Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-10-20


THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT
We can safely say that the adoption o.
the Fifteenth Amendment is dependent
alone upon the action Of Ohio and In
diana. At this time there are twenty
seven States which have or through their
Legislatures will ratify the negro amend
| ment now pending. But it requires
twenty-eight voting for the amendment
to make it q part of the Constitution.
Let US see; these are the States voting
for it: Alabama. Arkansas, Connecticut.
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas. Louisiana, Maine,
Massachusetts. Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Florida, Pennsylvania. Rhode
Island, Vermont, Nebraska, Me-
vada, New Hampshire, New York,
Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin,
Mississippi and Texas-27. The States
voting against it are California, Della
ware, Maryland, Georgia, New Jersey,
Oregon and Tennessee. The Legis-
lature of Indiana endeavored to force
through its body the ratification of the
mendment, but owing to the boiling OF
the Democratic members the thing was
defeated. The Republican members,
however, met afterward and in an illegal
and informal way passed the amend.
meut, which in law would not stand the
test of an incorruptible Supreme Court.
Ohio has already put herself on the
record against it. but the Republican
party of the State threaten to recon-
slider the action Of former Legislature,
and with the present elected body pass
the amendment. This is not altogether
certain, as the Democrats and Republic
cans in the Legislature are so nearly BAL
anced that 1t may turn out that the Leg
islature will condem, as it has done in the
past, negro suffrage and equality. The
majority claimed by the Republicans in
the Ohio Legislature is made up OF i've
members, elected by the Democrats OF
Hamilton county, who are moderate Re-
publicans. and are supposed not to be in
favor of the Fifteenth Amendment. This
as it may be, it is very certain that the
Republicans did not carry the State,
with an understanding that they would
pledge it for this obnoxious amendment.
The people since the war, it is known,
did vote down the very same proposition
by fifty thousand majority. We hardly
think that the State, in view Of all these
facts, will ratify the Fifteenth Amend
ment; but fit should, then will arise the
question whether Congress can coerce
sovereign State, such as Mississippi,
Virgins sna Texas, into the adop
ton of such views, contrary to the
free will OF the greater number of
the people of those States. To make
valid amendment to the Constitution,
that instrument itself prescribes the
mode By which it shall be done. The
mode pointed out Is that two-thirds of
both houses Of Congress shall propose
amendments. and when ratified by three.
fourths of the several State Legislatures,
or by conventions of three-fourths Of the
States, as the one or the ether mode of
ratification may be proposed by Congress.
Now Congress seiested the Legislatures
of the different States as the means OF
rstifying the Fifteenth Amendment, and
only in that way can it be done.
But Attorney General Hoar. in speak
ing of the Virginia Legislature, saysi it is
not the Legislature of the State, but
body of men who can only become such
Legislature by obeying the Congressional
commandment If this be trne, hey .hes
can such body Of men aonstitutionally
ratfy an amendment to that organic law 7
There are certainly some strange things
10 these latter times that are hard to ae-
count for.