Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-10-03
the male adult citizens of the United

States, without regard to Grace,
color, or previous condition of serv-
itude." This was regarded as too
liberal on the part of Congress,
since it would allow "Rebels" to
vote, and when the proposedamend-
ment was taken up in the House OF
Representatives, Jan. 20, 1869, Mr..
Shellabarger, Of Ohio, regarded as
one of the ablest lawyers in Con-
gress, advocated the substitute
which he had offered a few days
previous, which is as follows:
"No State shall make or enforce any law
which shall deny or sbridge to any male
citizen of the United s ates of the age OF
twenty-one years or over, and who Ia OF
sound mind, an equal vote in all elections
in the State 10 which he shall have such
actual residence as shall be prescribed by
law, except to such as have engaged or may
heresfter engage in instruction or rebel.
lion against the United States, and to such
as snail DC Uuiy COufkCteN VI tAoaSSnJ ASAS
ny, or other infamous crime" s.
Mr.. Shellabarger stated the sub
stitute allows the disfran chisement
of those who have been engaged
in rebellion, while the original res
olution does not; and also that the
original resolution would allow the
establishment of property or edu-
cational qualifications. In connee-
ton with this latter provision, MIR.
SheIIabarger said sit would
be dishonor in Congress to
insist on retaining a policy in
the reconstructed States which it
refused to inculcate against the
other States" This was a thrust
| at those Northern States which
have a property and educational
qualific alton as to negro voters.
After considerable debate, MIR.
Boutwell, offered an amendmen to
the first section Of his amendment
as follows: "Nor shall educational
attachments or the possession or
ownership of property ever be
made a test of the right of any
citizen to vote" This amendment
was rejected by majority of fifty,
the vote being ayes 10, noes 80.
Mr.. Bingham then moved to amend
the first section of the Boutwell,
amendment SO as to make it read as
follows: -. -
"No State shall make or enforce any
law which shall abridge or deny to any
male citizen of the United States, OF sound
mind, and twenly-one years Of age, or up
wards, the equal exercise (subject to such
registration laws as the State may ennct)
of the elective franchise at all election
in the State wherein he shall actually have
resided for period of one year next pre-.
ceding ouch election, except such OF said
citizens as shall engage in rebellion or in
surrection, or who may have been, Or shall
bee duly convicted of treason, or other in
famous crime" t
On the both of January Mr.. Shell
labarger's amendment was rejected
by ayes 81, noes 127. MFR. Bing-
hams amendment was also rejected
by ayes 26, noes 15S. The original
amendment, as first reported BY
Mr.. Boutwell, from the Judiciary
Committee, was then adopted by
ayes $50, noes AZ.
Two facts are noticeable in con-
nection with the action Of the House
of Representatives on the Boutwell,
amendment First, that body
steadily refused to engraft on the
amendment authority to disfran'
chise those who were engaged Ii
the rebellion; it even refused to con
| fer authority to disfranchise those
who shall hereafter engage in re-
bellion. And secondly, the House
refused by q very decisive vote tt
prohibit the adoption of a proper
ty or educational qualification
for voters. Should the fifteenth
amendment be ratified, the States
may easily exclude the great body
of the negroes from tho ballot-bo'
by the adoption of an educationa
or property qualification. Such
qualification would exclude a few
white citizens, but the numbel
would be so small as to make but
slight perceptible decrease in thu
vote of any State. An educationa
or property qualification would
cut off from the ballot box nineteen
twentieths of the adult negroes il
the Southern States, and perhaps
oven greater number. Such quail
fcations have already been adopted
in two or three of the Northern
States where the right of suffrag'
has been conferred On negroes. Bu
the policy of the fifteenth amend
ment is to open the foodSgates tt
every adult male who are or car
become citizens of the United
States under our laws, and it is quit
clear that in few years we shall
have as many Chinese as negro vo
ters. Is the Legislature of Ten
nessee willing to aid in bringing
about this contingency by ratifyin!
the fifteenth amendment?
THE New York Tribune says tn
Grant administration "was vir
tually constrained to favor. Stoke
after he was deader than any door