The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-06-02
R e O r. II
OF THE s--
Committee on Federal Relations.

Committee on Federal Relations.
Mr.. LAWRENCE, from a majori
ty of the Committee on Federal Re
lations, to whom was referred III. j
r. No. 147, "Rejecting the proposed
Fifteenth Constitutional Amendment,
submitted the following
REPORT.
That they have given the suhject
such careful consideration as its grav
Iity demands, and believe that said XIV
amendment, in its effect, changes the
VERY elementary structure of our gov
ernment, by overthrowirg the funda-
mental principle upon which the un-
ion of the States YVES originally formed,
| by depriving them of the power to
control their own elective franchise
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 rightfully said to possess
a republican form of government.
For the moment any authority outside
of a State can regulate her right to
decide who shall take part in making
laws for its domestic affairs, such
State ceases to be a selfgoverning
community, which is the very essence
of government, republican in form.
The Constitution of the United
States guarantees to every State in the
Union, such government, which
guasantee extended to all the States
adopting it, subject only to the limita-
tion that the then existing State gov
ernments should not change their orig
inal form so as to become anti-repub-
lican. Consequently, every State
since admitted into the Union, whose
Constitution is similar in substance to
the old constitutions of the original
thirteen States is republican in fern,
though partisan ingenuity has pre-
tended to hold otherwise, as to the
States lately in insurrection against
the Federal authority. A usurpation,
however, which the majority of the
Congress proposing the XIV amend
ment were solennly pledged before
their election, not to apply to such
States as Ohio, by the National Con
vention which nominated Gen. Grant
for President, declaring that "the
guaranty by Congress Of equal ssuf,
frage to all loyal men at the South
was demanded by every consideration
of public safety, of gratitude, and Of
Justice, and must be maintained; while
the question of suffrage in all the 10y
al States properly belongs to the pco
pie of those States" Hence the at
tempt now to take the control of suf-
frage from the people of Ohio and fix
it forever beyond their reach under
the guise of an amendment to the
Constitution of the United States for
ced through to ratification by the aid
of Legislatures manufactured to order
by Congress itself, in some States, and
in others elected before this 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 fundamen-
tai change of the nature and princii
pies upon which our government is
founded, as to warrant the courts in
declaring it unconstitutional, unless
ratified by the people through conven-
tions of the States, as an original grant
of power to the federal government.
And especially when we consider that
the Congress which proposes this
amendment is itself an incomplete
legislative body; for it through parti-
clan malignity, excludes from its de-
iberations sovereign States over whom
this proposed amendment, if ratified,
will be supreme law-thus forcing
governmental rule over, both an un
willing unpresented people.
But aside from the political morali-
ty of such fragrant breach Of faith,
especially in the case of Congressman
from this State. in which sixteen out
of the nineteen Congressional districts,
on direct issue, gave a popular ma
jority against the proposed amendment
when the present Legislature was elect
ed, let US consider for moment in
what condition does the XIV amend
ment place the right of suffrage in the
States if odopted.
The XIV so called amendment re-
mains in full force, except so far as it
may be modified by the XIV and pro-
vides--i
s'Sec. 1. All persons born or natu-
rallied in the United States and sub
ject to the jurisdiction thereof, are
oitizapc Of tba IInitad Statns and of
the States wherein they reside. 4
"Sec. 2. Representatives shall be
apportioned among the several States
according to their respective numbers
counting the whole number of persons
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 President of
the United States, representatives in
Congress, the executive and judicial
officers of State, or the members of
the Legislature thereof, is denied to
any of the male inhabitants of such
State, being twenty-one years of sge
and citizens of the United States, are
in any way abridged except fer partic-
ipation in rebellion or other crime. the
basis of representation therein shall be
reduced in the proportion which the
number of such male citizens shall
bear to the whole number of male cit
liens, twentY-one years of age in such
State" 4---
1t has been agreed that the XIV
proposed amendment for bidding dis
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