The union Democrat., 1869-03-06
The Constitutional Amendment.

The Congress Of the United States have
passed another amendments to the Coastitu-
ton by the requisite vote and will submit 1t
to the Legislatures of the various States: it is
rs follows: "The right of any citizen Of the
United States to vote shall not be denied CT
abridged by the United States or any State
on account of race, color or previous condi-
ton of sersitude" Thus another right be-
longing to the States, will be swept away
should this amendment be ratified by three
fourths of their Legislatures, thereby depriv-
ing them of the power to regulate suffrage
within their own limits. The phraseology of
the amendment as passed differs from the
original the words land ho.d Office also.
nativity '.creedr education and "prop-
er,y'' having been stricken cut. There is
little or no difference between the amendment
as passed and the original one. The effect
would be the same under either, to deprive
the States of any right or power 10 deny sui
frage to any of the inferior races, and oblg-
ing them to enfranch:se oil classes and con-
ditions who are not now entitled to be under
existing laws. Take this and the former
amendment together with the Civil Rights
Bill and no other conclusion can be arrived
at. except that it is intended to give the in
ferior races new rights, such as they are ex-
cluded from enjo7ing under the present laws.
If negroes and Cinnamon are allowed under
the Constitution of the country the right to
vote. as natural consequence they will be
entitled to hold Office, and no power that can
be evoked will be strong enough to keep them
from doing so in those sections where they
may be in the Ms ajority.
The party in power are making rapid
strides as Constitution makers, it is Difficult:
to foresee what they will not do so long as
they have the power. The Reconstruction
acts were intended in the first instance for
the Southern States, but as time passes and
new amendments are added 10 our organic
law. their acts are made to affect not only the
South but the whole country, the real truth
is the Radical party desire to reconstruct the
whole union, in such manner that they can
hold on to power for all time. During the
discussion in the Senate while this amend
ment was pending Senator from Massachu-
setts declared, he had fought slavery for thlr-
ty-three wears, he was willing to take what
he could get, that one step made the next
easier, and he should continue to agitate un-
til equal rights to all men are undisputed,
70
passage because the Republican party would
not have two thirds majority in the next
Congress. The next offer the thirty-three
wear fighter of slavery intends for the benefit
of the country is not yet developed, but that
he intends not to stop until the negro and
Chinaman are sunk to his level, we must be-
lieve from his Acknowledgements was not
willing to postpone action on this amendment
to the next session, to be passed upon by
BODY more recently chosen by the people, for
the reason that manhood" suffrage receiv-
ed hard usage in some of the States at the
last elections, and there might be some doubt
as to its receiving the requisite number OF
votes in that body.
The hope of being saved from mongrelism
rests now with the different States, Congress
has done it's best to deterorate the quality
of American citizenship; the honor ct the
country may yet be preserved by the people
acting through their representatives. Many
Of the States have elected their Legislatures,
where this question has not entered in the
canvass, therefore it is impossible to antici-
pate what they may do. AT the coming
election in this State, the amendment Will be
one of the issues of the campaign. there can
he no doubt as to the action of California,
the first law of nature will require the States
of the Pacific to vote against any measure
tending to the enfranchisement of the Chi
nese now within their borders, should facili-
ties be given whereby these pagans may en-
iov the same privileges that white men do, II
is but fair to expect that thousands more will
come from the Celestial Empire to take
hand and assist in carrying on manhood
government upon this coast.