The Portland daily press., 1867-10-18

PORTLAND.
friIay Morningg, 0ctobs IS, 1857.

1 n ~SI LIAM ~
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FriIay Morningg, octobs Is, 1857.
tmporsi"i Suffrage by Act Of Congress.
| We agree with Republican" whose second
communication appeared yesterday morning,
| that national suffrage law is eminently de-
sirable This government is not confedela-
tlon of independent States, but nation, and
it is neither right nor fit that an American
citizen blameless before the law and of mature
age and sound mind, should anywhere within
the limits of his country find himself rerma-
nently excluded from the chief privilege Of a
citizen. Wherever the flag flies, there any
citizen should be privileged to fix his abode,
and there to use his influence in shaping the
laws and directing the destiny OF his coun-
try. The voter in Maine should be able to
become a voter in Connecticut. 1t is the
duty and the determination of the Republican
party to insist upon this doctrine, and sooner
or later to secure its acceptance. We believe
il is right, and in the long run we expect TO
see the right triumphant We may be defeat
ed in Ohio this year, or next; but our friends
there will pick their flints and try again.
Meanwhile Republican" and some others
have discovered that Congress already has
full authority in the premises, and are salts
fled that such a law should be passed at the
next session-should have been passed al
ready, indeed, without wasting time in useless
struggles in Ohio and elsewhere. This may
be true. The Interpretation of the constitu-
ton is not yet complete Usage has in many
cases blurred the original meaning of the in
strument The tenure OF civil offices was com
moply supposed to depend, when the Senate |
was not in session, upon the will of the Presi- |
dent. Our greatest statesmen OF all parties,
Webster, Benton, Calhoun, and Clay, had found
upon closer study of the constitution, that
no such power was granted to the President;
but the popular impression, arising from the /
general usage since Jackson's time, remained |
undisturbed until a treacherous Executive IN |
dertook to use the patronage of his office |
against the party which elected him. Then |
the true reading of the constitution was re-
stored and wholesome law was framed in |
accordance Herewith.
1t may be, as Republican" urges, that we |
have all along been misreading the provisions |
OF the constitution respec ling this matter of |
the suffrage. There is however one point,
which seems to require elucidation. We are
told that Mr.. Madison, in the Virginia Con- |
venton, asserted that the constitution coniers |
upon Congress authority to pass "a national,
uniform suffrage law" Mr.. Madisons author
ity on constitutional questions is of course
very great, though it should not be forgotten
that he alone among our eminent statesmen |
held that the Presidents power OF removal |
from Office was constitutional and unlimited. |
But nobody will pretend that Mr.. Madison's |
authority is to be compared with the authori-
ty OF the Convention which framed the con-
stitution. The journal of the convention
shows that motion was made to strike out |
hewords in italics in the following passage:
ACT. l. s 2. The House of Representatives
shall be composed of members chosen every
second year by the people of the several States, |
dndhe electors in each State shall hare the quail
ifcdtonS requisite for electors of the most nu-
merous branch Of the State Legislature.
The words to be stricken out plainly leave
the qualifications of electors to be determined
by the State constitutions. If they had been
stricken out the constitution would simply
have provided for an election "by the people |
of the several States" and it would have re-
-,ns.rncu nor congress 10 uenne Dy law tne
qualifications of voters. The convention voted
against this proposition with great unanimity.
Delaware alone voted for it; the vote of Mary
land yas divided; eleven States voted against
it.. t ....s. aHiI
The truth is, there was in 1877 a jealousy of
State rights which has since proved mischiev-
GUS enough. 1t is the high privilege Of this
generation to blot out State distinctions and
erect at last a national government. But we
must build upon tine constitution, and the |
work we have in hand must be done by the |
people, Even if the constitutional question |
were clearly settled land we do not now say |
that it may not be, in the course of the dis |
cussion which is beginning,) Congress- must
represent the people in this as in other mat
ters. Our Maine delegation would unques-
tionably vote for impartial suffrage, if the
question came le9itimately before them. But
would Ohio and Connecticut Congressmen
vote in opposition to their constituents? And
it they should, what would be the result of the
next Congressional election in Ohio and Con-
nncticut? When the people of the United
States want impartial suffrage, they will or
dain it in their State constitutions When
they wait uniform suffrage, they will be pre-
pared for an amendment to the national con-
stitution, granting to Congress the right to
define the qualifications OF voters. We believe
they ale ready now to vote for impartial and
uniform suffrage, if the question is properly
presented. If they are, there. is no need of
trying what appears TO be doubtful expert
ment, when the same results, with little pa
tenee, may be accomplished by methods of
unquestioned legality. Il
-Ia5 s Ia Ynlu1 ID nuE q I
WORKING UNDER DIFFICULTIEs.-A cor