New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-10-31

I
vote on the proposed constitutional amendment has been
completed There were 269s7 votes cast for the propo
siton and 255 $40 against IT, The number Of blank votes
was 1227G, thus making the constitutional majority
against the measure, 5O,G29
THE HON. THADDEUS STEVENS on TIE
POLITICAL SITUATION.
The following remarks, recently made by Mr..
Stevens TO old personal friend are given to the press
with the consent and request Of heirauthor:
Mr.. STEvENs-Whatcyer construction shall be given 10
the Constitution in It's present condition by tins Cogis
m will be likely TO he accepted. through future time ns
its true meaning IL IS important therefore mat thG
that II hou be most literally construed, 10 secure
all human rights. In the changed condition Of ourcoun,
and Of that instrument which, while H. a, 10 ts p.u
Sis' nay 10, %I ~ The rbnnring Necessities of
humanity Before the Constitution was amended, could
rC atVe Win sie aws relative TO the elective
franchise IN the United States. The circumstance OF
Are- fbe amendment abu.hlug slavery st.ll doubted.
and proposcd constitutional remedy the 9th day 0i
December, 1865, III the following words; All hhiionW
laws shan be equally applicable 10 every ch.-ui,
and no discrimination shall Ice made on account oi
race and color. Since the adoption al The lfth auehu
mcnt however have Doubt 81 orr fun power reg
ula the elective rnucise far a. II regards the whole
nation in every State Of the Union. which when tried
hope will be formed 10 be beneficial 10 the hAo,
Just every citizen and carry ont the great design OF inc
trainers Of the Government according 10 thtir oA
pressed in the Declaration Of Independence u chh"t
fail 10 be beneficial and convenient, Whch we consueI
the trouble and Inconvenience Whlch oliLeH W uuo
State encounters when he travels tcinpoiaiy luo ah'
other Instead OF being brother at home he j. nov an
alien in his native land While be par'eates in an me
burdens and anNleues W Tue 1o''.,"i..H -,
Is forbidden ,, 99nTssdeHti 'An Irnc
his desuies for the next four years In T mere 40
principle Of republican justice Tho Constitution ~ I.9
did not carry ont the principles ot government Wmch
ver' intended by the fathers Nhch, W. ~. me 'u VIZ
foundation Of the Government on which the nation was
10 b. built. Then they bad been Inspired with such
ligh from ON high as never man vas t,I,a WIN U,olv
in tie great work Of providing freedom Tor thc huu1
n,u dvs ~ ,tli contincnt which Ina N, mn.
tonai character should be governed by Laws 81 su
prciue uuyary Ing character While municipal iustu-
chi he Granted with self control for convenience,
It was never intended that ouchalf Of this nation
half by another ana conflicting the same subject
TOE laws the priuCpic which Was 20 apply to the o"c
ers the PcuuhscOt Was 90 apply 10 those Oh 'hc 5.NNu
and susquchanua. else the Declaration would have
proclaimed the une-ihe people the Penobs'ot or
susquchanna-wcre born free and egunl. aud those on
the Savannah with modified equality thnt the pnP
the other had naCnabc rights but perfect ey "hshpt
among them' Ihe gIahd ldea oi tnoo lun," i ' ,s
that there were certain rights privileges, anu lmnun,1
which belonged to every being VINO had an Immortal
soul, none of which should bo taken li! n, ITO, O"Iu
be surrender them IN any arrangement WIN soce'y 20
essential 10 the poe OF the whole community was ittna'
every man should possess each on mes Isnt ls.s,
and mmunities that he was forbidden ny us creator TO
part with them. lie could not sell hmst lac c0ua not
ar ls children into slavery. lie could not sell hi- life
for price lie could not surrender the right TO pursue
Every Instrument founded such contract no matter
how SOLEMN matter how hedged about by broad seals
no matter how stamped by State cg,aton aud executive
approval, Of these things gave IL life u was nun
AMI void; il was CORPSE INCAPABLE Of animation. am
DECLARATION Of Independence, who had determined mat
there were certain principles Which, 10 SNS PerSSo D
DEFY this position without laying heavier burden upon
on human being than another without being authorized
10 do 80 10y their CfcaOrf Who eau doubt that
If sou put such power into the hands OF the best men
IL will DO abused unless restrained by equal laws
Why should be responsible TO his temporal
or eternal Governor than another and be punished by
different rulesI ] know that when they came TO frame
obliged 10 postpone some OF those universal principles
aud to allow individuals and municipalities TO violate
them for awhile. thank God that necessity longer
exists The lawgyers OF America are now as free to act
as Samson when the fire had touched the flax. May
they never again be beged by any Conservative Dcllah
suffer their locks 10 be shOrn aud their limbs TO be
hound by the whes OF twisted Constitution The laws
which then intended be universal mast now be
govern The whole American nationality must now be
made to cover and control it, whole national
action throughout this grand empire Towns,
their separate organization not inconsistent Herewith.
