The Van Buren press., 1868-06-26
Admission Of Arkansas,

L
Kentucky, on the admission ofArkansss,
under the new Constitution:
"Thc facts connected with the forrna,
/ ton and submissioh of the Arkansas
constitution have been so ably presented
in speeches and reports at the other end
orthe Capitol, and the fraud and injustice
of the measure so thoroughly exposed
/ by the honorable member from the Ash
land district and by others, that rcpeti-
ton by myself would be almost entirely
useless s ..... -
There is n condition precedent and
condition subsequent to the admission Of
| the southern States The first requires
the performance of an act concerning
which the other States have been left to
their own discretion, and the second or
| dains the omission of an act which the
other States may omit or not at Will
The condition precedent requires the
southern States before admission to adopt
the fourteenth amendment to the Consti-
tuition; and in case of their failure or re-
! fusal TO do so their exclusion would be
certain They are not left to deliberate
upon thepropriety and cxpedency ofthe
measure, and to adopt or reject 1t as their
/ judgments may approve or condemn;
but Congress, BY the exercise OF power
wholly unauthorized by the Constitution,
/ has established this new test Of admis-
/ sion to the Union.
"The conditions subsequent is incor-
pomted into the act to admit the State of
Arkansas to representation in Congress !;
and provides that the Constitution shall
never be 50 amended or changed as TO
deprive any citizen or class Of citizens Of
the United States OF the right to vote
who are entitled to vote by the Consiitu-
!tion herein recognized except as a pun
fishment for crime.
! "This last condition was inserted to
porpetuate negro suffrage and Radical
rule, and is probably the most flagrpnt
example of unconstitutional and partisan
! Legislation to be found upon our records,
! A negro cannot be deprived Of the right
Of suffrage unless he Is convicted Of q
crime which is a felony at common law ;
and yet there are thousands of white
men who are stripped Of this privilege
who have never been convicted of any
oiTense whatever. Those who favor i'm.
partial suffrage cannot support this bill.
Negro suffrage is IN experiment, and
there is great diversity of opinion as
to the propriety of comforting such u
privilege upon large class who have
| been unGccustomcd to and who are deem
ed unfit for it's exercise Many of the
northern States in their recent elections
! have rcfusedto accord this right to the
negroes in their own borders, but still
! they do not hesitate to place the southern
States rnder their control. lfexpericnce
4 shall demonstrate the fact that the negro
is unworthy of the trust reposed in him
by this Constitution if the white people
are to pay an annual tax of twenty mil
lions TO support him in idleuess; if, in
stead of progress, ignorance and super.
sttution should east their dark shadows
over his feeble understanding; if, spurn.
ing our religion and our laws, he should
erect the standard Of revolt and inau-
gurste another rebellion, still you could
not deprive him ofhis right or suffrage
under the fundamental condition ofthis
bill until YOU had convicted him Of Il
crime which amounts to felony at com
mon law.
Though your Constitution, your
laws, and your Liberties should perish in
the storm, negro suffrage must be saved
! from the wreck The other articles Of
the Arkansas Constitution may be amend.
ed rs time and experience may demon.
stratc the propriety or necessity; but ne
gro suffrage being the highest achieve
ment Of Radical philosophy, must stand
pure, unchanged, and immaculate. Our
ancestors, who were at least as wise as
ourselves, chose to withhold suffrage
from the negro ;,anl if you shall change
their practice and bestow it, upon what
principle will you fasten your judgment
upon posterity in the shape of IN ire.
peaIable law .eH.
! Congress may admit new States, but
deny any authority to readmit the old
States into the Union, especially when, by
fair computation, as in this instance 1t
appears that a decided majority Of the
people voted against the Constitution.
"A reference to tho report of the Of
fcer appointed to investigate the frauds
clearly shows that the election was con-
Quoted in violation of the express orders
OF the general commanding the district
and in conflict with the registration law
Of Congress.
"Thc majority for the Constitution
was 1916 votes. In Pulaski county The
vote exceeds the registration by l,l95.
In this county few oaths were administer
ed and no questions were asked concern
ing the residence Of the voters. The ne
grocs seem to have voted as often as they
desired ip the same or in different pre-
cncls. In Jefferson county seven hun
/ drcd sud tbniy persons were allowed to
vote who were registered elsewhere, and
! the election was conducted on the same
liberal principles as in Pulaski, and even
more so, AS voting by proxy was permit,
ted. A negro woman, whose husband
Wat In iail oast n vote for the Constitu.