The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-03-10

on behalf OF he senate ana house
Of Representative, submit for the
consideration of che people, the fol-
lowing factS::
On Thursday morning, the fourth
day of March, 1869, the business of
the Legislature was suddenly arrested
by the resignation of seventeen Sena-
tors and thirty-seven members of the
House Of Representatives. The per
thus resignIug their seats were
all Democrats. and the reason assign
ed by them for resig1ing, was to de-
feat any action by the Legislature on
the Fifteenth Amendment proposed
by Congress to the Constitution OF
the United States. The Constitution
Of our State provides that a quorum
to- do business shall consist of two
thirds Of each House. 1t will thus
be seen that a sufficient number OF
the Democratic members Of each
House resigned to destroy the quo
rum necessary to pass the bills already
completed, or to mature others yet
imperfect.
All, or nearly all, of the legislation
that is really demanded was IN a con
dition to be perfected and passed IN
the three days that remained, had
this revolutionary movement not oc-
cured. 1t is invariably the case that
the last three days of legislation are
more indispensable than any of the
preceding twenty days of the session.
In those three days all the important
bills, having previously undergone
discussion, amendment, examination
by committees, and thorough investi-
CATION, are brought TO a final vote,
| and, on mature consideration, passed
or rejected. Thus it was in this case.
All the great measures were awaiting
the final action of the two Houses,
among which we may mention the
Railroad laws, the Gravel Road
| laws. the Election laws, the School
avs, and the laws making the neces-
sary appropriations for carrying on
the various departments of the
| Government. and for the support
Of the benevolent institutions
of the State, together with the
necessary provision for the payment
OF the interest and principal of the
public debt. But the power of the
State to use the none raised by tax
alton, for all of the above named pur-
poses, is thus suddenly stricken down
by a revolutionary movement on the
part Of the minority to prevent the
discharge of a duty imposed on the
Legislature by the Constitution of the
United States, which every member
and employee Of both Houses had SOL
EMMY sworn to support aud obey.
That instrument provides that, The
Congress, whenever two thirds OF
both Houses shall deem it necessary,
shall propose amendments to this
Constitution, which shall be valid to
all intents and purposes, as part of this
Constitution, when ratified by the
Legislatures of tbree-fourths Of the
several States" In accordance with
this power, and In the manner thus
pointed out, the Congress of the
United States adopted the following
Article Fifteenth-The right of
the citizens of the United States to
vote shall not be denied or abridged
by the United States, or by any State,
on account of race or color or pre-
vi0us condition of servitude.
Section 2-Congress shall have
power to enforce this article by appro-
pirate legislation"
This proposed amendment was GER
titled to the Governor by the proper
authority, and received by him or
Monday, March 1st, 1869. Ga the
same day the Governor, as was his
duty, presented this amendment to
both Houses Of the General Assem-.
big. In the Senate, Immediately on
its reception, its consideration was
postponed, and was made the special
order for Thursday, the 4th, at 2.
o'clock p. NJ. It was thus made the
special order for the day above named
without a dissenting or opposing vote
{ or voice. 1t was well known thar
the Democratic prejudice against ne.
gro suffrage was intensely aroused
and the members of that party were
, assured that the measure would no
!, be taken up for discussion or action
until the hour and day above indi
Gated, but that the majority in thu
Legislature would move on with th;
regular order of business until tina
matter should be reached, and thel
. discharge their duty In taking it VI
: aud acting upon it. But so bite
2 was the prejudice and so reckless tn
opposition of the minority that, OF
Thursday morning ut 81 o'clock the.
placed their designations In the hand
+ of the Governor, five and a half hour
: before the hour fixed for the consid
Grafton of the subject. In that fvl
and a half hours the appropriation
4 and other bills that were necessary Il
2 prevent an extra session of the Legis
latuTe could have been passed, for thu
appropriation bill had passed tn
/ House of Representatives, had beer
. read once in the Senate, and was thel
e In the hands of the Finance Commit
tee of the Senate, and could hav
been reached and disposed of by /,
o'clock OF that day.
Had this measure been passed tn
expense of the present Legislature
f near 500, 0O0-would not have bee
e totally lost, and the expense attend
: ing an extra session, not less thai
$4,000, would have been superseded
One hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars is rather a large sum to be paiC
by a people already having cause L
complain of their public burdens, 70
the indulgence of a revofutionar,
tendency and prejudice on tie part 0
/, a few public servants. But the public
; money thus squandered and lost i
not, by any means, the worst featur
! in the case. The utter disregard 0
puoilC ohlCtdA OOllgdttoHi 1He spiIit y
lawlessness and crime; the reckless
determination of a minority to sub
ordinate the highest functions of the
Government to unreasoning prejudic,
{ and passion, are acts of the mos
alarming import, and, unless the PEG
| pie, in their wisdom aud patriotism
promptly arrest and s~ternly rebuk
. such tendencies, consequences tn
mocf cola mifouS N thafr oborooRo,
will inevitably be the result. Obedi
= Aarn A. 1nn-ASA.nAsn-- Il IL l.