The Portland daily press., 1870-04-01
Almost q Repuhiic.

1t we leave out of the account the fact that
Notwithstanding the ratification of the fit
teenth amendment one half of the adult peo-
pie OF the United States are still forbidden
the exercise of political rights, the proclama-
ton announcing that an article providing for
impartial suffrage has been added to the con-
stitution may be regarded as the most i'm
portant public document issued since Abra-
ham Lincoln, on the LIST of January, 1853,
proclaimed the freedom Of the slave. Forge'
ting that fact, we may congratulate ourselves
that at last and for the first time we nave
democracy; that now, and not IN II'o, oegins
thu experiment of"a government of the peo-
MIA bv the people, and for the people," Hith-
srto our government has only been little
closer approximation to a democracy than
any other nation has attained,-it has been a
government Of the people by part of the
people for part of the people. Now no dis
elimination can be made in respect to civil or
political rights on account of color, race or
previous condition-only on account of sex,
which is the most unreasonable and indis-
pensible discrimination of all. Yes, the fif-
teenth amendment is grand completion of
the work Of the liberalizing our institutions
by the thirteenth amendment. But the six
tenth amendment will be the grandest of all,
and incomparably the most important in its
results.
The immediate effect of the fifteenth
amendment is matter of dispute. The pre-
vailing doctrine seems to be that it is not op-
erative by its own force in those States where
negroes are DISTINGUISHED by the State laws,
and that laws must be passed in all such
States conforming to the new constitutional
provision respecting suffrage. The other doc
time is that it takes effect Immediately, an
auling all contravening State legislation by
virtue Of Its being the supreme law Of the
land. But even if the latter opinion is the
correct one, it is probably too late for the
amendment to have any effect upon the Con-
necticut election, which occurs on the 4ta of
April, since the registration in that State is
complete.
The political consequences of the amend
ment will be of Importance chiefly in those
border States which did not 60 into the re-
bellion and have consequently lost the puri-
Acation of reconstruction. With the negroes
enftanchised even Kentucky may be redeem
cd from the dominion OF the Bourbons, and
Maryland and Delaware placed more in SYM
pathy with the present age. Kentucky and
Maryland " i'll gain in their representation in
Congress by the addition of two fifths of the
colored people to the population on which
representation is based, as will many of the
Southern States when the new apportion-
ment, founded on the census of 1870, is made.
But this will be little recompense to the rebel
classes for the loss of their political ascen-
dency.
In most Of the Northern States the amend
ment will enlarge the body polite, but not in
any of the New England States except Con-
necticut, since they have already made them
selves Republics by their own act. In New
York property qualification for colored vot-
IN exists, and that will be swept away by the
amendment In Ohio the "visible admix-
ture" law will be overthrow, and all the
other Northern States except Nebraska and
Nevada, where impartial suffrage was made
BY Congress a condition precedent to their
admission to the Union. negroes will become
voters for the first time. If State laws are
not changed so as to provide for impartial
Suffrage, then by virtue of the amendment
Congress may enforce the rev article by ap-
peopriate legislation.