The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-05

The Expulsion Of the Negro Members from
the Georgia LegisInture-A September
session of Congress.
Congressional reconstruction in Georgia has
come to grief In the House of Representa-
tives of the reconstructed Legislature on Fri
day last, after strong discussion of several
days, a resolution was passed by a vote OF
eighty to twenty-three declaring, under the
new radical State constitution accepted by
Congress, the negro members of the body
twenty-five in number-ineligible on account
of their race and color. Four doubtful mem
bers remained, who claimed to be white men;
but their cases are to be investigated With
the announcement Of the vote the expelled
negro members rose and left the hall, bowling
to the Speaker and waving their hats to the
House as they retired. The closing speech
on the question of expulsion was made by
black member named Turner-and a strong
and somewhat startling speech it was, too-in
defence of his equal rights ON the floor. AS he
retired he brushed the dust from his feet as an
expression of his contempt and as declara-
ton of war against the combination which had
expelled him.
Now, we have in this proceeding the beard
ing of the African lion in his den and there
will be some trouble about it, The reports of
the proceedings resulting in this expulsion of
these colored Legislators are not very clear as
to the composition of this anti-negro white
vote. If we are not mistaken, however, the
radical majority in the House as it stood was
made up of the negro members but the reso-
luton which declared these members incompe-
tent to vote on the question of their own
eligibility being supported, as our CORE
spondent informs us, by over half the republi
can whites, they, too as 1t appears, have
fallen under the Indignation of the blacks.
Turner, however, in his closing appeal poured
out the phials of his wrath against the demo-
cracy, and said that democratic principles will
never find their level till they reach the regions
of Pluto and Proserpine, and that 81 will do
| all / can to make my race hate democracy"
that ''this thing means revolution. Look out,
carpet-baggers! When we go they will turn
you out, impeach Governor Bullock and upset
the constitution"
The truth of the matter appears to be this:
The republican members, or sufficient num-
Der of them to carry the point, finding the
democrats intent upon expeling the blacks,
assisted them at least so far as to declare them
incompetent to vote on the question of their
right to seats in the House, and thus giving
full power to the democrats to carry out their
design, it was carried out We see here
session of Congress, and such session will
doubtless be the result. But what can Con-
gress do in this matter? The State constitu-
ton, under which this proceeding was pushed
through, has been accepted by Congress, and
Georgia holds now the status of New York as
a State in the Union. But the constitutional
amendment, article fourteen, says Qirst sec
tom, that ''all persons born or naturalized in
the United States and subject to the jurisdiction
thereof are citizens of the United States and
of the State wherein they reside" and mo
State shall make or enforce any law which
shall abridge the privileges or immunities of
citizens of the United States" &c. We have
nothing here about officeholding, but we know
| the construction which the present Congress,
on this Georgia test, will apply to this article;
it will be that those negro members of the
Legislature were wrongfully expelled. What
then? This fourteenth article says at the close
(section five) that ''the Congress shall have
the power to enforce, by appropriate legisla-
ton, the provisions of this article"
The case, then, is clear enough. The radi-
cal party in Georgia, finding the negro vote
slipping away from them, assisted the demo-
Gratis, so far at least as TO give them the ma
jority in the House of Representatives, to
expel the negro members, in order to make a
case which would compel Congress to assem-
BILE in September to reconstruct Georgia and
| the other reconstructed States over again.
| The Georgia democrats, it seems to us, have
made great mistake in being inveigled into
this trap; for the negro vote which they were
rapidly gaining, will probably. be rallied
against, according to Turner'S declaration that
81 will do all I can to make my race hate the
sion of the negro members from the Georgia
Legislature we may look for September SEES
sion of Congress and little more Of Southern
reconstruction.
The New DOmnion-Nova scotia Votes Repeal.
Matters do not improve in the Dominion
Confederation. Attorney General wilkins has
claimed for Nova Scotia the liberty TO secede
when she wishes from the Union. II Nova