The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-03-17
The Negro Amendment.

of the fifteenth amendment to the
Constitution of the Unircd States pass
ed by Congress, and recently submit
ted to the States for adoption, we have
compiled what has been said by lead
ing republican Senators on the sub
iect in the Senate ofthe United States.
After reading these arguments and
admissions, we conclude that no can
did republican can aid or assist. in
foisting such n proposition upon the
great State of Ohio. Preliminary to
the introduction o. tho proceedings in
the United States Senate, we insert
the opinion of the Cincinnati Gazette,
the ablest Radical paper i'll the west.
IL says:
.It has thrown a disturbing Gle
ment into our elections, TO stay till
this amendment shall be disposed of,
which may not be for years. 1t is a
measure which can not stand the sift-
ing process of popular discussion (;
which the Radicals who favor man.
hood suffrage cannot support, and
which all the rest viii oppose as a
matter of course. We have no idea
a Legislature can be elected in Ohio
to ratify it, and yet it must be made
the main issue of the election. The
election argument would have no
weight with us if the measure were
right, but it is not We haze no idea
that it can be ratified by the States
that are in n fit condition TO be COM
petent To act upon an amendment to
the Constitution. Congress was i'll a
state of mental chaos over this amend
ment, aud it finally came to this re-
suit, not because it thought it good,
but because the members thought they
must do something
In the Senate of the United States
Mr.. Fowler of Tenn. said Mr.. Presi-
dent, I do not intend to tresspass on
the time of the Senate, but L wish to
say one word. 1 have already stated
my views on this subject generally ;
but the amendment, as it is now pre-
scented, entirely ignores the great prin-
ciple of human rights. There is moth
ing protective in this amendment ex
cept in regard to color, race, or pre-
vious condition of slavery. The prin-
ciple of the Declaration of ~Independ-
ence is entirely ignored. It is not an
amendment that gives manhood suf-
frlge at all. That part of the subject
I do not wish TO a ANYTHING about;
l have already expressed my views.
The right of suf age is a greater right
than the right of holding office, for
this reason the principle laid down
in the Declaration of Independence is
that government derive their Just
powers from the consent of the gov
erned. Ofcourse the right to hold
Office must be an inferior right TO that
of voting, because it is not supposed
that men who have the right to con
sent to the Government are going to
consent to a government which would
de5ar them from the right to hold
Office.
Again, / think the Constitution as
it stands at present would guaranty TO
each citizen OF the Emitted States a4e
right to hold Office if lie were elected.
| do not doubt on that point myself.
Il proposition is made here 10 incor-
poTate this pfincipl!5 ii The Co"stitu-
ton, and an amendment has been
m6de to it which takes out the princi-
pie from this amendment, thus plac-
ing a construction upon the Constitu-
fiCn urhi.b IoDia- fho ,icl,f nf fI,o at
izeh TO hold Office. Now, if this
amendment is made TO the Constisu-
t:ol as it stands it will deny to those
citizens specified in the amendment
the right to hold office. That is the
clear and inevitable construction of it.
That of course defeats the rights
which the citizen hold under the Con
stitution as it stands at the present
time.
Mr.. MORRILL,, of VII would
much prefer some different amend
ment from this and yet am not pre-
pared to say that this does not go as
lar as would be likely to prove &C.
ceptable to a majority of the people
1 trust, therefore, that, without furth-
er consumption of time. considering
the vast amount of business that is
yet remaining to be done, those of US
who are in favor of accepting the best
that we can obtain will proceed to vote.
Dir. ANTHONY, Off. I'm vot-
ing for it, l vote merely to present it
to the States for their constitutional
action, to ask the Judgment of the
States, upon il, and l by no means
thereby surrender my right of iudg-
ment upon its ratification when the
discussion shall come up in the State
with whose high commission 1 am
honored in this Chamber.
Mr.. WARNER, of Alabama. =
Mr.. President, l desire to say only a
word. want respectfully but earn
estly to- enter my humble protest
against the character of this amend
ment. While 1 shall probably vote
for it in the shape it is, I shall Go it
in Difference to the judgment of
older and wiser men than myself than
in accordance with my own deliberate
judgment. / do notfeel that it is
worth u wkile to change the organic
law of the country, to amend it for
the protection of 4 single class, unless
at least we protect that one class, COM
and entirely. 1 haveno doubt
that if Mississippi or Texas or Virgin
ia were TO come here with n constitu-
containing these exact words
we now propose to put into the
Constitution Of the United States she