Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-18

1hO pAatIOEnb Iuoy aUOPUOu III
entering upon the election which |
resulted in the choice of Gen. Grant,
expressly conceded to the States
the right to control the question OF
suffrage, a right they had exercised
since the foundation of the govern
ment. The convention that nomi- |
mated Gen. Grant gave utterance to |
the following sentiment upon this
question
"The guarantee by Congress of equal
suffrage &c all loyal men Of the South,
was demanded by every consideration of
safety, of gratitude, and of justice, and
must be maintained, while the question
of suffrage, in all the loyal States, prop
erly belongs to the people of those
States"
The Democratic party were
equally pledged to the country upon
this issue as the Radical, for IN
their national convention they
adopted the following ''plank :"
"Amnesty for all past political ofenses,
and the regulation Of the elective fran
chise in the States by their citizens.
There is no doubtful expression
in these "planks" taken from the
platforms" of the two great politi"
cal parties of the country. Both
parties solemnly pledge themselves
to leave the regulation of the cleo
tive franchise to the citizens of the
States, just as it had been regulated
from the time the constitution was
adopted, and just as the fathers of
the republic intended. The new
President had not been inaugura-
ted before the successful party
kicked its solemn pledge to
the dogs, and made bold strike to
secure for Congress the exclusive
control of the elective franchise.
The Congress did not seek this
authority directly from the people,
the source of power in free gov
| eminent. 1t was not proposed to
submit this question to conventions
of the people, or even to Legisla-
| lures chosen with direct reference
to the clothing Of Congress with
this absolute power. 1t was sub
mitted to existing Legislatures,
elected like their own body, upon
The distinct pledge that the States
were not to be disturbed in the con-
troll of the question of suffrage
within their borders. And these
Legislatures were urged to ratify
with indecent haste the proposed
amendment. The purpose of Con-
gress is more clearly foreshadowed
in q bill introduced in the House of
Representatives by Mr.. Boutwell, at
the same timo he reported the pro
posed fifteenth amendment. The
following is the text of the bill:
A bill to secure equal privileges and immuui-
ties to citizens of the United States. and to en-
/ force the provisions of article fourteen of the
amendments to the constitution.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
OF Representatives Of the United States
of America in Congress assembled. That
no State shall abridge or deny the right
of any citizen Of the United States to
vote for electors OF President and Vice
President of the United States, or for
Representatives in Congress, or for mems
bers of the Legislature Of the State in
which he may reside, by reason Of race,
color, or previous condition OF slavery,
and any provisions in the laws or con.
stitution of any State inconsistent with
this section are hereby declared to be
null and void.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted,
That every person lawfully engaged in
preparing a registry of voters, or in holds
ing or conducting an election for any of
the officers named in the first section OF
this act, who shall wilfully refuse to
register the name, or to receive, count,
return, or otherwise give the proper
legal effect to the vote of any citizen ems
titled to vote for any officer named in
the first section of this act, on account OF
race, color, or previous condition Of
slavery Of such citizen, shall be punished
by a fine OF not more than four thousand
dollars or by Imprisonment for not more
than two years.
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That
any person who shall wilfully hinder or
obstruct any citizen on account Of the
race, color, or the previous condition OF
slavery Of such citizen, in the exercise OF
his right to vote for the officers named in
the first section Of this act, shall be pun.
ished by fine Of not more than three
thousand dollars, or by imprisonment for
not moro than one year.
Sec. 4. And be it further enacted,
That any person disqualified by section
three of article fourteen of the amends
ments to the constitution of the United
States, and from whom such disability
shall not have been removed by act of
Congress, who shall exercise the powers
and duties Of any Office therein specified,
shall be guilty of q misdcmeanor, and
being convicted thereof shall be i'm
prisOned and kept at hard labor for the
term of two years; and an indictment
for the same may be found at any time
within ten years from tho commission of
the Offense.
Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That
the District Courts of the United States,
within their respective districts, shall
have exclusive Jurisdiction of all olfenses
committed against this act, and the dis
trict attorneys, marshal5 and deputy
marshals of the United States shall and
they are hereby especially authorized
and required, at the expense OF the
United States, to institute proceedings
against any person who shall violate the
provisions of this act.
1t is clear from the third section.
of this bill that the purpose of the
Radicals is to take from the States
all control of the elective franchise,
and give the exclusive control OF the
matter to Congress. With the
fifteenth amendment ratified and
such law as this enacted, State
lines would be literally obIiterated,
at least SO faras the franchise guess
ton is concerned, and it would be