The New Orleans crescent., 1869-02-10
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WEDNESDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY 10. 1859.
The ssnrase Aneudment In she Unised
States seasse-ss bstnute and Speech by
Sumner. ft |


In the United States Senate on the 5th, Mr.. Sun
ner offered . substitute for the joint resolutio
| providing Tor an amendment to the Constitution
l It provides that |" the right to VOTE to be vote
Tor and hold ohce, shall not be denied or abridge
anywhere In the United States, under any pre-
sense % % o. race OF color; and all provisions 10 an
or municipal, inconsistent herewith, are herebl
declared null and void.
a. That any person, under any pretense Of rae,
or color, who willfully hinders or attempts to hin
der any citizen Of the United States from beinI
registered, from voting, or from being voted for
or from holding Office, or who attempts by men
aces to deter any such citizen from the exercis,
| or enjoyment OF the right OF citizenship aboy,
mentioned, shall be punished by ine Of not lesl
than one hundred nor more than three thousand
dollars, or by imprisonment in the common jai
for not less than thirty days, or more than one
year. M 1l7TE
"3. That every person legally engaged In pre-
pairing register of voters, or In holding or CON
Quoting an election, who refuses to register or u
preserve, count. return, or otherwise give the
proper legal eject to the vote of any citizen
under any pretense OF race or color shah be
punished by fine not less than $500 and not more
than $4,000, or imprisonment in common Jail moi
less than three calendar months nor more than
80. Tnss the district courts or the uussed ssstej
shall have exclusive Jurisdiction of all ofenses
sgainst this act, and the district attorneys, mar.
pointed BY the circuit and territorial courts of the
United States. with the power of arresting, i'm
prisoning or bailing offenders. and every other
officer especially empowered by the president of
the United States, shall be, and they are hereby
required. at the expense Of the United States, to
institute proceedings against any person who
violates this act, and cause him to be arrested or
imprisoned or bsiled. az the case may be, for trial
before srch court as BY this act has cognizance Of
the offense. a1Il.IIT -
s5 That anv c;t;van rnlavfrrl, d.c-;..s -
any OF the rights OF citizenship secured BY this
act, under any pretense of race or color may
maintain suit against any person so depriving
him, and recover damage, in the district court Of
the United States for the district In which such
person may be found" H9f iGl1 "a
Mr.. Sumner, In the course Of his speech, said /:
"Do not complain If speak strongly; the occs.
sion demands It. I seek to save the Senate from
participation in degrading pretension. Others
may be cool and Indifferent but have warred
with slavery too long not TO be aroused when this
old enemy shows his head under another alias.
ltwas once slavery It 10 now caste, and the same
excuse is assigned now as then. It was in the
name Of State rights that slavery, with all its
brood Of wrongs. was upheld, and Il is now in the
name of State rights that caste, also fruitful OF
wrongs, Is upheld. The old champions reappear
under other Names and from other States each
crying out that under the national Constitution,
notwithstanding even its supplementary amend.
msn,s Isps state euI, may 1t plsssss deny political
establish that stylish institution. caste. This
perversity, which TO Q careless observer seems so
incomprehensible, Ia easily understood when It is
considered that the present generation grew up
under an Interpretation of the national Constitution
supplied by the upholders of slavery State
rights we're exalted, and the nation was humbled,
because In this way slavery might be protected
Anything for slavery was constitutional.
Such Is the lesson we were taught. How
often it bas sounded through this chamber and
been proclaimed In speech. How, under its in.
fueDce, the right of petition was denied. The
atrocous slave bill was enacted, and the claim
was advanced that slavery travelled with the flag
OF the republic. Vain all our victories II this
yield to human rights, and the nation be exalted
as the bulwsrk Of all this, It will be the crownine
victory of the war beyond all question. The rule
under the national Constitution, especially since
its amendments, is: anything for human rights is
constitutional. Yes, sir. against the old rule,
anything for slavery put the new, 'anything
for human rights There can be no State rights
against human rights, and this is the supreme law
Of the land. anything in the Consultation or laws
of any State to the contrary Notwithstanding"
He then argued at length against the sssump.
ton that under the Constitution the power of suf
frsge belongs to the States, and summed up his
arguments upon 1t upon two propositions First,
that there is absolutely nothing In the national
oigsrchy Of the skin, as set up by certain States
and second, that there is in the national Consttu.
ton succession and reduplication of powers in.
vesting Congress with ample authority to sup
press such pretension.
Mr.. Vickers followed in opposition to the pro-
posed amendment. he was still speaking when
the Senate took recess.