Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-05-17
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS
MoSDAI, ~ MAY, 10, 1870.


Ulr. l.... SENATE. III.
Mr. Stewart moved to postpone the regular
order, In order 10 proceed with the bill en-
forcing the 18th amendment Agreed 70.
Tho bill 10 enforce the 18th amendment 70
the Constitution was then taken up ana rean
through. ....., 81,
its provisions were published on the 10th
MI Stewart offered NJ an additional sec
tlon that In case Of a person holding an Office
other than member Of Congress or Of State
Legislature, Il shall be the duty Of the district
attorney Of tho district In which such person
holds office 10 proceed against such person
by writ Of quo trdrrdntO, and such writs OF
quo todrTdniO shall have precedence for trial
In the courts Of the United States.
Mr. Stewart also moved several other ad-
ditional sections, providing hne and impris-
onment for persons holding Office In violation
Of the fifteenth amendment and forever dis
qualifying them from holding office, and pro
hibitlng any discrimination by any State
against any class Of emigrunts, and re-enact-
ing certain provisions OF the civil rights bill
Of April, 1885, and said act except the first
and second sections, Is made apart OF this act.
Mr.. Vickers took the floor and argued that
Congress had no power or right to pass this
BILL and commended that the question of the
suffrage was left by the Consultation entirely
In the control Of the States. He said that the
fifteenth amendment was designed entirely so
No State had as yet attempted to throw any
obstacles In the way Of the operation OF that
amendment, and hence there was no neces-
slty for the passage OF any such act.
II Congress can pass this act IL can take
the whole machinery Of elections out Of the
hands of the States. The clause Of the
amendment authorizing Congress TO enforce
II by appropriate legislation conferred no
new powers, and tho legislation could not
properly be enacted until occasion for II arose.
In regard to the validity Of the fifteenth amend
mcnt he held that New York had Withdrawn
Its ratification Indiana had ratified II Illegally
and three States (Mlsslssippi, Virginia and
Texas had been coerced into ratlfying II. In
fact four States less than . constitutional
majority had properly and legally ratified.
leaving out the great moral wrong that was
done In Legislatures ratifying II which had
been elected on no such Issue, but on the Chi
cago platform, which left the whole question
Of suffrage TO the States. He contended that
the position taken by the Radical party was
mOnstrous, and destructive Of all principles OF
republican government and that the ten.
dency OF the party and its acts was to q cen.
trallzed despotlsm.
The fifteenth amendment was sprung upon
the people; II gave to the people no opportu'
nifty to express their opinion upon II, but In
violation of the principles underlying our sys
tenn Of Government. II was passed upon u,
by bodies tO whom the people had never en-
trusted any such power.
W. tou y. I 80, \
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Is n g ~ ~ uaS1.ou a,,n, ~
ratification Of the thirteenth, fourteenth AMI
fifteenth amendments to the Constitution, ant
declared that not one Of them had been legally
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