Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-10-06
TIRE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT.
What it is--what it Involves,


you are to vote at the election on Tues
day next, incomparabIy the most i'm
IpOrtant in its character andits far reach
/ ing results, is the question of the adOp-
tiOn orreiection of the Fifteenth Amend
ment to the Constitution Of the United
States which IS involved in the election
of members of the Legislature. The
Democratic Legislature of last winter
rejected this proposed amendment, If
q Democratic Legislature is chosen this
year, this action will stand and the con-
sent Of Ohio to its adoption will be with
held. If a Republican Legislature is
elected the action of last winter will be
reversed and the amendment ratified by
a strict party vote; for the platform Of
the Republican party adopted at its
State Convention endorses the amend
ment and makes its adoption one Of the
issues on which they enter the CAM
paign. And the vote Of OhiOin the pres
ent situation Of the matter will be Of the
most critical importance in determin-
ing the results-if indeed it may not be
decisive a vote for the Republican
candidates for the Legislature thus be-
ing avote for the adoption of this amend
ment and a vote for the Democratic
candidate being vote against it; We
( are really voting on an important change
! I'm the organic law of the United States,
and it behOoves us all TO understand its
character, effect and operation. Espec-
tally does it behOove US to do this be-
cause the action we take now, is virtual
/ IL irrcvocable. Ordinary questions of
party policy may be settled this year or
next year. If they are settled wrong
/ Iy at one election they may be reversed at
! the next. But it is not so with changes
I in the constitution. An amendment
which ten States may keep from being
adopted, twenty-five States cannot undo
after it is adopted. It is the more i'm
portant then to take no step without be-
ing fully satisfied Of its wisdom, which
we can not remedy in the peaceful mode
presented by the constitution if its Oper-
alton should prove injurious. What
then is this amendment and what are
the means by what it is sought to be
made part of the Constitution. The
amendment is as follows:
SEC. I. The right of citizens Of the
United States to vote shall not be deni-
ed or abridged by the United States or
by any state on account of race, color,
or previous condition Of servitUde.
SEC. 2 The congress shall have pow
er to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.
The way in which this is perhaps
most generally regarded, is that an at
tempt to force negro suffrage Oh all the
States, whether they favor it or not;
and that it is the same question which
was voted down by the people of Ohio
two years ago. This is true but it is not
all-it is a very limited view Of the
scope of the questions involved. But it
is one Of the most obvious questions pre-
sented-and is perhaps the primary one
in the minds of the peOple:-the ques-
! ton whether negroes every where in the
| United States shall be voters. Whatdo
the people of Ohio think on this subject.
Is there any evidence that they have
changed their views since they voted
against the measure two years ago. It
is not necessary in considering this
question to appeal to any prejudice OF.
hatred agasnstthe negro which it seems
to be assumed that some persons feel. [
have no such feeling myself and do not
propose to appeal to it. It is not q mat
ter of prejudice but principle. The SIM
pie question is, can the negroes and
whites be fused into the same social body;
can they be completely mingled i'll sOci-
ETY., and in marriage; and if not where
will you draw the line; where can it be
drawn except at the point where par
ticipation in government begins--wfth
the ballot.
We often hear it said that social equal.
ity has nothing TO do with political
equality; that because you 60 up to the
polls and vote with man it does not
follow that there need be any social in
tercourse between you. But a mo-
ments reflection will show you the fal-
| lacy of this argument; and that it arises
from confounding the individual with
the class to which he belongs. It is quite
true that you may vote year after year
alongside with man, and yet have no
social intimacy or even acquaintance
with that particular man. But at the
same time you will be thrown into in
tercourse with others of the same class
and race to which he beIOngs-and that
by the operation of the very political
equality which is said to have nothing
to dowith il. Trace QUITO a mOmentthe
inevitable operation of the thing. The
moment the negro becomes a voter he
also becomes by law a juror. He also
will have theright to hold office-which
we see already extended to him by Gen.
Grants dministratiOn-many imporA
tant offices at the South as we'll as clerk
ships at Washington being bestowed on
cOlOred men. Indeed the right to vote
without the right to be voted for, would
be barren privilege and if the two did
not co-exist, the right to hold Office
would soon be demanded and accorded
as the price Of the votes of the negroes. |
As matter Of fact we find this right of
being elected to Office existing in those
Southern States, on which negro suffrage
has been forced, and that their legisIa-
lures are nearly half colored men. What
then will be the result. In some Con- |
gressional districts at the South the ne
gro voters will be in the majority and
have the power to elect men Of their
own color to congress. In many other
districts they will hold balance Of pow
er between cOntending parties, each of
which in bidding for the colOred vote
will give whatever is asked. Colored
members will be elected 10 congress. |
When you reach this point, you will
find the social and the political elements
90 intimately blended, that you cannot
draw the line between them. Besides
the daily association in the House and
on committees, there are tho state din
ners at the Executive mansion to which
members ofcongress are regularly invit-
ed dinalphabetical order; there are the in
auguration balls from which the cOlOred
members and their families could hard
H. 10 o1-o1rdod. fboro oro tho lnvnps ofl