The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-09-30

OF TIE OHlJeQ states \Jfl the COti-
trary, the closest connection, the most +
absolute dependence, and the most af-
fectionate regard. 1t speaks the Ian
guage Of friendship and love. of re-
spect and confidence. Let the same
holy spirit of mutual regard and re-
eiprocal dependence ever mark the re-
lations and the institutions of each /
government.
Ny tellow-citizens, it is the propo-
sition of the Fifteenth Amendment to /
change all this That amendment pro- /
vides that the States i'll fixing the
qualifications of that most important
officer, the elector, the voter of the
State, shall make no exclusion on ac- |
count of race or color. In a word, it
makes negro suffrage a part OF. !" the
supreme law of the land."1 | am not
now discussing negro suffrage; that
will bereached presently. l am dis
cussing the still more important ques-
ton OF the principle involved ia this
amendment. That principle assumes
the right OF three-fourths of the States
TO take from the people of the States
respectively the control of suffrage
within the limits of each, and trans
fer it to the Federal government
The amendment. in its terms, does not
assume to do all this, but the principle
/ it inaugurates does assume that it may
| be rightfully done; for if all amend
ment may impose conditions as to race
and color, it may as well impose them
as to any other qualifications, wheth-
er OF age, sex, birth or condition.
The same principle which claims to
forbid by constitutional amendment
a State from excluding from suffrage
on account of race or color, may also,
by a like amendment. forbid the exctu-
sion of women, foreign born inhabi-
tants, or minors; OF may enjoin any
qualification whatever. In short, may
assume absolute and entire control of
the whole subject, SO that the priuci-
pie sought TO be established by the
amendment, may take from q State,
without its consent, entire control OF
the subject of suffrage. And that, too,
let it be observed, not merely as to
electors ofFederal officers; but equally
as 10 the electors of its own officers.
1t could not elect a Governor, or q
Judge, or a legislator, or even Il jus
tice of the peace, a constable, a road
supervisor, or IL school director, with
out leaving it to the General Govern
ment to decide who should vote at the
election. The one can as much be
fixed by the Constitution OF the Uni
ted States as the other, and each is
alike subversive i'll principle Of the
whole State Government.
Fellow-citizens of Ohio, [ boldly
insist that the States of this Union
have always had, both'before and since
the adoption Of the Constitution Of
the United States, entire sovereignty
over the whole subject of suffrage in
all its relations and bearings. Ohio
has that sovereignty now, and it can
not be taken from her without her
consent, even by all the other States
combined, except by revolutionary
usurpation! i affirm that the right to
regulate suffrage is an attribute of
sovereignty belonging to each State
separately, which has never been DEL
egated or transferred in any way to
any other power or sovereignty what
ever; that, it inheres to each State,
and is not transferable i'll any way to
other power, except by the socidLconl-
, pact of the sovereign people thereof.
, The right to regulate suffrage as to the
organization of its own government,
: and the election of officers under it, is
an inalienable attribute Of Sovereignty
which the State could not surrender
o without surrendering its sovereign
! existence as State. 1t may be well
: conceded that the social compact
n which brought into existence the fed
y erattce community already described,
. might have clothed that community
= with the right to regulate suffrage as
E to the choice of the officers of its own
n government; but the compact did not
9 Nor did it clothe such federative com
! TnUnity with any such attribute oi
! sovereignty over the States. | will
! conced, too, that with the unanimous
consent Of all the States, the choice OF
i the Federal officers now devolFed- Oh
" the different organs of the State Gov.
o eInment might ae transferred to sucl
: elective agents as might be provided
:. for in the Federal Constitution. Bu
q this would require the consent of al
N the States, because not? being one OF
: the sovereign powers delegated to tht
n Federal Constitution by the federativt
i social compact, an amendment can no
n confer new power, but only perfee
a or modify an old one. To take from
q Ohio the power of determining who
n shall exercise the right of suffrage il
70 her own government is not an amend
J. ment of the Constitution, but revo
: lutionary usurpation by the. othel
;S States, i'll no wise constitutionalll
+, binding upon her sovereignty as
p State. 4 --tr -.s.. .... IS. .....s
G Thus far, gentlemen, as to the prin
e ciple of this pretended amendment
It That principle, as we have seen, leaves
IL the States at the mercy of the Genera
IS Government, and in the end, consoli
l. dates all our governments into q cen
s trail Imperialism But the policy i;
j. not less obnoxious than the principle
II 1t must lead practically to the over,
vs. throw of civil as well as political lib.
or erty. There was q time when there
Mt was no need to discuss this. III tht
at pure, simple-minded days of the Re
Ill public, the right of local self-govern
DC ment was dear to the hearts of th'
n people. They regarded it as the only
n shield, as, indeed, it is, for the protec
of ton Of their personal rights and theil
IN individual property. These are th
of rights, too, worth more to the grea
ne working honest masses than all tn
O. NOSE dazzling privileges beside! Pro
" lection to the person, freedom o
u thought and action, right to tn
hit fruits of honest labor, security to tn
&C homes, they are the greatest blessing
Id any Government can vouchsafe it
IL people! And it was once though
TO there was no security for these but il
,ir the responsibility of political agent
ur near to and chosen by the people il
as their local communities. They fough
it for this in the old revlution. The,
er organized their Governments on thi
us idea, when their independence wa
he achieved, But in these evil days
M when most of the great tribunes @
: the people have been driven from til
nd places of power and when narrow
ot minded partisan policy and siniste
he selfshnoss rule the hour, tho peQpl
have become so accustomed to corrup
lat ton and usurpation, that they are les
- keenly alive to the insidious advance
no Of despotisIn. For tyranny, like vice
IL "Wheu seen too oft, familiar with her face