Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-03-31
The NegrO-Suffage Amendment.
SPEECH OF
HON. WIN. A. WALLACE,
OF cLEARFIELD,
In the State Senate, March Il, 1869.
SPEECH OF

h"FN ~ "" JunliNN W ~ gray suu'
iect. ] feel, sir, my inability TO por-
tray as ] should the results Of policy
so momentous in its bearings, so i'm
portant in its results, and 50 destruct-
i've to the very essence OF our institu.
tions. / approach it with no partisan
feeling, in no demagogical spirit, but
with the feelings Of one who, laying
his hand upon his heart, would do his
utmost to serve bis constituents, to aid
in the elevation Of bis fellow man and
to preserve and perpetuate the Com
monwealth he loves, in which he was
born and on whose loved soil be hopes
to die. The consequences of this
amendment are far reaching. 1t con
Germs the tiny infant, the gray-headed
father, the wife aud mother, the young
and the old. Unborn generations are
to feel its effects, and the destinies Of
the State are in its keeping; in its
adoption the well known and reoog-
nized landmarks of our system aud
the established policy Of the fathers Of
the government are to be reversed.
We should approach its consideration.
sir, with the consciousness that this Is
the forum Of the people; that around
us now and within the sound Of our
voices are gathered the living millions
OF the Commonwealth, and that from
this elevation the echo Of our voices.
the solemn record Of our votes are 10
penetrate the unknown years Of fuiu-
ritz. Feelings Of awe at the magni-
tude Of the issue should prompt Us 10
announce here the grave reasons that
impel us TO adopt or reject it, and /
can but express my regret that the
/ Republican party upon this floor, gen
tlemen Of education, Of talent ard Of
eloquence, representing a majority Of
the people Of the State, have in obedi-
ance TO prearranged order, seen fit
in silence TO register the will Of eau
Gus. regret, and / believe that !
represent five-sixths Of the people Of
the State when ! say it, that they have
refused to render here the reasons that
impel them 10 the votes they arc about
20 give. In a back roum Of the capi-
tol, during the past night, the Senators
representing $4,000 of the electors
and two millions Of the people OF
Pennsylvania. have choked the arru.
ments that should find uttcrance here.
and in grim and moody silence, before
the assembled majesty Of the people,
and IN the presence Of their constitu-
ents, await the hour for casting the
votes that are to adopt a policy that
affects the very life Of our Institutions
within this Commonwealth. For this
refusal, Senators, You must answer TO
your constituents, and / arraign you
before them with the proud conscious
ness that upon this issue l represent
not the minority but the vast majority
Of the people.
Sirs, the party to which you belong
is an aggressive one; inexorable party
necessity presses you onward You
must advance; right or wrong you
must 60 on; if you stop TO concert
measures TO bring good government,
peace and rest to an exhausted people,
IL you do but turn aside to cause truth
and justice and equity TO reign in all
the land, your inability to govern is
demonstrated, and the party YOU boast
as your pride is proved to be as "base-
less as the fabric Of a vision" Ii is
this inexorahlo necessity that is now
pressing you forward Ii is this that
compels you today to crush out with
the viii Of an accidental majority 1
the reference Of this question to the
people, and to deny 70 them their
right TO pass upon il, and it is this
that impels You 70 place your hands
upon your mouths and by silence to
acknowledge the weakness Of your
cause and your inability 10 defend the
measure You intend 70 vote for.
] now address myself to our power
over this subject, and viii briefly re-
produce the arguments advanced in
the minority report Of this morning
Sovereignty is in the people, not in
the sense in which this assertion is
o1on lightly made, but in that sub
stantial and important sense which
makes il the very basis Of our system
government Ourown constitution
explicitly provides in the second sec
tion of the declaration Of rights, sthat
all power is inherent in the people"
This great power is not vested in
the State, nor in the United States .
Neither legislature nor a convention
can possess It.
Under our system the work Of a
convention specially delegated to form /
a constitution is imperative until il is /
passed upon by thepeople, and receives
from their hands its vitality. The
Constitution of the United States and /
that Of our own State both passed the .
ordeal Of the people aud became oper- /
ativo only under their approval. The |
tendency OF public opinion is more I
and moie in this direction. Tor Of tho
constitutions adopted in the United |
States, upwards OF eighty have thus
been submitted ana approved
The proposition contained in the
amendment is a Fundamental one BY
this we mean that 10 was one Of those
vital and important rights that enter.
cd deeply into the compromises Of the
Constitution and that p0i0cr 0rrr Il /
i1as girta Neither b he Federal nor fhc
State government, but that the right TO
declare who should exercise The power
Of election in the State was reserred
to the people and remains with them.
We have no power over this ques
ton. ltbelongs to the people, although
a technical rcadingof the Federal Con-
on the subject of amendment
seems TO indicate that we have the
power that really belongs to the peo-
Die.