Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-02-12
The Proposed Suffrage Amendment.


Congress now proposes to do for the
whole North, By means Of II CoHstitu- |
Gonal Amendment, what it presumed
to do for the South, of its own author
ity, 10y the assumption of unconstitu-
tional power; to wit, the extension oi
universal suffrage TO the free as well
as the late slave States, by the pro
posed fifteenth Amendment. which is
as follows:
"Scction !. Tho riyh s Of any .citi-
zen Of the United States shall not hc
denied or abridged by the United
States, or any States, by reason of
race, or color, or previous condition OF!
slavery Of any citizen or class Of citi-
zcns Of tho United States.
'.Scc. 2. Tho Congress shall have
power to cn!orce: by appropriate leg
isation, the provisions Of this article"
The joint resolution, providing for
this Amendment. passed the House Of
Representative with characteristic
haste, by Il very large vote. 1t will
be delayed somewhat longer in the
Senate, but no doubt exists us to its
ultimate passage by that body. A
feeble attempt was made i'll the House
to couple amnesty with suffrage, but
the amendment Of Mr.. Bingham, to
that effect, failed, and lie was the only
member Of the Republican party who
opposed the resolution upon its final
passage. In the Senate greater
variety Of amendments are offered.
and there is some show Of opposition
20 tho nc oasure. California men would
bc willing 10 conccdc suffrage to the
negro, bnt arc not disposed to admit
the Cinnamon to the elective franchise
And other Radical Senators, who arc
more Interested in tho question OF
negro suffrage, resist the policy which
is about being forced upon them, >y
invoking the much decried principles
Of State rights. But, as we haze said
the measure will pass Congress; bu'
the next step is very doubtful-:o OBJ
tain the assent of the Legislatures o.
thrcc-fourths Of the States. OF tho
thirty-scvcn States of which the Union
is composed, eighteen States prohibit
negro suffrage, and Of the ninctecr
which allow il, it has been forced upor
eleven Of these by Congress. Twenty
: eight States must concur to make III
: the threc-fourth's majority, and o
+ these twenty-five only can be countet
for the measure, and some Of thcs
may be made adverse, by new cleo
e tons for members Of their RESPECTIVE
= Legislatures. So that, Mr.. Boutwell,
c the manager Of tho measure, himscli
1 admits that it may require somo car
d TO effect his object.
!. What will be tho effect of tho pass
t age OF this Amendment upon tie in
g terests Of the Radical party? 1t ma,
y confirm their power for several year:
il but their most sagacious leaders fen
n that it will be made the means of thci
Il overthrow at the next Prcsidcntis
= election. Venal and partizan legisl:
is lures, elected on totally different i.
s. sues, may for time defeat tho popula
II will, but leading Republicans are lc
: to fear, what the Democrats eagcrl
e anticipate, a great popular 'eactio
y against the measure.
j. To the white men of the South, til
d passage Of this Amendment, is ma
Of ter Of but little practical momen
1t They have already drained the cup {
h universal suffrage to its Drugs.
n may, however, afford some consolation
and establish some portion Of retrib,
;e tive justice If the "poisoned chalico" l
at commended to the lips Of those WI
Of concocted the nauseous draught. Z
ut the negro the Amendment seems
le make "tho word Of promise to the ca
IL but break it to the hopo," since i
II, phraseology seems clearly to sho
Of that the voter may still be subjecte
Of to an educational or property quail
al cation, and be excluded for its want
y, Since the above was written, Il
Ie Amendment has passed the Senate.
n ----:- = - - '
,d Tue spARrANBuRo +Np AsHvIL,
ed CoNNEoT1oN.-A bill is now before ii
I'd State Legislature to give the assistan
On On Of the State, BY . guarantee Of bono