Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-11-16
TIE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT.


There will be found in yesterdays
House proceedings the report of Mr..
James, of Hamilton, from the Committee
Oh Federal Relations against the ratiiica-
ton of the proposed Fifteenth Amend
mcnt. The report is true and vigorous.
1t disposes of this Ubiquitous attempt at
consolidation briefly, but satisfactorily.
The House should dispose of it with like
brevity and satisfaction. Instead of this
proposed amendment, the Constitution
of the United States should be
80 amended that Congress can
never again attempt by conspiracy to
force such an amendment upon the peo-
pie. That may be done by SO changing
the Constitution of the United States as
to require all amendments similarly pro-
posed TO be submitted either to the quail
fed voters of each State, or to Legisla-
lures elected next after the adjournment
ofthc Congress proposing the amendments.
The Ohio Statesman, an old and reliable
champion of the Democracy of that State,
in an excellent article upon this general
subject, thus speaks of the congressional
conspiracy TO force this amendment upon
the people of Ohio:
The electors of this State, in 1867, by
a majority of over fifty thousand, en-
phatically placed their condemnation on
the proposition TO engraft negro suffrage
upon the Constitution of Ohio, though
General Hayes was, at the same cleo
ton, chosen Governor over Judge Thur
man by about 5000 majority. The Leg
stature then elected upon the negro stuff
rage issue thus directly made before the
people, rejected the proposed fifteenth
amendment fraudulent contrivance OF
the Radical leaders in Congress TO cheat
the people of the '1oyal' States out of
the control of the question of suffrage,
in violation of the Chicago platform,
upon which General Grant was elected,
and to transfer the subject to the State
Legislatures, where, it was thought pO-
litical trickery could force a ratification
through by party drill in spite of the OPP
position of the mass of voters.
In the States of Missouri, Kansas,
Michigan and Connecticut, the swindle
succeeded, though the electors of each of
these States had voted down negro suffrage
by majorities Of several thousands.
That fact, however, had no weight with
the Radicals chosen at the very same cleo
ton to the Legislatures of these States,
where, in obedience to orders from their
congressional masters at Washington, they
tried to fasten upon their constituents for
ever an odious constitutional amendment
which had just been rejected by the popu-
lar will. In Pennsylvania, Illinois and
New York, notifications were in like man
ner obtained from Legislatures elected by
the people without reference to the pro-
posed amendment and where it was wei
known that any such amendment would
have been voted down by thousands if an
opportunity had been given tc the people
to pass upon it, .r.
The late election in New York, where
the extension of suffrage to negroes
has AGAIN been voted down for the third
time by a large majority of the popular
vote. is conclusive proof on this point,
and the Legislature of that State, which
meets ON the first Monday in January
next, will, undoubtedly, in obedience to
the instructions of the people, rescdad
the Unauthorized ratification of the last
Legislature, and reject the proposed fif-
teenth amendment, thus striking death
blow at the contemplated fraud before 1t
is consummated by the action OF the
Legislatures of three-fourihs of the sew
eral States. Even the false certificate OF
bogus ratification by the Legislature OF
Indiana. cannot save this black pet of
congressional nursing from strangulation,
though the Nebraska Legislature should
be called in extra session a year before
its regular time of meeting, and the Kan
sas and Missouri Legislatures should cor
rect their laundering Publications on tele-
grams from Washington last winter.
As long as ten States withhold raiiiica-
ton in a count of thirty-seyen States, the
amendment stands rejected. New York,
New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Ken
lucky, Ohio, California Oregon, Georgia,
Tennessee and Rhode Island, make up
this list, and one to spare. Alabama,
Mississippi and Texas have notyet acted
and the forced ratiiications of the two last
named can have no effect, for whatever
pretense may be set up that Congress can
compel the Rebel States 10 adopt negro
suffrage for themselves, on the ground
that they lad forfeited their osoa rights
as States, no one but Attorney Gen
eral Hoar would be foolish enough