The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-05-20

The rose and lily Of the soul,
That cannot fade away.
THF FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT.
Report of the Committee ON Federal Re-
lations of the Ohio Senate.
Mr.. Lawrence, from majority of
the Committee on Federal Relations,
to whom was referred III, J. r. No LAT
" Rejecting the proposed Fifteenth
Constitutional Amendment" submit
ted the following
- %D REPORT. saea
That they have given the subject
such careful consideration as its grav-
ity demands,and believe that said Fif-
teenth Amendment, in its effects,
changes the very elementary structure
of our Government, by oyerthrowing
the fundamental principle upon which
the union of the States was originally
formed, by depriving them of the
power to control their own elective
franshise-a right which, as free States
they have exercised prior to and ever
since the adoption of the Constitution
of the United States shorn of which,
no State can be rightfnliy said to pos
sess republican form government.
For the moment any authority outside
ofa State can regulate her right to de-
eide who shall take part in making
laws for its domestic affairs, such
State ceases to be, a self-governing
community, which is the very essence
of government republican in form.
The Constitution of the United
States guarantees to every State i'll the
Union such government, which guar
antee extended to all the States adopt
ing it, subject only to. the limitation
that the then existing State Govern
ments should not change their origin
al form so as to become anti-repubican
Consequently, every State since ad-
mitted into the Union, whose Consti-
tuition is similar in. substance to the
old constitutions of the original thir-
teen States, is republican in form,
though partisan ingenuity has pre-
tendedytO hold otherwise, as to the
States lately in insurrection against
the Federal authority. A usurpation
however, which the majority of the
Congress proposing the XVIII amend
ment were solemnly pledged, before
their election, not to apply to such
States as Ohio, by the National Con-
vention which nominated General
Grant for President, declaring that
''the guaranty by Congress of equal
suffrage to all loyal men at the South
was demanded by every consideration
ofpublic safety, of gratitude, and of
justice, and must be maintained !;
while the questionsof suffrage in all
the loyal States properly belongs to
the people of those States" Hence
the attempt now to take the control of
suffrage from the people of Ohio and
fix it forever beyond their reach un der
the guise of an amendment to the
Constitution of the United States,
forced through to ratification by the
aid of Legislatures manufactured to
order by Congress itself in some States
and in others elected before the amend
ment was sprung, is gross fraud up
ON popular rights, which in the better
days of the Republic would have con-
signed its contrivers to everlasting in
fanny; when success in obtaining and
holding political power by unblushing
chicanery did not pass for statesman
Ship Indeed, it is not to be doubted
that this amendment is such funda-
mental change of the nature and prin-
ciples upon which our Government is
founded, as to warrant the courts in
declaring it unconstitutional, unless
ratified by the people through conven-
tons of the States. as an original
grant ofpower to the Federal Govern
ment. And especially when we con-
slider that the Congress which pFopo-
ses this amendment is itself an ineom-
| fplete legislative body +; for it through
partisan malignity, excludes from its
deliberations sovereign States over
whom this proposed amendment, if
ratified, will be supreme law-thus
forcing governmental rule over both
an unwilling and unrepresented peo-
pie.
I But aside from the political marali-
ty of such fragrant breach of faith, es-
pecially in the case of Congressman
from this State, in which sixteen ont
of nineteen Congressional Districts,
on direct issue, gave popular ma
tjority against the proposed amend
ment, when the present Legislature
was elected, let us consider for mo-
msnt in what condition does the Fif-
iteenth Amendment place the right of
suffrage in the States, if adopted.
The Fourteenth (so-called) Amend
ment remains in full force, except SO
far as it may be modified by the Fif-
lsteenth, and provides:
=" Sec. /. All persons born or natur-
allied in the United States, and sub
ject to the jurisdiction thereof, are
citizens of the United States and of
the States wherein they reside. 2
-" Sec. 2. Representatives shall be
apportioned among eiseveral States
according to their respective numbers
counting the whole number ofpersons
in each State, excluding Indians not
taxed. But when the right to vote at
any election for the choice of electors
for President and Vice-presfdent of
the United States, Representative in
Congress, the executive and judicial
officers Of State, or the members of
Legislature thereof, is denied to any
of the male inhabitants of such State,
being twenty one years of age and
citizens of the United States, are in
any way abridged except for partici-
patton in rebellion or other crime,
the basis of representation therein
shall be reduced in the proportion
which the number of such male citi-
zens shall bear to the whole number
of male citizens twenty-onc years OF
age, in such State" 1t has been ar
.gued that the XVth proposed amend
ment forbidding Acknowledgement on
account of race, color OF previous
condition of seryitude, permits the
State to make other qualification for
voting which by operating alike on all
classes, black and white, will estab-
lish impartial suffrage, 1t will be