Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-07-04
oB.ZEc7YoMs CONSIDERED.

"The Wilmington COMMERCIAL argues the
duty of Congress IA take DalAware in hand
and provide her u 3 fsprblican form of
government, under the well known clause |
of ,the Constitution which Mr. Sumner
thinaa available for inppsing negro suffrage
on the NpftA, and which the winter would |
also employ for correcting nc unSaual ap-
dHiicalfy, aiSaat Is that of allxhose who
have s6S2HSso give Titslits 10 the clause in
question, Is that no State can be shown to
have less republican form Of government
now than when 1t took part in framing and
adopting the Constitution, which thereupon
became the certificate fol-. Its, republicanism
whereas all the seaboard slave States, Della
ware included, are, by the abolition Of sla-
very, nearer the ideal republic than ever.
But such an act of Congress as would Salts
fly the minority Of legal voters In Delaware,
though 1t might make the Union homoge-
neous, would not content everybody, nor
wound II settle thesdiefinition of 80 republic
can form of government" There will be
plenty of women and not few men to
assert that we have still only sham republics,
SO long as sex is condition Of the suffrage.
1t will do no harm if the discussion con
tinue little longer, so that, when our ideas
Of aequality" and "right" are fixed, we
may amend or interpret the Constitution
once and for all. !"
Thus says that thoughtful journal, Ihe
Nation. Now we are going to consider
the two points of objection here made.
LIST. "No State can be shown to have
I" less republican form of government than
sswhen it took part in framing and adopting
+" the Constitution, which thereupon became
{" the certificate of its republicanism.
On the contrary, SO far is this allegation
| from correctness, that every State of the thir-
teen which framed the Constitution, except
one, the pestilent South Carolina, had Con-
stitutions which made no distinction in vo-
ting, on account of color. Not only did the
Constitutions cover the right Of the colored
citizens, but in most of the twelve states,
they actually exercised it. In this State OF
Delaware, the Constitution, adopted in l776
and in force till 1871, plainly and undeniably
gave colored citizens the suffrage, for Its Ian
guage is of the broadcast possible character.
If they were deprived of the ballot by sta
tute, or otherwise, the law or custom was
clearly unconstitutional.
We therefore hold, precisely in opposition
to The Nation, that each OF the original
thirteen, except South Carolina,) which
does not now allow its colored citizens to
vote has a less Republican Form than when
, the Constitution was framed
t And in this State, as to which oui
: argument is most concerned, there is still
another reason why it has a less Republican
form than at the adoption of the Constitu
, ton. The reason is simply this, that the APP
i portionment Of the Legislature by counties
instead of population was not then essenti
ally unfair, since their population was nearly
3 the same in each, but the anti-Republicaf
t character has grown up since then by thu
g immense preponderance in the number O
its citizens, of one county over either of tn,
1 others.
7 1t is further curious fact that in the Con
0 yention, when the guaranty to the States
was being discussed, there was opposition
to it on the part of some members because
it might be held to protect what they con
sidered very far from Republican Form
, existing in South Carolina.
Then as to the Nations second point.
"All the seaboard slave States, Delaware
" included, are, by the abolition of slavery,
y "nearer the ideal Republic than ever
: By no means. Just the contrary. The
theory as well as the fact of slavery is thai
the slave is chattel-property. Itisthere
fore the pretence, and plausible one. wher
!. we consider the character Of the slave sys
y TEN, that the vote Of the master was cast il
behalf OF his slaves as well as of himself
He stood in the political organization o
:. their representative. But when the slave
= were emancipated they became citizens
! members of society, recognized by the law
u as equal to any, except in the exercise o
u suffrage.
The Anti-Republican character of til,
slave State organizations was therefore in
creased and not tessened by the freeing o
the slaves.
@ We recommend these considerations II
The Nation.