The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-03-11
THE SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT.


We Ind the following in an exchange
The constitutional amendment guarantee
ing impartial suffrage to all citizens of the
United States passed the House by yeas
143, nays 43, and passed the Senate, by
yeas 80, nays Is, and is now submitted to
the States for ratification. 1t is the last,
but not the least, of the great measures
Of justice and reconstruction made neces-
sary by tie Shareholders rebellion. 1t is
the capstone of the edifce-the keystone
of the arch-and its incorporation into
the organic law of the nation is essential
to the future peace and stability Of the
Union.
It reads as follows
Be Il resolved, DC, t,ro thirds OF both
houses cohcm71ng, That the following
amendment to the Constitution of the
United States be submitted to the Leg
islatures of the several States, and, when
ratified by three-fourths threof, it shall
be part of said constitution.
PARTICLE Is The right of the citi-
zens of the United States to vote shall
not be denied or abridged by the Uuited
States, or by any State, on account of
race, color or previous condition of servi-
tude.
"SEC. 2. The Congress shall have
power to enforce this article BY appropri-
ate legislation.
Congress spent months before agreeing
upon the Fifteenth Amendment. The
Southern Senators insisted On including
the right to hold Office as well as the right
to vote, and others wanted to prevent
educational and other tests but finally a
Conference Committee agreed on the
above phraseology, which was adopted by
both houses of Congress. as the best and
simplest and least objectional that could
be devised. This amendment, when rati
fed by the States, will take the negro
question out of politics, and terminate
forever the long disturbance of the pub
tic peace over the civil and political status
of the black nan. Thereafter the color
ed individual will cut no figure in Ameri-
can politics as an element of discord and
dangerous contention. He will have all
his natural and political rights guaranteed
to him and then must work out his own
temporal salvation. The long agitation
commencing with the repeal of the Mis-
souri, Compromise, fifty years ago, will be
happily ended and discontinued, and
Grants prayer, Let us have peace, .
will be realised, No member of Con
gress or the Republican party is more
DESTROYS of the adoption of the Fifteenth
Amendment than President Grant At
every fitting opportunity this winter he
urged members of Congress to frame and
submit suitable amendment guarantee
ing impartial suffrage to all men and
making suffrage national and constitu
tional right of every citizen. No longer
ago than yesterday several Senators call
ed on the General to learn how he stood
on the constitutional amendment giving
equal suffrage North and South. Gen
eral Grant replied that he understood
the amendment, and hoped the States
would ratify it. He replied that the Re-
publican party were bound to see this con-
clusion realized. This statement he de-
sired all the gentlemen present to under
stand was not for their private informa-
ton alone, but for the whole country to
hear"
There are twenty-three Republican
Legislatures in session at present, and
none of them should adjourn until they
have ratified this important amendment
1t will require the ratification of twenty
six States to adopt the amendment. Two
Republican Legislatures have adjourned,
but can be assembled, which makes
twenty-five out or the twenty six, and it
is morally certain that the Republicans
will carry the Legislature of either Ohio,
Oregon or California next fall. Three
States remain to be reconstructed Vir-
ginia, Mississippi and Texas, and the rat
i6cation of the impartial suffrage amend
ment will be condition precedent to their
representation in Congress.
The Democrats will not combat this
amendment with their old intense malig-
nifty toward the coiored man. They have
become sick and besides they have made
nothing by their past opposition to give
the black man his rights.