
as to amount TO virtual exclusion.
Is this, as Senator Trumbull tells us, a
widening of suffrage since 1887?
And more than this, il must be remem-
bcred that when the Constitution was framed
slavery existed in most of the States. BY
the theory of that institution, the master,
in his ballot, represented his chaitels, as well
rs himself In point of fact, he certainly
was interested in their welfare as property,
and voted TO that extent in their behalf
But these human chattels have become citi-
zens. Yet they have no vote in several
States, and nobody prctends to represent
them Liberty is increased, but is the suf.
iragc increased with it? Is il moi more re.
stricted now than in 1857?
If it he true, ms we are told, that "tlc
Republican form Of Government required
Ito be guaranteed to each State is a govern
meht Oh such cnarac'cr Us eNislcu III the
States wheh 'Nc CONSTITUTION was 'raheu'
what ioliows! certainly that we must pu
the states PACK into such constitutions as
.hcy 'heh iiu II 'hal was 'he paruculal
ior'h eua'aii''c'' any o'her was guarantee
against, anu '''o s''sn'es' "oP"f'uio rom til'
Original pan wouia require check' !
W. iiul,puii Is r,.h' oh 'h,s po'n'' th'
'o'iiis vi '.a'c CONSTITUTIONS eA's''hE III 'o
"cio F" cas-, Aoi 'i'oui',' """ "o"oNe' 'nro"
'en'en' y, 'u'p'sS,p'o y may p'' W 1o''
,no'"'"',"' " ''5"'s sV".9 'N's.e''uo nus
'' ~, srro7
.t,''',,' -
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- l,7 '..,
,,'a >aa. So ,,'s ca',,', - Al,
i,'>0 -,
os. !, ,-a-, ~
o"o', :. "", ~, u,,'V" :" ~ so 'ae
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Inc guarantee VI i'el'"o'io"" Govern
meht 10 Tue states Is II Simple anu piai
proV'sloh' 10 uciic lhc chir"c'er o'
helup'ic Is easy III .i'c i'sh' vi our l,S'o'
as ii'''oh' anu 'pa' oohc' '"eic is II
uillcul'y' peyohu' Inc ci'iusc was heccS
sary, ior u Is inc only protecuoh III III
CONSTITUTION which oil necessity, ana IN On
pncit language, prevents lhe S'a'es iroi
being melamorphosed into aristocraclcs' OF
garci''es' anu virtual oesPo'is'''s' III w
emergency wheh many nave assumed I'll
authori'y 10 tamper WIN 'he iuhuameh'
feature OF the Government. and take iro'
large classes OF their people the right
suffrage THIS guaranty Is inc sole saieguai
OF the nation. low ia'al IL must pe ior u
Republics homogcncity, ana cohscquei
UNITY IL senators oi the inquest iesislalu
shall presume to sweep IL aside, as me
abstraction, which can ncllherbe cXplain'
nor applied! Calhoun nor Davis strut
never more terrible blow at the Union.
That the guaranty power has never bee
exercised by Congress is no conclusive tc
, timony that it does not exist. As an C,
dence from II parallel case, Congress h
always had ultimate authority to take fro
the States the regulation of the time 81
down TO 1866 that authority was not exc
ciscd Till then the States had been
, lowed to regulate for themselves. VIII
caused Congress to assume its reserv
: power! Abuse by the States of their S,