, 1869-03-30
TUESDAY, MARCH 60, 1860.
THE CASE OF GEORGIA.

49, s-H& ~ 4OfCA.A-a IQS o n
vious AgreeTe1t- The ret Of June .5
1868, entitled "An Ac: to admit the St.ta
of North Carolina, South Carolina, Lon
"isiana, Georgia, Alabama, and Flo,ida. |,
representation in Congress" recites tha
the people Of said States shave f.amet
constitutions Of State government vhicl
"are republlcen, and have adopted saidcop
statutions BY large mAjolities Of the vote,
cast at the elections held for the rat
i6cahon or rejection Of the game.
therefore, IL WIS enncted tha
each Of said States "shal
be entitled and admitted to renresenta
ton in Congress as State Of tho Unio1
when the Legislature Of such State shal
have duly ratified the amendment to th,
- Constitution Of the United States psopose<
by the Thirty-ninth Congress and know
- as Article IA, upon the following fuuda
neatal conditions; That the constitu
tion Of neither Of said States shall eve,
be so amended or changed as to deprive
any citizen or class Of citizens Of tht
United States Of the right to voto in sait
;" State, who are entitled to vote by The
8 constitution thereof herein recognized,
except as a punishment for such crimes
"as are now fe1oniea at common law,
whereof they shall have been duly con.
q ricted, under laws equally applicable ia
aa ane 'nneo1.anta o1 1ne state.
In the case Of Georgia, however, the &C,
contained additional and specific conditions,
to The effect that the state Of Georgia
Atau only be entitled aud admitted to rep,
tesentaton upon the further condition that
the htst and third subdivisions Of Section OF
the Eth a1hcle Of her constitution {relatinQ
to private conhacts) shall be null md void,
and TINT the General Assembly should BY
solemn oct dec1are the assent Of the State
to That condition. The oct Of Congress
further declared TINT as soon as the Legisla.
ture Of Georgia ratified the constitution
Amendment, and gave its assent to the MIRO
CATION Of the Objectionable provisions of il,
constitution, the State, without further leg.
islation, should be admitted to representa-
ton What has been the action Of Congress
since then under this act
AL these States were admittcdto to pa1hc1-
patton in the election Of President and vice
President. Tho Senators and Representa-
tives Of dl these Sister, except Georgia,
hare been admitted to Congress-. The
House Of Representatives ndmitted the Rep
resentatiyes from Georgia almost immedi-
ately, but the Senate Of the Fosheth Con-
gEes'a and the presea. Senate refused To ad-
nit the Senators from that s;nte. And why :?
The Legislature Of Georgia, Immediately
upon the passage Of this act Of
Congress providing for the at1,nis-
zion Of the State 10 Representation.
promptly ratihed The Fourteenth Amend,
ment to the Constitution and hr ao1arnn
act assenteti 10 the condition that certain
clauses in the State Constitution ahonla 1,a
null and void, and nasented to tho fu,the,
condition that the State Constitution should
not be amended 80 as to deprive any class of
persons of the right to vote. The 1,ccisls-
ture strictly COMPLIED with every condition
provided by the act Of Congress. and vet
The State is denied its representation in tbe
Senate, while all other States haye been aa-
mitted.
Stripped Of all subterfucas tho real canso
for the punishment of Georpia in the fart
that, subsequently TO thesa nroeee<1,
ing, tho white naio.ity in
both branches of the 1epislatnre-.sat at
majority being composed Of Republicans
and Democrats reached the conclusion tha,
while tho State Constitution estab!iabed suf,
frage without any distinction of color. II
failed to remove that distinction ns dis
qualification for holding. Office. Tho same
constitution provides, a. all other constitu-
tions provide, that each houss Of tho Lceis-
latuze shall be the exclusive Judge Of the
elections and qualifications Of ita own men,
bers. The majority Of each house
Of the Georgia Legislature having
the constitutional power. and having.
az they decided, clear case for
its exercise, declared the seats held by the
colorel members to be vacant. This d.
cision, however, is confined to the right to
hold seats in such houses, and does not e.
tend 10 any other Office in the 8tate. 1e~
cause OF this action, smsll faction OF dis
,>rrta1,1o -%;4o ~,o,, :, o.: -
obtained control of the Rsnnb,;c,n
orcsnization thera haze 1n.n tv;n,
to pcrpetuate their ascendancr bV
asking Congress to assume tha
powers and duties Of the government of tbot
State. The effect of the conduct Of these
1uen has been to disgust every c<,lorad man
Of intelligence in Geo.c;a. md to al;enate