American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1867-10-05

lone exclusively to the legislatures
Of tbe States. and constitute the es
sential attribute dfaa State. me
proposition is monstrous that Con
gress has the controlling power owe
the internal affairs of State, aD@
vet their acts go to the full extent O.
usurping that power. To make he
absprdity the more glaring, iook ~
tN condition of Virginia, georgia,
North and South Carolina; they were
four of the original thirteen thaV
created the government, reserved the
power to regulate the elective tran
chise, ana to coptrol all OF Their III
ternal affairs. They are now told Dy
Congress, the thing they created, !"
are supreme over your State govern
ments, we will regulate the elective
franchise for you, take entire contfe-
of your domestic affairs and pla
military governor over you. IT, Is
a striking picture, but it is true 9
Suppose such proposition na@
been submitted to the patriotic u
who formed the constitution; Of
ANYBODY suppose we should
had Uniong 1t would have
scoffed at, and are their sons - -
fallen, SO degraded, as to g: J-''''''
assent, their countenance, ttelf
baton, to such rule of gov% 10
IF so. let them forever d -..4.l
scent from the founders 3-'e III
public ..-.-.
Another section of the oqi ls-- 7'-1-
contains an extended 6nuiaftf ~.
conditions on the perform a-r5a
'r-,~-- a e,@~+As shall be eulijlsc -
representation, when may bs H- -.
stated thus 81, when the pela.,
of the State shall have formed q csE
stitution in conformity With the Coz
stitution OF the United States, to b.
framed by Convention electsd b.
all the male citizens without rcg&rc
to color; 2, such constitution must
secure to the freedmen the right of
suffrage; 8, such constitution mast
be ratified by majority OF those
who vote on the question OF ratilca
ton; 4, such constitution must b.
submitted to and approved by Coz
gress; 5, the Legislature OF the Sta
must adopt the Constitutional amend
ment proposed by the thirty.nin.-
Congress as the 14th article, snd 6r.
said amendment must have becoa
a part of the Constitution o. IT,
Udited States, then the State sha
be entitled to representation. No
one Of these conditions has Congress
a right to demand Of the States
they are wholly out of the range Of
Congressional power. Now to vote
for a Convention under this provision
is to admit, in the most solemn man.
ner, that Congress had right to
impose these conditions. And wiz
so much Solcitude to invest tie Negro
with the right of suffrage, sc dis
tinCtly marked throughout these acts
an to leave no doubt that this wa
their paramount object? Was it
that he should exercise that right
freely and without restraint? Let
the efforts of partizan emissaries sem
from the North through tho Som
to tell the negroes how they mus
vnte---to threaten them, to hriha tha}a
by tho. heartless, wicked pro,aist
that they shall have the lands OF tllc.g
former masters if they will vote right,
and 10 inculcate a hostility between
the races that is to end in perpetual
enmity, or in a war that will extsc-
inmate the one or the other, answer
The radical party is the worst epeny
of the negro, as we'll as of the a0t
eminent.
A few words will suffice az 10
supplementary act. 1t assumes ~
entire control of elections in
States, and the right to appoipt
officers whoare to hold them, VII
of the State OF no.. =
complete the work of subiu
the act of the July session
gress gives the registers of
solute authority to exclude any
son from exercising the r
frage, thus sweeping aY e
vestige of liberty the pc A-t3
T(,ontiuued neYt y