The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-07-11
NEGRO SUFFER AGE IN THE NORTH.


calls are prepared to force negro suffrage
upon the PEOPLE Of the North by Con
gressional action. At the last meeting
of the National House Of Representa-.
tives the judiciary Committee was in
structed to inquire whether, under the
Constitution, Congress has power to
prescribe the qualifications Of voters q
the several States, anil, if deemed ox-
pcdient, to report bill prescribing the
same, This is q moyemcnt in the same
direction as that made by Senator vii.
son, and tho adoption Of the resolution
shows that the majority are willing to
take this advanced grouRa, and hold it,
if possible, by an appeal to the people.
The instruction given to the commit.
tee with reference to the constitutional
power of Congress to interfere with'dhe
qualifications Of voters in the several
States is a mere cheat No man who
has read the Constitution, or is at all ac
quaintod with the theory Of our govern
ment, will pretend that Congress has
right to say who shall and who shall
not be citizens Of State and exercise
the elective franchise therein. That is
Alright belonging to the people of the
several States. Why should the citi-
zcns of Maine force upon those of Penn
sylvania or Ohio a class Of voters they
do not desire to have a voice in public
affairs ? The Constitution gives them
no such right, nor was it ever claimed,
until the Radicals came into power and
openly set at defiance the plain provis-
ions Of that instrument. Negro suffrage
was forced upon the South by Congress
sional action in order to build up a
Radical party in that section of the
Union, and negro suffrage will be inau'
gurated in the North by the same
means, as a scheme for Strengthening
the same oraanization in the North.
ballot into the hands Of any class they
please within the territory of a sover-
eign and indopeLdaut State, then they
have the right to deprive Of the
elective franchise any other class that
may fall under the ban OF factional or
partisan displeasure, II Congress can
coustitutionaly use the one power they
can exercise the other slso. If the nc,
groes of Pennsylvania may be enfran-
chised by Congressional action, the
whites may be disenfuuchisod in the
same manner. This is fair intcrper-
tation Of the position assumed by the
Radicals when they assert and main
tain the power of Congress under the
Constitution to enter a State and raise
The negroes to the full stature Of
American citizenship, and the people
must look at it in this light.
What would be the practical effect if
Congress should exercise the power to
declare who should and who should not
JIG citizens Of a State? Certainly the
dominant party, as means OF perpetual
ing its authority, Of holding the purse
md directing the sword, would ostraciso
al. who differed with them in political
opinions and sentiments. If negroes
would support their policy aud candi,
dates, they would be allowed to ape
IsOach the ballot,box, il white men
cared to face the governing faction, and
vote according to their cyn, ictiOus, the
axe Of partisan bigotry would fall upon
heir right Of voting. In this manner
the great distinctive feature of our sys-
tenn of government would be turned
from its legitimate chaLpel and made
potent instrument, in destroying The Re,
public, and setting up in its stead a des
potism far more irtolerable than that of
Russia or Turkey.
Negro suffrage, as sought to be en-
forced in the Nor'h by Congressional
action, is plain invasion of the great
principles on which the American cleo,
tive system rests, and also a direct at
tack upon the rights Of white men. A
party that, in defiance of the plain and
evident meaning Of the Constitution,
will force certain persons into citizen
ship ia State ~ Congressional action,
will q e r. ,nchise others by tho same
means, when such course is necessary
in order to rerpetuatc their power. 1t
is the intention Of the Ralicg)s to con-