The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-08-25
IFrom the Ohio statcsman.1

The Fifteenth Amendment--W What a
Man Endorses When He Votes the
Radical Ticket The Views of a
Brace of Radical Leaders Thereon.
IN order Chat ollr readers mayknow'
what the Fifteenth Amendment to the
Constitution is, we give it below:
ARTICLE XIV. L. The right of the
citizens4ofsthe Enthusiastically
and hold office shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States, or any
Estate on account Of race or color or
previous condition of servitudc. .
= The Congress shall have power
to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation Tr nr
Seeing it advertised that the Cover
nor, and now United States Senator,
O.. p. Morton, of Indiana, is about to
':open the canvass in Ohio" operating
for the Radical ticket and negro suf-
fragc, the introduction of Coolic labor,
&c, &. ;and fearing lest Gov. Morton
might forget to take with him all nee
essary documents, Including his Rich
mond speech, rs well as his message
as Governor to the special session of
the General Assembly of 1865, the
Lawrenccburgh, Indiana, Register
thinks it not amiss to publish extracts
from the latter document with q view
to refreshing the Governors memory,
should he forget to take it with him.
Time vas when the Governor was
not so exalted. Time was when he
was poor: Time was when he was not
Il bondholder, Lor ~"opening the can
vass in Ohio" in the interest of the
bondholdcr.@Timc was when he was
rot in favor of an Imperial Govern
mcnt, but was in favor of a govern
mcnt of the people. On the question.
of suffrage, he was in favor of the
States controlling that matter, and
was opposed to negro suffrage In
proof Of which, we append the follow
ing extracts from the message above
named. On the subject Of ~reorganiza-
ton, he says: re-.
"By some it is urged that confer
ring suffrage upon him (the negro
Shall be made a condition of reorgani-
cation; or in other words, that the
States lately in rebellion shall not be
permitted to sun their practical re-
lations with the Government, except
upon tie terms of first comforting the
rights of suffrage upon their freedmen.
j. 2 X st = x X
Some arc in favor of persistcntly OK
cluding the members Of Congress from
the Southern States until negro suf-
frage has been Incorporated into their
several State Constitutions. Others
assume that the states lately in rebel
lion are no longer members of the I'm
ion, but have lost and forfeited their
character rs States, and arc III fact
held conquered provinces; and that in
their reorganization, Congress may
confer suffrage upon whomsoever it
plcases.
The governor then says:
"The question of suffrage, is, by the
National Constitution, expressly refer
red to tie determination Of the Secoral
States, GRd u cannot be taken from them
'pithOtf 4 siohtion Of Mc. letter mod spirit
Of that Instrument. But without stop
ping to discuss theories or questions
of Constitutional law, and leaving
them out of view, it would, in my
opinion, be unwisc to-makc the work
OF reconstruction depend upon a CON
ditto of such doaJ5fA Utility as negro
Sq0rage."7 1u IT,
Tho Governor goes on to say:
% cit Is Il fact so manifest that it should
not be called in question by any, that
Il people who arc just emerging from
the barlarism of slavery. arc not quail
ilicd to become apart of our political
system, and take part not only in the
government of themselves and their
neighbors, but of the whole United
States. SO far from believing thatnc-
gro suffrage is 4 remedy from all our
national ills, l doubt whether it is Il
remedy for any," &c, &c.
Such were the views of Governor
Morton i'll 1865. on the subject of nc
gro suffrage. We await his "~opcning
the canvass in Ohio" to sec what they
arc now. We propose to give furth-
or sketches, from time to time, as he
progresses with and in telling the pco-
pie of Ohio how to vote.
Our own Attorney General West,
like Senator Morton, once had honest
views on this same subject. Perhaps
he has them now. TO refresh HE mem
Dry, VIC give his former views IN air.
ing in u columns, to the end that, if
Ibis political friends should succeed in
inducing him to train IN the company
Of the men who are now in the field
for the Congressional imposition of
Negro and Chinese Coolic suffrage in
Ohio, he may do SO with his eyes open
to the fact hat Il change has come
oyer the spirit of his views on the
rights of the States. to manage their
own domestic affairs in their own way,
within the last fifteen months.
In March, 1869, MI Attorney Gen
eral West, as the counsel for Jones,
claiming to be elected and having the
certificate as Senator from the Gallia
District by the aid of negro votes,
whose seat was contested by Henry
NJ. Onderdonk, argued the case before
the Senate. In the Senate proceedings
of the 18th of March, as made out by
the Official Reporter, in answer to Il
question of propoundcd to him by
Senator Berry, Mr.. Attorney General
West said that he was Opposed to the
Supreme Court, or the Congress of
the United States, Of any power out
side of the State of Ohio, prescribing
who shall vote in Ohio. He had nerer
JaUOred and he never would favor, Ghy
Suck interference aUiM oar domestic affairs.