but must not incorporate any principles In conflict with
those great rights, privileges and mmuntes What are
those rights pririleges, and impniiesf without
Guiding Others, three are specifically enumerated lie,
ga and inaienabe 1t follows that everything necessary
fo their establishment and defense is within those rights
you thereby grant the night of way 10 by ingress and
egress. Disarm community, and you rob them
OF the means or DEFENDING NE Take away
their weapons OF defense, and you take away
the malenable right Of defending liberty This
brings MS now directly to the argument by which We
prove that elective franchise is RIGHT Of the Deca
and not merely privilege, ana ~ one Ofthe rights
and mmuntes pronounced by that instrumental bo in
qLdb" Has our fathers declared all Just government
IA derived nom the assent OF the governed II Ia Federal
republics that assent be ascertaned and established
only through the ballot IL follows that 10 take away that
means Of communication is To take away from the citizen
his great weapon OF defense, and reduce him TO helpless
bondage IL deprives him OF an inacnable right This
clearly proves that the elective franchise ranks with
~ f and "HJert" in its sacred ualenable character
But while the Declaration clearly proves what the inen
tn then WAS tho action Of the Convention In framing
the Constitution Of the United States u seemed 10 me, bar
tered away for the being, OF those inalenabe
and inst gated by the heish Institution Of Slavery
shown that The elective franchise Is one OF the inaenabe
rights OF man. without which ms liberty cannot be de-
tended and that suspended by tho arbitrary Con-
suon OF 1882 let II that suspension has becn re-
uyed leave hands unrestfaned In restoring
full vigOr while still acting under the Constitution
Ttat right appertans 10 every citizen But while this
suspension existed, the natural love OF uespoh induced
communities hold that each State might Tx the qualh
cations rights. and depriyatOns OF us own czeS Tue
fourteenth amendment, so happily adopted, settles
the whole question: places every American citizen on
perfect equality of rights, so far as merely national
RIGHTS and Questions are concerned. It declares that
"ill persons born or naturalized. In the united |
St tes, and subject to the jurisdiction thcTeOi,
are citizens OF the United States ana OF the state
wherein they reside state shall make or enforce any
las which shall abridge the privileges ana lmmeSo
citzens OF the United States nor sha any person De
deprived OF NE, liberty or property without que process
OF law nor deny any person within Us Julhu,I9n 'o
equal protection OF the laws III ny inc ahshaou t
70 tuition every American CitiNn u thuueu ~ 'I'H
privc ges with every 0thrr American cIen ana Sf'iy
American citizen Ia any one Of inc 6tts hhoulu ~
found entitled 10 impartial suffrage WIN eN'IS "tu'i !
American citizen in any state, then It follows as an IN
e1 liable conclusion that suffrage throughout thls hHuon
ga impartial ana universal, far ~ every hun'nH !