The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-16

the new Legislature of Tennessee shall refuse
to ratify the fifteenth amendment, as well as
to perfect the enfranchisement of the late
Rebels, that refusal will be impelled by
Northern sham Democracy, seeking its own
aggrandizement through national discord and
baleful untimely prescription. If that amend
ment shall be defeated, the North and not the
South will justly bear the blame.
California has just been carried by the
Shams on the false assumption that the XVIII
Amendment will enable the Chinese to be-
come voters. 1t has nothing whatever to do
with the naturalization of immigrant aliens
of whatever race or color. Here it is ger-
6dtjm. -
Art XIV. /. 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, account of race,
color, or previous condition of servitude.
2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this
Article by appropriate legislation
THAT is the fifteenth amendment--every
word of it. 1t nowise affects our naturaliza-
ton laws, nor the power of Congress to
amend, extend, or repeal them. Citizens of the
United States are not to be denied the right
of suffrage on account of race, color, or pre-
vious condition of servitude; but the right to
become citizens, the conditions of naturaliza-
ton, are nowise affected by this amendment.
Never was a constitutional provision more
needed than this. Our conflicting laws which
it will harmonize are at war with reason and
common sense. Here is native citizen of
the United States, born in Vermont or New
Hampshire, living therein to thirty years of
age, and voting on precisely the same basis
with any other citizen, though his skin is
black. But he moves into our State; and
here he cannot vote, not because he is black
that objection can be surmounted-but be-
cause he does not own $3.50 worth of real
estate free and clear of all debt or incum-
brance. If, disliking this, he moves across
into New Jersey or Pennsylvania, he cannot
vote there at all, though he have the wealth
of Astor and the talent of Webster-he is a
''nigger," and that excludes him and his pos
terity forever from any voice in making or
amending the laws which they must neverthe-
less obey, or in directing the Government
which they are taxed to support and drafted
to defend.
The root of this injustice and absurdity was
slavery; but the root is dead, and still the
tree is assiduously watered and nourished,
and made to wear the hue of life. Every
one who knows anything is aware that it must
ultimately wither and disappear; but the
sham wire workers say:-"Our followers don't
perceive that the root is gone; nigger' is the
best cry we have left, and we must make it
do for one OF two more elections. SO they
keep up the cry, and fools are gulled by it, or
pretend to be.
1t is very fortunate that in our State the
question of eradicating the last stain which
people this fall in two distinct shapes-frst
the validity of the ratification of the fifteenth
amendment by our last Legislature is dis
| puted, and an attempt will be made to nullify
| or reverse it if a Democratic Legislature
should this fall be chosen; secondly, our new
! Constitution abolishes the detestable property
| qualification imposed by that of 1916 on
colored men only, and establishes impartial
suffrage. This change the Democratic poll
| To on Il
| thus the question of impartial suffrage is
brought prominently into the canvass We
| rejoice in the fact, and exhort every lover of
justice and liberty to prepare at once for the
| conflict.
Our Pendletons object to the fifteenth
amendment that it puts constraint on the
States. That objection, so far as it has any
force, applies to the Federal Constitution
throughout, since it is inevitably and through
out a limitation of State power. 1t applies
more especially to the amendment whereby
slavery was abolished and prohibited; for that
touched State rights in their very tenderest
point. The Civil Rights bill, and everything
that has been done to render our Union a
land of equal rights and equal laws, is open
to this same objection. "The right divine OF
States to govern wrong" is certainly impugned
by the fifteenth amendment; and we thank
God that we have lived to see it.
Friends of impartial suffrage let us or
ganize and prepare for determined struggle
There should be an appeal for naked justice
prepared and put into the hands of every
voter forthwith. This is the year 1869; anC
we shall not believe that our people will vote
down impartial suffrage if the question is
fully brought home to their understanding
and consciences. If they do, let us send
deputation to PROSTATE themselves in our be
half before the tomb of old George Ill anG
ask his Majesty's pardon for our fathers un
grateful, wicked rebellion. But no-Jeffer
son and Adams were right, and governments
do derive their just powers from the consen
of the governed. Let us organize and worl
to make this living truth by affirming an(
ratifying impartial suffrage!
THE CUBAN QUESTION FRANCE
AND ENGLAND.
From the " y. Herald
The press of France and England is yer.
much occupied with the Cuban question ant
the conduct of the United States with re8aro
to it. One day it admits that the only soiu
ton is in accepting the mediation ana on CT
the American Government for the huepeh
dence of Cuba: another day it calls upon spar
to denounce the oficiousness OF America an'
claims the right of French and BRUSH inter
ference in any settlement that may De mace
of the Cuban difficulty. Ihls hostile attl
tude to the action of the United States is I'M
last phase of sentiment expressed by tn'
European press The question haturali
arises here. what is the cause of this chang
of tone? Why this condemnation OF Anne
rica .sfor intermeddling' with Cuba anC
call upon the Spanish government to resls
the interference We think Genera
- an0nDntg