Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-10-14
THE FiFFEENTH AMENDMENT.

Gov. Senter recommends the rat
itication of the proposed fifteenth
amendment, and among other rea-
sons therefor urges that it would
"tend to create friendly interest in
Congress and perhaps win the strong
helping hand ofthe general govern
ment in our many wants"
Is Congress hostile to the inter
ests Of the States? If so, then all
the moro important that we should
not place it in the power Of Con-
gress to legislate so directly in the
local affairs ofthe States, as it would
be authorized to do under the fifo
teenth amendment. Have the States
been reduced so low that it has be-
come necessary to "win the strong
helping hand of the general gov
ernment ?" If so, then SO much
the more injury has Radicalism in
fiicted upon the country. Our
forefathers, those wise men,
who formed our government
thought it wise and prudent that
each State should legislate exclu-
sivcly upon its own local affairs;
that each State should determine
for itself who should be its voters.
Before the rise of Radicalism it was
never suggested that there was
anything impolitic in one State
requiring that none but citizens of
the United States should vote in
the State elections, and in another
State permitting the foreigner
to vote who had not rcsid-
ed over twelve months in
the country. 1t was left
entirely TO the discretion Of each
particular State to say who should
and who should not bo vested with
the right Of choosing all State Off
Gals. This gave entire satisfac-
ton to the whole country. But a
new order of political prophets and
lawgivers has arisen in the land.
They seem TO think that the Federal
Congress should be made omnipO
tent, vested with full power to de
termine the qualifications of voters
for every Office in the State, from
the constable to the Governor. This
is directly antagonistic to the de-
liberatc councils Of the sages who
formed our constitution, and if car.
ried into effect will place US under
the control Of j dynasty scarcely
less Objectionable than Imperialism.
The safe way is for our Legisla-
tors 10 heed the lessons of the past
and cling to the teachings Of the
trainers of our government. We
submit the following from a recent
speech of Gen. Cary, Of Ohio:
When this question was before Con-
gress proposition was made to submit
the ratification of this amendment to the
Legislatures Of the States hereafter to be
elected. That would have been fair,
would it moi? Every Republican voted
against submitting il 20 the Legislatures to
be elected. They wanted il submitted to
the Legislatures, because they saw they
would be able to force il on those States,
and then they could get the requisite three
fourths of the States TO ratity it When
this matter was before Congress, MIR. Brig
ham, Of Ohio made a speech in favor of
il, and the Cincinnati Gszette denounced
IL most bitterly, and said il would destroy
the Republican party ia Ohio il Congress
attempted to do any such thing. Howard,
of Michigan, said that the people Of TO
State of the Union would ratily this
amendment. I asked lin why he objected
TO il. He said it was because IL only pre-
hibi,ed Congress from preventing persons
fram vCting On account of race, color OF
previous condition of servitude, aud there
by left it open TO Congress to prescribe
such other regulation as they desire. Pass
this law and they can make religion
test, and pass laws that no Protestant can
vote. Adopt this amendment and you
surrender yourselves to be controlled by
congressional enactment. 1t goes further.
Ii gives Congress the right TO prescribe
who may vote for Mayor in this city, and
who may vote for the members OF The
Legislature.
Alexander Hamilton said we could not
have a strong government, because the
matter Of suflrage was left with the States
James Madison said the secret of the
States against overthrowing the power OF
the government, was that the matter of
suffrage was regulated by the States Now,
it is proposed 10 strike down that policy
Of our Union.