Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-10-17
TP PUl5RULL ON SIrFFRAGE

Senator Trumbull has published in The
AdUdnce an article opposing the doctrine
of Mr.. Madison, tbs drawer CT the Consti-
tuition, that that instrument vests in Con
gress the power to regulate the right OF
suffrage in the States. 1t is not very re-
markabIe, perhaps, that Mr.. Madison new
or correctly understood the clause OF the
Constitution on which lie relied for this
power, though he himself was the author of
it. But it is somewhat remarkable that
Mr.. Trumbull should exhaustively discuss
those clauses of the Constitution which
have never bean supposed TO confer this
power, and maintain profound silence up
on the single clause which it is claimed
does confer the power.
The Constitution provides,
l. That electors Of members OF Congress
shall have the qualifications requisite for
electors OF the most numerous branch OF
the State Legislature; and,
III. That Congress shall have power to
make or alter" the regulations of the
States" concerning 'thf time, place, and
manner of ciecting Representatives.
Mr.. Madison, in the Virginia Convention,
explained this TO msan that while it was
deemed desirable that each State should in
the first instance regulate the right Of suf-
frage for itself, yet, to prevent the right
from being granted or denied in such a
manner as would sndanger the safety and
pcrpctiity Of the General Government, it
was deemed advisable to invest Congress
with the ultimate or appellats power 10 al
ter or amend tho regulations Cf the State
respecting suffrage, as it might be found
essential 10 the national welfare. He ad-
mittcd, in response to question addressed
| to him by Mr. Jefferson. tl.at this clause
would give Congress the powcr even 10
pass national Uniform suffrage law, but
affirmed that such power might be ne
cessary TO preserve the very existence of
the Government Mr.. Trumbull is not on
| ly silent upon the authority in question,
but upon the clause Of the Constitution on
which Mr.. Madison based his construction.
| In taking the position that republican
government docs not depend upon the num-
Der Of people who participate in the ''pri-
mary election Of representatives" we sup
poss Mr.. Trumbull would be understood
to argue that the question whether 4 gov
ernmcnt is republican or not does not de-
pend upon the number of people who are
made voters. But this assertion, if true,
proves too much. We might narrow the
suffrage to one man, as is practically done
in all absolute despotismS, and yet this
would be a republic.
Mr. Madison defined the difference be
tween dsmocr2cY and republic TO be
that in the former 'the people meet and
exercise the government in person; in a
republic they assemble and administer il
bv their representatives and agents" In
either case, it must be the people, i. c. the
whole people, /. e. al adult males not dis-
lranchsed for personal causes, who take
part in the government Whichever may
have been called republics centuries ago
today history and usage have identified
the word with those governments only
which are ''of the pcople, for the people
and by the people
Mr.. Trumbull attempts to prove that In
n republic black citizens may he excluded
from the suffrage by citing the example q
various States But this is assuming thai
those States, in that respect, have. beer re
/ publican, which is begging the question
He might as well prove that the black race
in America have always been free, by ci
ting from the Declaration of independence
that "all men are created equal, and have
an inalienablc right TO liberty" The Slave
State gOyernmenments have no more bsen
republican than the slaves have bsen free
There were sections ofterritory and classc;
ofpeoplo in the United States upon which
neither the Constitution nor the Declara
ton of Independence had any practical
operation and if the inspiration contained
in those documents had besn always 'crib
bed. cabined, and confined within the
brains of conservatives and strict construc
tiOnisis, wa doubt i. either Of them would
at present have any practical operation
anywhere; some strict constructions
would doubtless be presiding as the Czal
over that kind Of model republic which
Mr.. Trumbull's airy imagination has de.
yis.d, and in which mono but the Gar
would yote,-N Y. Tyib.