The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-06-11
Friday Evening, june II. 1858
Pho5s Island and Amendment XIV.

The Rhode Island Legislature has again
nostn,psd the consideration of the rahhCa.
tion of amendment Ky. 1t was postponed
from the last session to this, and is now put
over again to January next,
The Rhode Island scruple is not about the
negro vote which the amendment proposes
to make universal, Negroes already vote
in Rhode Island. There is no scruple ahou
the amending Of the constitution Of thp
United States, TO atiec, the permanent statl.
Of certain states, and make voters for ne
Radical party in some doubtful places,
where it will be oyerthrOwn If it do act pro-
vide succor in reinforcement by negroes
But Rhode Island, by her present coa'H.
tntiOn, does not permit Hatura.zrd clue
Of the United States to vote. HE Irl'h ana
the Germans are excluded already, white the
negro does vote. But BY their construction
Of the amendIcnt, the ratification viii com
pei them to admit large number OF the
unenfrauchised whites TO the night 0. sun
rage; and these being Democratic ia seuu
ment might outvOte the negro aud disturb
the supremacy Of the great Radical iamthes
who now own the state Elsewhere Radi.
caUsn is struggling ~ let IN the negro be.
cause Il is assumed that the negro is always
an available piece Of election property for
Radical uses 10 Rhode Island, where the
negroes are already enfranchised, it hap.
pens that the dominant party is AFRAID
ofthe white vote which the fifteenth amend
ment will introduce to the franchise 1t Is
in this dilemma that If it votes to force ne.
gro suffrage, such rs il has in Rhode Island,
- Nl.F 4
number Of poor whites at home, and there.
tore the Radicals Of the Legislature hesitate
and postpone over and over again.
Wendell Philips has been among them,
teaching them that they are unnecessarily
alarmed. He argues that the amendment
which makes the negros right Of suffrage
universal in the states does not take away
the right Of any state 20 refuse the night OF
suffrage to nRJuralzed foreigners The ar.
gument ia based on the text % the amend
ment which declares that no man shall be
deprived of or denied or abridged IN the
right Of voting ION account Of race, color
or condition of servtade' His reasoning
Is that exclusion Of foreign born voter is
an exclusion for nativity, which is not for
race, color or condition; that il Is geoRra.
phical Jaw. Hence he inters the State Leg
islatures may cOnsttutionaliy exclude all
foreign born citizens from the right Of suf.
frage, but may not exclude native born
negro.
This is a new view which has not been
considered anywhere else. If 1t had been,
u would have made great difference in the
reception OF this amendment ia some North.
western stetes, where foreign voters abound.
1t puts in the power Of native American
party, such as we have once had, with the
assistance Of the black voters, 10 shut ON, a
great number Of white voters and, IT the op
portuui,v occurs Md IT is necessary 20 Rad
ica' success, there is no reason to doubt that
it would be done The subject is worth
grayer considerations than the dogmas OF
Wendell Phillips usually obtain when first
presented but in the end the Radicals have
always been brought up to the standards of
this their advanced leader.
II there be any belief that this construc.
ton will prevail, 1t would not BE- surprising
to find some Of the Legislatures that have
ratified without looking Mt the amendment,
with the eyes Of Mr.. Phillips, moving to re-
call their assent, until they are better salts
fed Of the use that can DO made Of til
u, Ptcayrus.