Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-04-20
THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT.
Protest of the Democratic Members
of the Ohio Legislature.

The Democratic representatives OF the
Ohio General Assembly have protested
against the ratification of the Fifteenth
Amendment ip the manner following
1T was accomplished By Q vote of %
to 81 against the known and expressed
wish of the electors of the State-after
negro suffrage had been submitted to
direct vote of the people of Ohio and
had been rejected by over 80, 600 majori-
ty. The result was obtained by series
of frauds contriyed TO deprive the people
of the right TO control ihe elective fran
ehise within their own State. -Four rep
resentatiyes from the county Of Hamll-
ton, which in 1861 gave over 5000 ma
jority against negro suffrage, and IN. 1863
repeated the verdict by over 1900 majority
for George H. Pendleton for Governor,
voted for the ratification of the proposed
amendment in utter disregard Of the will
Of the very voters who elected them.
Chosen rs non-partisans to this body,
they betrayed theiF constituents by the
most shameful party votes, 20 petaiR IN
their seats, without investigating their
cases, two members to aid in forcing
through the proposed Fifteenth Amend
ment==one of whom, S. +. Blakeslee,
was sworn ia 81 the organization BY the
Secretary of State, in gross violation Of
the law, claiming to represent the county
OF Williams, which was not entitled to
separate representation under the exist
ing apportionmeut; and the other, Eli
iah Glover, Of Scioto county, presented
4 certificate of election, showing by
paper attached to il containing his resig-
nation Of the 9isla Of Commissioner of
Bankruptcy, that he was 10, eligible 10
q seat in the General Assembly under
the Constitution Of Ohio, because al the
time Of his election he held an office
under the authority OF The United States.
By the votes Of these two Men the
proposed Fifteenth Amendment was
passed, aad al altiop in their cases pur-
p0sely postponed by the Bapuiactnred
majority on this floor until f..af gubjeet
was disposed Of An effort to obtain Q
decision in the case a Bigkeslee before
the vote on the fifteenth Amendment
was defeated by the vote OF BlBkesiee
himself in violation Of all Parliamentary
law. under the ruling ofthe speaker made
to sustain himself upon an appeal taken
from deeisiSs ,sliDg out of order a res
olution declaring tha1 Elskeslee had no
right TO a seat ia the HoNss ia seat
of Glover, returned by vote Of twenty-
three majority, was contested on the
ground that he was elected by fifty negro
votes, confessedly cast for him, two-thirds
Of whom were not legal voters even I'M
der the decision Of our Supreme Court
in the question Of preponderance Of
white blood Thus ,he Fifteenth Amend
went was forced upon The people Of Ohio
by TIE illegal votes Of the 'persons y hom
il was intesSed 70 cnfranehise before
they bed any rigin, 70 vote. Indeed il
was fitting that this measure proposed
BY Congress Who secured . tW04biyds
majority by excluding enough members,
and then in defiance Of All Law proceeded
By military coercion 20 force the sO-calied
ratification through mock Legislatures,
created at will, 70 register the edict.
should e01summate their triumph over
popular liberty BY such means. II is
not our purpose TO reargue the question,
bat simply to record the facts The peo-
ple in future will decide how far a change
in the Constitution Of the United States
thRs sb,ained by force aud fraud
combiped, Is Of any validity. OF the
thirty States ciaimes - have filed ratif-
catioas the proposes Fnieeaik Amend
ment, Indiana seyer ratified, New York
rescinded its ratification before three
fourths Of the States we're claimed 70
hasa ratified, and Georgia is not yet adj
mitted 70 representation, OF recognized
as having the rights Of a State in the
UGion, so THAI tie tgenig-sight States
are sfl wanting to give validity 70 the
usurpsties. Revelations never 20 back
ward. and the part q capitalization
will yet learn. 70 their cest, that their
own preeedents will fnally work out their
humiliation.
[Signed by all the Democratic members. ]