The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-05-23
Iron the Consrssationalist.l
citizenship and Risbt OTsunrngs
By REv. LEONARD BACON, D. D.

Il UNIV Juob bINh iC0hli& III buC OON-
greodtiondiiSt an article entitled fright
of Suffrage, ''and subscribed "Quidam
Ignotus." The article refers, quito
disapprovingly, to certain remarks Of
mino on Senator Wilson's proposed
bill for guarding and protecting the
right OF suffrage in the United States"
My unknown friend" i'll may 80 tran
slate his Latin signature, does not ven
.ture to answer my qucstions( Congreqd.
tionaiist April 81, though he says they
might be 'easily answered" instead
of that easy task, he proposes" as he
says, "to suggest TO YOU Mr.. Editor,
the propriety of asking me a few \
questions founded on that article; and
he makes some attempt TO show what
those few questions are.
Perhaps might reply, without lack
of justice or courtesy, by saying of his
questions, Us he says of mine, that they
may be "easily answered and that
II do not now prOposeto answer"them.
but assuming lie writes in good
faith. Twill answer his questions frank
ly and explicitly.
!. lie wants TO know what is the
idea IN my mind, which the words
objective franchise and the parellel
words, right of suffrage" express and
arc intended to convey.
] answer that the idea i'm my rnnd
which those phrases express and are
designed to convey, is the very mmIl-
lar i0ca of a right tovote in an election
Of political officers.
2. lie ask concerning "tho elective
franchise" 'the right of suffrage" or
in others words, the right to veto, sis it
II right ut alI!'
l answer, certainly, it isl right in
Connecticut; and us j understand the
case, it is tt right in every State and
county in which any officer ofG0vern-
ment il designated by electors.
B. He ask concerning this right
ITO whom does !, appcrtain p
answer, it appcrtains, IN any par
ticular State or county, to Just those
persons on whom the lar ofthdt State
or country has conferred 1t.
4, Referring to the State in which
| live, he asks whether the right IN
question appcrtains "to the c~itizirs of
Connecticut, or to n portion Of them
those who have peaked noses and
straight HAIR"
/ answer, to neither. The right Of
voting in elections j. conferred. by the
organic law of Connecticut, not on citi-
zens simply rs such, out on citizens Of a
certain description; and the description
Of the citizens who are TO vote il not
HAT fIaN ,tI.aN.. t,a.k.I paa,a md
straight haIr' To save him trouble of
asking again, | will tell him Just what
kind ola citizen i'm Connecticut has the
right Of voting. /. The citizen dc
slring to be vested with this right must
be invested with it hy the sclcctmcn Of
the town; and they arc to invest him
with it if he has the following %qualif-
cations, and not otherwise. 2. The
citizen must be n "male citizen" 3. Tie
must he white, though it is not rcQuir.
ed that hc shall be clean, nor is any
thing said about his nose or his hair.
4. He must be not less than twenty
one years Of age. 5, He mus, have re-
sided in the State one year, and in the
town six months next preceding the
time Mt which he offers himself 6. lie
must have a good moral character
which means believe. that he must
nothave been convicted Of crime in any
court. :. lie must be able to read. s. He
must take q certain oath prescribed by
law.
3. My friend Ignotus asks whether
the elective franchise is a fright of cit
izenship."
/ answer no, neither in Connecticut
nor any where else within my know
ledge. .
G.. lie asks. as Is u natural. sivil,
political and consi tutiUnal right?'
answer, 1t is not a natural right. If
il were, it would belongto persons who
can not read to persons who rei 0 V
ed into tho town, or state, only yester-
day-to persons Just out of tho pcni-
tertiary, 10 minors, women, and per-
sons not white. Nor isn't, IN my under
standing ofwords, Il civil right. II is
II political right, in0smuch as itdepcnds
on the policy, or governmental scheme
OF the commonwealth IN which it is ex-
ercised. It's constitutional. inasmuch
rs it is conferred and guarded by thC
Constitution or organic law ofthc State
winch designate men TO Office by the
votes Of Its electors
Z. lie asks when tho Constitution
says the House of Representatives
shall DO composed of members chosen
, = + X * by the people, citizens
Oor peoplean citizens mean the same
does he understand that the people
p have any rights in the mattor?'
/ answer, l do understand that tho
- people have rights IN the matter o
1 electng their representa- tes IN Con
gress; and one Of t1eir rights IS tia
when lgnotus undertakes 10 quote tn,
S Constitution on that subject he shall
t quote it correctly. Ny copy of tn