Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-03-01
NEGRO SUFFRAGE.

NEGRO SUFFRAGE.
Senate Bill No. 1e, Incorporating the Mar
tinsburg and Potomac Railroad Company was
put upon its passage. Nearly every member
voted for the bill, but when Mr.. Davis pointed
out the clause allowing negroes to vote ON the
question of subscription to the capital stock
of said road, large number changed their
votes.
Mr.. Davis ann uncfd as his reason for
changing his vote tbat Fonld never recog.
nize the validity Of negro suffrage.
Mr.. Farnsworth voted for the bill because
it allowed both negroes and rebels to vote,
which he approved.
Mr.. Jackson said that he spoke for himself
alone, and that he would acquiesee in the
Fifteenth Amendment when its adoption was
proclaimed, because successful opposition
would be out of his power.
Mr.. Pierpoint said, ''Mr Speaker, intend
to do right, and will allow my vote to remain. I"
The bill was rejected, yeas %, nays 26.
Mr. Davis moved reconsideration to allow
the bill to be put in proper shape and passed.
The motion prevailed. The bill was then
referred.
BILLS PASSED.
House Bill No. 80, incorporating the New
River Railway Company
House Bill No. 81, authorizing Circuit
Judges to disolve injunctions in vacation.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The greater part of the afternoon was ia
ken up with the second reading of bills.
House Bill No. 12S, amending the laws in
relation to the elections and qualifications of
Mayor and trustees for the town of Lewis
burg, occasioned considerable discussion.-
This bill allows all white male citizens over
the age of 81, except paupers, persons of un
sound mind and those under conviction of
some infamous offence, to vote at the Lewis
burg municipal elections.
Mr.. Wheat moved to strike out the word
white. Lost.
Mr.. Sturgiss moved to amend so as to allow
none but registered voters to participate in
the elections. Lost. Yeas, %, nays %.
Mr.. Flick moved to strike out the word
male Lost. Yeas IT, nays %.
Mr. Wheat moved to amend SO as to require
the corporation officers to take the Test Oath.
Lost.
The bill was then ordered to engrossment.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
The Joint Resolution offered by Mr. Flick,
amending the Constitution so as to enfranchise
both rebels and negroes, camo up on second
reading.
Mr.. Davis offered substitute, restoring
the ballot to all who were disfranchsed for
participation in the rebellion.
MIR. Flick spoke in opposition to the SUBJ
stitute. 1t was offered when the ratification
of the Fifteenth Amendment was certainty.
1t proposed, not universal suffrage and uni
versal amnesty, but universal amnesty with>
out universal suffrage.
Mr. Davis discussed the proposed amend
ments at length. He had offered his SUBJ
stitute to meet the requirements of the peo>
pie of the State. Mr.. Flick's amendment
was offered in view of the alleged ratification
of the Fifteenth Amendment. He denied the
ratification of that Amendment. His argu-
ment covered the following points:
The Federal Constitution could only be
amended within the scope of the powers DEL
egated by the States to the Federal Govern
ment, and the control of suffrage having been
one of the rights reserved by the States, it
was not competent for three fourths of the
States to strip the remaining one-fourth of
their control of that question, or OF any other
which they had resolved to themselves. The
internal affairs of the States were theirs to
regulate. from the formation of the Govern
meut and not one State could be stripped of
its powers, without its own consent Any
other theory would allow three-fourths of the
States to subvert the Republic and establish
a despotism.
He denied that this amendment bad been
proposed by two-thirds of Congress When
the Constitution provided that two-thirds of
both Honses of Congress might propose
Constitutional Amendme it meant two thirds
of Congress representing every State in the
Union. Yet this amendment was proposed
by Congress in which number of the States
were denied representation.
Upon the theory of the Republicans that
the Southern States were not in the Union
until Congress so declared the Amendment
was not ratified, for a number of States. held
by the Republicans to be out of the Union,
had been counted ratifying. IF they were
not in for purposes of representation, he
would like to know how they could be
in for PURPOSES of ratification.
Georgia. Mississippi, Virginia and Texas. had
ratified under coercion. The forced assent of
State was no assent at all.
After discussing these points, and conclu-
ding that the Fifteenth Amendment could
not be held as adopted. Mr.. Davis considered
the effect of negro suffrage, as proposed to be
brought about by Mr.. Fick's amendment In
stead of elevating the negro. it would degrade
the white. Good government would be i'm
pared. for no government can prosper where
there is a mingling of races in its management.
He would not insult his race by coupling
the enfranchisement of the white man with
the enfranchisement of the negro. The peo-
pie demand the restoration of the ballot to the
white man, but they were u1alterably opposed
to enfranchising the blacks.
At this point Mr.. Davis yielded to motion
to adjourn.
OF leading officials in the United States,