New-York tribune., 1867-07-15
THE CONVENTION.

COMMITTEE TO REPORT THIS WBLK
rHLzsxAPE ?
ALBANY, July l3.-There was q thin attendance OF
delegates to-day. and the session was DEVOTED to
ppeech making Prof Dwight of Columbia College
law School gave an able and lucid expose of the
theory of government, under which he held that
there was no sound argument for excluding the
negro from the right of suffrage Mr. Francis o. The
Troy DAILY Times followed in favor of submitting the
Constitution as a whole TO the people. The prncipai
speech OF the opposition made by Judge Sey-
snOur of Rensselaer,, demanding separate submission
of the question of negro suffrage, the ground that
other more important questonsln relation 30 finance
canals and the Judiciary would enter into the new
Constitution which should not be biassed by the in
PRODUCTION of an exciting political theme. At the
conclusion of his speech, the Convention adjourned
10 Monday evening at o'clock.
For the first time since the Convention was fairly
ganzed there was to-day apparent decrease III the
number OF petitions and resolutions presented This may
have been owing the fact that there was not quorum
OF the members present 70 the feeling that begins 10
prevail that they pushed their statistical inquiries
to the limit of usefulness. The following memorials
BY Mr. BECKwITH Rep, C1Dton)- AGAINST appro-
By MT SHERMAN (Rcp, Oncidal-from Geo Curtis
of Utica relative to the defects in the Assessment law
five 10 the sale of aduterated liquors. .,.,-
BY Mr. WHEELER (Rep)-lOr Aqnor plohiDi'lonS'
The following resolutions were presented;
Mr. sCHOONMAKER Dem, Ulster)-That the Canal
Appraisers report list of canal claims against te otto
st undecided and pending before them ior S9lndlTsU
specifying the general nature oi tle e!ai .i % anu nc
as demanded by claimant and particularly ees.sha.@inS @
such as are pending by virtue Of special statute ana
giving q reference TO the statute. -, A.,
Mr. SHERMAN Rep., Oneida moved tnat Wneh tne
Convention adjourn II be 10 mohuaS hcA' az T. LII '
BY Mr. FULLER Rep., MonroeD-For the adoption Of
prO rata freight tariff ON railroads. Referred -,
BY MI BELL tlep., JefersonThat pending the i ois-
cusson of the Suffrage question the Ooh'etion VIII
NoId vauiu NO
The Convention then went into Committee of the
Whole upon the report of the Suffrage Committee Mr.
Alvord Rep.1 in the chair.
Mr. r W DWIGHT Rep., oneida had not intended to
dsou the question at this stage mad not been that on
Yesterday an attack made on his friend and colleague
DIR Ideber In order TO have clear understanding or
the vexed question of the right Of suffrage 1t would be
well to establish general principles that may DE
applied to particular 1t necessary TO go backtO
the origin Of Government in order to do this.
Man IA a social being and needs the restraints
of society Society surrounded the Pilgrim fathers IN the
BIayhower they claimed the rights OF Enghsh eenen, en-
so at the West the settler IS under the Ss OF Ihe
United States. Men without society may nave Ights,
Out they have remedies; and what is "a Tght worth
without remedyl For the necessary development oi
man society @ s,6ef1ae s & e T light Of society to
erpetuate limits and controls the rght OF suage
with this Government we seek 70 & Pebbe b aTe tS Sa r
to do that we must select those VINO % pot Of
any man or class of men will help along along
the true development of society then u is right TO admit
them 10 such priveges otherwise, they should pe eN
cluded Under this rule TWO classes only Should De eH
cuded-those who arc dVldnaly mcapaclt3ato ~ rom M
right participation in the Government ana those VINO
would be apt 10 suDYeIt ana destroy IT, & vi tdo "a at nc
class he would not speak now bur VINO DeIOhg 10 ue
first oiass9 Five things required 70 make man III
TO participate the administration OF government; l.
