Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-04-02
The Fifteenth Amendment.

The Fifteenth Amendment.
There has been one or two turns OF the
wheel since our calculations were made In
regard to the probable fate of the Fifteenth
Amendment TO the Constitution OF the
United States. We then regarded Its
adoption a question of doubt. We still
believe its success very problematical. We
then counted against it the following seven
States of the ten necessary to defeat it :
New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Ohio,
Kentucky, California and Oregon. We re-
garded as doubtful Connecticut, New York,
Pennsylvania, Indiana, Missouri and
Georgia. Since that time Kentucky has
voted against it of the certain States, and
Georgia of the doubtful. The election
which will decide the question in Connec-
ticut takes place on the 5th of April In
New York the Legislature has not noticed
the amendment, and we do not believe it
will. In Pennsylvania the Senate has
voted afirmatively upon it, but as yet the
House has taken no action, and there seems
to be some doubt whether anything will
be DONE In Missouri, although the
people declared against negro suffrage by
an overwhelming majority last Fall, the
Legislature ratified an imperfect copy OF
the proposed amendment received by tele-
graph, and adjourned until next winter.
This same body will then ratify it, we sup
pose.
In Ohio the present Democratic Legisla-
reject the amendment, but they prefer to
refer it to the people of that State at the
October election, and abide by the result
This action is in striking contrast with the
haste in which Radical Legislatures in
other States have ratified the amendment
without permitting the people to vote upon
it. It will form the great Issue of the
campaign in Ohio this year.
To prevent the ratification of the amend
ment by the Legislature of Indiana the
Democrats of the two Houses resigned and
left the Legislature without a constitu-
tional quorum, which is three-fifths of both
Houses. The Governor Immediately Or
dered special election to fill the vacan-
cies, and every Democrat, without excep-
ton, has been returned. The Legislature
meets on the 9Th OF April by proclamation
of the Governor A number of necessary
appropriations have not been acted upon,
but we take it for granted that if the Rad
ical majority of the body insists upon
taking vote upon the amendment before
the ordinary and necessary legislation is
completed, the Democrats will again
resign and leave the Legislature without a
quorum. In other words, they intend to
force the Radicals of that State to pursue
the same course which the Democrats of
Ohio have voluntarily adopted in referring
the whole question to the people at the
ballot-box.
To thwart this legitimate and proper
course Senator MORTON, of Indiana, has
introduced a bill into the Senate of the
United States, making the Fifteenth
Amendment valid if a majority of sufi-
cient number of the Legislatures of States
ratify it. Whether Congress will go so far
as to declare what shall constitute quo
rum of a State Legislature, or the Supreme
Court shall enforce laws enacted under
such legislation, we do not know. When
such encroachments upon the rights of the
States are permitted and endorsed, then
the pretence of State governments will
remain only empty and shallow mockeries.
1t is pretty certain that universal negro
suffrage will form the principal issue in
the autumnal elections North, and we are
satisfied to abide the result with patience.