Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-27

| NJ, SIT I'LL p. M, and linen take receS
till 2 P. NJ. The resolution was amende,
by making the time of meeting 81 A. NJ.
after which it passed under suspension
of the rules.
| TINE OF ELECTIONS.
Mr.. McDOugal offered the following:
Resolved, That the Committee on tn
Judicial Department be directed to inquir
into and report as to the prOpriety o
striking out of the amendment adopted t.
| the Constitution of Tennessee in 1856
so much as provides that the elections 70
Judges and Attorneys General shall no
be held on the same day with elections TO
State and county officers.
Mr.. McDougal's object was to dignity
little more the election for Judges.
AN AMENDMENT TO THE FRANCHISE.
Mr.. Stephens offered the following
amendment to the report of the COMMITTEES
on Elections and Elective franchise
Amendment to section l article ", a;
reported by the Committee on Elec
tons:
/. Strike out from the first line tht
word ''man, and insert the words 'malt
persons"
2. Strike out the word "six" in the
third line, and insert the word twelve.
5. After the word ''district" in the
fifth line, insert the words cor municipa
corporation"
f. Strike out all after the fifth line anC
insert, Each voter shall give to the judge:
of election where he offers his vote, sat
isfaCtory evidence that he has at time
prescribed by law, paid the poll tax as
due by him, without which his vote can
not be received All citizens of the State
shall be subject to the payment Of pol
taxes, aud the performance of military
duty within such ages as may be pre-.
scribed by law. The General Assembly
shall have power to require voters to vote
in the elective precincts in which they re,
side, and to pass laws to secure the free.
dom of elections and the purity Of the
ballOt-box
AMENDMENT TO TIE SCHEDULE.
Mr.. Wright submitted the following
resolution in lieu of section l of the
Schedule, as reported by the majority OF
the Judiciary Committee.
Resolved, That in order that the inter
ests of the people may be subserved, and
that justice may be established, it be de-
clared by this Convention, that all civil
offices of the State, except those in whose
election the people generally were allowed
to participate (tO-wit: the Governor and
Legislature) are vacant, and that elections
by the people to fill all such vacancies,
shall take place Immediately upon the rati.
ficatiOn of the Constitution proposed by
this Convention, and submitted TO the
people.
THE FRANCHISE.
The President announced the unfinished
business of yesterday to be the discussion
on the majority and minority reports of
the Committee on Elections and Elective
Franchise.
Mr.. Netherland took the floor. He said
he was in favor of the majority report.
He read section l of the Fourteenth
Amendment, as follows:
"Al persons born or natuTalized in the
United States, and subject to the jUrisdiC-
ton thereof, are citizens of the United
States and Of the State wherein they re-
side. No State shall make or enforce any
law which shall abridge the privileges o.
immunitics Of citizens of the United
States; nor shall any State deprive any
person of life, liberty. or property, with
out due process of law, nor deny to any
person within its jurisdiction, the equaI
protection of the laws"
He regarded the Fourteenth Amend,
ment as part of the Constitution of the
United States, and that it was an insur,
mountable objection to taking away the
privilege of voting from the negro. He
was a citizen. There was no denying
that When he, as a member, came here
be took an oath to support the Constitu-
ton of the United States, and this was
the reason for the vote which he should
give. He was old enough TO remember
seeing the negro vote under the old
Constitution. For near forty years
prior to 1881 free negroes were allowed
to cast their ballots at elections, and he
saw then none of the evils which gen,
tlemen had so glowingly depicted. He
believed there were in Tennessee about
40 900 negro voters to 100, 900 white.
Now were there any fears that this
small minority would rule the ma
jority? Was it possible that 10000
men would array themselves against 100,
O0O-four to one? 1t was folly to think
of any such thing. The negro was not go
ing to array himself on one side of a line
in opposition to the white people. Now
the proposition of the minority was tC
take away from the negro the right &c
vote. Who were these people? They
were well known to the people Of Ten,
nessee. During the war the COlOrcd man
took no advantage of the situation,
Though the speaker was a STAKEHOLDER,
and his feelings were pro- slavery, yet, nov
that they had been emancipated, he coult
do them Justice. He knew Of nc
parallel in the history of the wOrlC
of a people suddenly emancipateC
who had behaved better. His sole
reason for giving the negro the right &c
vote was that he believed il constitutions
and Just, was it not little strange thai
the gentleman who had complained 81
Justly of the injustice of taxation withou
representation should now turn around
and propose to take the ballot from thu
negro and still compel him to pay hi
taxes He believed the negro had sensC
enough to vote The black man coulC
learn to be u good blacksmith, gooC
cooper, a good farmer. Could he no
be taught to vOte2 The blacl
man would be the friend of thu
white man when the white maj
showed that he was the FRIEND
of the black man. There was
mutual prejudice between races, but thi
might be done away by mutual acts o
kindness. But gentlemen said we Go no
like him because he was a slave, and nov
he set himself up as a free man. Blu
they did not make themselves free;
was the Government. He did not be
lieve that the negro thought himself tn
equal of the white Inan. But the propO
sitiou was to submit this question o
negro suffrage to a separate vote o
the people Tie was opposed to this
He wanted it setted here in Ten
nessee, and forever. What would b
the effect of putting this article befor
the people in distinct form. The PEG
pie would vote it down. They woulr
say, why the Convention did not dare t