Intelligence sufficient to comprehend the prinel-
pies of Government; 2 lndepenaenCei 3. lnlegfltyi
oiety. Under these rules who are excluded First
infants and persons OF unsound mmd Seooha; pau
pers; third feOns and criminals torth those VINO are
Interested unlawfuy in the result OF any eeconi Iym'
aliens and those who had not Deen long e9ou IN IN te c @
no. IN
may be divided into casSesthe active ana the pas
tie them to vote those VINO have not so that there
must always be class VINO nave hot tAe ot ~ W.
elective franchise But we adopt any Other IuSs tnd
the above seek to exclude men OF the ground OF Te
our Goyernlnent rests Let us apply these ye rules to
the case OF the eOOred man. Take them IN reverse
order Can say that the eoored man Is not ncorpor
ated i'm sOeietya Certainly for he lives and labOrs in
the country in which he born; and by birth he be-
meti Clearly not for the country is his as wen as ours
Is there any want OF integrity Certainly ne Is nof "a
labOrs his livelihood as do others Clearly then
the only ground which his exclusion can be placed
does not maintain property quhcaloH IVI A!nIsel4'
but because the people have maintained heretofore
He admits the qualification to be radically bad, ana yet
he wants us who representatives OF the people, 10
submit their vote question That is radically wrong
The people have already decided that the negro III some
cases has intelligence enough TO vote -. AL,
principle it would not be necessary to admit women to
'' MT DWIGHTNAdmitting the capacity Of women the
result might be prevent the right development OF so
Gle
question The particular form under which this property
qualification in regard TO the negro exists Is the worst
erty or may tenement for % years but he Is not
unless he has freehold estate OF $3.50
let us insult the intelligence OF the people by submit
student Yale College freehold Of s. was required OF
the students who voted 1t was said that certain pot
Oian who owned large tenement was IL the habit OF
deciding 10 the students ON the morning OF
election, and taking them back again az nlglt
Thus in the morning they were endowed with all the
civic virtues by Of their freehold IN the evening"
they sank agan into insgnicance Snch s the praccal
working OF freehold qualification Inc eentleuah Ifo
Kings (H. C. Murphy quoted yesterday nom i ldeDeI'
90 prove the physical nfeony OF the negro IN order 70
show that he was not lifted Tor suiIage NAa I te9r
did say was that there were certain races Us ne hI,
went on to say that the did lot belong u TINS cla
dcatiOn. This be demonstrated ID passages Tea showing
DIR iebers opinion that vzatOn had not only improved
the mental condition OF the negro ahu lhe ply seI @
ton head but he has placed ni on the same leVe
deyelopinent Now Prof Agassiz denies the statement
about his visit to Charleston ana his uIendy CRITICISMS
upon the negro. Humboldt also tat there no es
seuai difference between the skull Of the negro and that
of the Caucasian. so much fOT authorities. Dr LeDer
mas GSen SSd 'o he lost the Presidency Of
South Carolina College IN consequence or
MS supposed unsoundncss the negro question. The
SPEAKER said that he In past years himself bad preju
dces against the and voted IN 1886 against negro
suffrage. He used to be looking at ms heels 70 see
whether he had any brains But an Incident had changed
s this. few years ago he stood on Union-square III
Hew-YOrk, amid crowd OF men whose representative
Ing further into the crowd ne saw ranks OF black men IN
uniform OF the soldiers OF the united states ana on
the sidewalk he saw their wives ana daughters VINO
looked with as much pride and sympathy upon their
black husbands and brothers. as white women mad done
From that hour ne ielt tlat nic negro was q hi me
hammer OF conviction fell upon the rock OF prejudice and
ground it 70 powder He was not ashamed 10 say that
he felt affection for those men whO when everything
was dark and the cry "no quarter TO the niger was
ringing through the SOUTH marched out to defend the
family and country Of the white These men we're IN
teligent enough TO vote. There might be exceptions
but as elats they are ~ TO e1eGSse d II, the pS
every class, as a. class, who are permitted 70 vote