The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1867-08-30
Not Republican Form Of Government.


neither be heard in the enactment of laws, nor
felt in their execution, nor participate in the
distribution of the revenues to which they are
made to contribute"
We hardly know whether to take the above,
which we quote from an editorial of the Balti-
more American in Saturdays issue, headed "The
New Constitution" as serious or not If we
were to regard the many appeals of the american
made to the people for the adoption of the pre-
sent Consultation, just after the adjournment of
the Constitutional Convention of 1864, as seri-
Gus, it would seem that we ought, in common
Justice to take the article referred to as mere
joke. 1t is impossible to suppose that any man
who is earnestly opposed to the Constitution
Just adopted by the late Constitutional Conven-
tion on account of its failing TO confer the right
of suffrage upon the negro, could be serious in
his support of the Constitution of 1864. The
first section of the first Article of the Constitu-
ton of 1864 commences in these words "All
elections shall be by ballot, and every white male
citizen Of the United States of the age of TWEEN
ty-one years or upwards, who shall have resided
in the State one year next preceding the cleo
ton, and six months in any county or any legis-
lative district of Baltimore city, and who shall
comply with the provisions CT this article of the
Constitution, shall be entitled to vote at all cleo
tions hereafter lreld in the State"
1t will be noticed from what we have given
above from the Constitution ofls64 that the right
of suffrage is not conferred on the "one-fourth
of the free adult citizens" of whom the american
of Saturday speaks. Yet with this sone-fourth
of the free adult citizens "deprived OF all par
ticipation" in the administration of the Govern
ment, the american, together with every other
Republican newspaper in the State, called, less
than three years ago. Justify on the people of the
State to vote for and ratify this very Constitu-
ton. If the negroes of the State are now en-
titled to the right of suffrage, why were they
not equally entitled to the right of suffrage three
years ago? Then the Republican party was in
power in this State; then no man outside of
their organization dare open his mouth then
they had Constitutional Convention in session
at Annapolis, of their own choosing then they
had the same power to confer the right Of suff-
rage on the negro that they had to set him
free, and why did they do the one and refuse
the other2 We understood at the time that
there was one, aud only one member-and he
from this Countrywide had the moral courage
to urge this question ofsuffrage upon the men,
bers of the Convention. But the proposition was
no sooner made than it was smothered, and from
that time to within less than year past the whole
Republican press of the State have insisted that
it was no part of the intention of the Republican
party of this State to insist upon negro suffrage
Weasked why the Republican Constitutional Con-
vention of 1864 did not confer suffrage as well
as freedom upon the negro, and the answer is so
easy and SO we'll understood by every intelligent
man in the State, Republican as we'll as Demo-
GRAFT, that we hardly think it worth while to re-
peat it here. But if there are any who are not
familiar with it, here it is: In 1864, when the
Constitutional Convention was in session, the
Republican party had the control of the State,
and in making the Constitution of that year,
they provided for the Acknowledgement of as
many Democrats as would give them majority
of the vote Of the State as they then stood they
therefore refused to enfranchise the negro be-
cause they did not then need his vote to aid
them in getting or retaining power.
But things have materially changed since
1864, and the Republican party is now
largely in the minority in this State, hence the
necessity for the negro vote just now. 1t would
not seem, from the course ofevents, that the Re-
publicans favor negro suffrage for the reason
that they desire to favor him, but only because
they need his vote, to reinstate them in power
which by their misdeeds they have lost If they
were actuated by any other than selfish motives,
why did they not confer the right Of suffrage on
the negro by the same means that they confer
red freedom upon him. 1t is not very reputable,
it is true, to grant favors from selfish motives
alone and we would rather account for this
change of Republican views in some other way,
but facts and circumstances point unerringly to
this as the real cause ofconversion, and we must
take things as we find them. But to the difference
between the Constitution ofl864 and the Constitu-
ton of 1867. The American says:
'tNo such Government meaning Republican
government can be properly said to exist where
one-fourth Of the free-adut citizens are deprived
of all participation in its administration"
TNow this very thing, the constitution of 1864,
made by the Republicans themselves, did, and
yet the american supported it with all its might,
aud as strenuously opposes the Constitution
which is to be voted upon on the 18th of Sep
TENDER, for doing the same thing. The first Sec
ton of the first article Of the Constitution just
framed OF Annapolis commences in these words
GAN elections shall be by ballot, and every
white male citizen of the United States of the age
of twenty-one years or upwards who has been a
resident of the State for one year, and of the
Legislative district of Baltimore city, or of the
county in which he may offer to vote, for six
months next preceding the election, shall be en-
titled to vote in the ward or election districts in
which he resides, at all elections hereafter to
take place in this State" We gave the provi-
sion of the present constitution DISTINGUISHING