Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1869-03-04
.LC0H.rG rCH aD

Tx FIf1rrx7H AAESIAEN--- Inns
Au..,,dsner.t, which i etsrs the E:a'cs FROM
Giving n sLi3e,g he r;glt Of any ct
.s.r,c: he ULitea states 20 Toto on &c
: uus Of race, cyler Or previous CONDITION
# rc. -i:udc. lss ysssod toSh H'n3s q
C.ne-ess I'D POW COS to the Legls's-
s.res ,f tie different States COZ MITIGATION
cr -eil et;5D. Tic radical: claim twenty
FIVE al these legislatures che constitution
:. tircc-fou,ths) which. if correct, will
.e sufficient to adopt the law. provided
,lcv ~ vote IN the affirmative. From
,,.a final debate in tie Senate on this
,,.s.,;on. however, We think this very
r.tIema,ical. That debate discovered
quite difference Of opinion among the
Fs;tlful in reference 20 the Amendment,
Some + ought it did net come fully up to
the mari, While others thought 1t over
,Lot il. and gone were SO recusant IS to
require tic Application oftho party thumb
screv. The tlumbscrew, q course car
rioi The day, but division IN the radical
ranks was nevertheless clearly manifest.
Should this break cut in the Legislatures
o. 1t "a almost certain to do, and the
,Irmb.screw lie found out Of order, away
co,s the Amendment, the funny haste OF
Kansas to the contrary Notwithstanding.
The measure can only he carried by car
rYing every one Of shc twenty-five radical
legislatures and tie present prospect Is,
that this cannot be done
Il will lie remarked that tie Amend
net stors Exactly half way, / he negro
uav vote tut not hold ofsce This will
scarcely please orr ''colored feNo~-elti-
gems" however acceptable 4 may prove
, 70 white patriots in search Of an ofhce--
One woald think il the negroes as race
ore fit TO vote. some Of the color ought TO
be fit to held Office. But the radicals in
Congress didn't see this point or at leas!
didn't act upon it. THIS little sin Of
"cmission" will tell against the measure
with the more advanced OF the party,
while the more moderate republicans may
oppose IL for some Of It's sins of "com-
,riss;on." As is well known, many re-
putlicans arc or7osCd outright to negro
suffrage. Witness the votes Of Michigan
aud other decided radical States upon
this question within tie past year. Is II
reasonable 10 suppose they will siulliy
Themselves III 4 time SO short at the mere
bidding Of Congress Besides, there arc
cher features Of the Amendment Which
many republicans ike no better than the
democrats Il Will effect fundamental
change in the Federal CONSTITUTE n It
will deprive the States ola prerog stiyc IS
s.ntiul to their ycly existence Take
AWAY from TIE States the sht 70 determine
the qualifications Of their own citizens.
ard YOU reduce them to the condition of,
mere provinces. Their dignity and pow
er viii be lost forever The right to reg
ulate suffrage euee uSurPed by the
General Government, national registration
will follow next, and Federal registration
officers will do the work now performed
by local officers. THUS will the work of
Capitalization so on until not q trace of
the original power OF the States will re-
main. Many Republicans. moreover, or
pose the measure because It was not sub
united to the people or submitted to Leg
islatures elected with view to pass upon
It or deferred until the meeting Of the
next Congress They denounco it as
trick to outfank the people and as vio-
latiye Of the pledge made at Chicago not
TO disturb the control of the Northern
States over the question of suffrage. Nor
are these grumblings confined to small
masses or particular localities, They are
heard from large numbers of the rank and
fle and from many of the most decided
radical States. For these and other rea-
sens, we incline to the opinion that the
Amendment will come to grief. And
even if IT does not lift passes-the adop
ton by Kentucky and Maryland-the
States it was specially aimed at--of
small property qualification or an educa-
tiouai c'ause-will leave most of our "col-
ored fellew-citi sens" as fer out in the cold
es ever