Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-03-09

10 act because the lea ders of their
party had demanded that negro
suffrage shall be forced upon the
people of the North whether they
are willing or not. The effort is to
get the proposed amendment rati-
fed, so as to concede to Congress
beyond question, the control of the
elective franchise in all the States,
and then for all practical
purposes, State lines might as
well be wiped out. With
the constitution thus amended,
the States would bear precisely the
Same relation to the general gov
eminent that counties now de to
the States, and soon the govern
ment would be as strong and as far
removed from the people as the
most despotic kingdoms of the old
world. The national conventions
of both parties, in the platforms "
they adopted in entering upon the
election which resulted in the
choice of Gen. Grant, expressly
conceded to the States the right to
control the question Of suffrage, q
right they had exercised since the
foundation of the governm ent. The
convention that nominated Gen,
Grant gave utterance to the follow
ing sentiment upon this question
"The guarantee by Congress of equal
suffrage to all loyal men of the South
was demanded by every consideration OF
safety, of gratitude, and of justice, and
must be maintained, while the que stion
of suffrage, in all the loyal States, pro-
perly belongs to the people of those
States"
The Democratic party were
equally pledged to the country upon
this issue as the Radical, for in
their national convention they
adopted the following "plank'::
amnesty for all past political oHenses
and the regulation of the elective fran
chise in the States by their citizens"
There is no doubtful expression
in these "planks" taken from the
platforms" of the two great politi,
cal parties of the country. Both
parties solemnly pledge themselves
to leave the regulation of the cleo
tive franchise to the citizens Of the
States, just as it had been regulated
from the time the constitution was
adopted, and just as the fathers Of
the republic intended. The new
President had not been inaugura
ted before the successful party
kicked its solemn pledge tC
the dogs, and made a bold
strike to secure for Con-
gross the exclusive control Of the
elective franchise. The Congress
does not seek this power directly
from the people, the source Of pow
er in a free government. 1t is not
proposed to submit this question to
conventions of the people, or even
to Legislatures chosen with direct
reference to the clothing Of Con,
gress with this absolute power. II
is submitted to existing Legisla,
lures, elected like their own body
upon the distinct pledge that the
States were not to be disturbed
in the control of the question of suf.
frage within their borders. And
these Legislatures are urged to rati
fly with indecent haste the pro-
posed amendment. The purpose OF
Congress is more clearly fore
Swallowed in bill introduced in the
House of Representatives by Mr.
Boutwell, at the same time he re-
ported the proposed fifteenth
amendment. The following is the
text of the bill:
A hill to secure equal privileges and immuni.
ties TO citizens OF the United States, and to
enforce the provisions of article fourteen Of
the amendments 10 the constitution.
BE it enacted by the Senate and
House OF Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assem-.
bled, That no State shall abridge or
deny the right of any citizen of the
United States to vote for electors OF
President and Vice President of the
United States, or for Representative in
Congress, or for members of the Legise
lature of the State in which he may re,
side, by reason of race, color, or previous
condition of slavery and any provisions
in the laws or constitution of any State
inconsistent with this section are hereby
declared to be null and void
Sec 2 And be it further enacted, That
every person lawfully engaged in pre-
pairing a registry of voters, or in holding
or conducting an election for any of the
officers named in the first section Of this
act, who shall wilfully refuse to register
the name, or to receive, count, return, or
otherwise give the proper legal effect to
the vote of any citizen entitled to vote
for any officer named in the first section
of this act, on account of race, color, or
rrevious condition of slavery Of such
citizen, thall be punished by fine Of
not more than four thousand dollars or
by Imprisonment for not more than two
We rs
Sec. 3. And be itfurther enacted, That
any person who shall wilfully hinder or
obstruct any citizen on account of the
race color, or the previous condition of
slavery of such citizen, in the exercise of
his right to vote for the officer nam, in
the first section of this act, shall be pun,
lShed by fine of not more than three
thousand dollars or by imprisonment for
not more than one year.
SEC. 4. And be it further enacted. That