The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-25
The Enquirer quotes the following SEN
tcncc from the DISPATCH of Saturday:

tcncc from the Dispatch of Saturday:
AS to Mr.. brakes amendment to the
Senate bill prohibiting US from depriving
The negro of the right of suffrage, it does
Just what the fifteenth amendment to the
Constitution also does; and, as We have
already ratified that, we can surely not
find much cause for complaint in the fact
that Congress chooses to enforce it by legis-
l4ti0n."
Every reader can see that this specifies
in language which is too plain to be mis-
taken particular amendment. Yet the
Enquirer, with this language before its
eyes, proceeds to comment upon it as if VIC
had spoken Of all of Mr.. BRAKES amend
mcnts. When the article of which this
sentence is part was written, the Senate
had adopted but one of Mr.. BRAKES
amendments.
We repeat that the well-known purpose
OF the amendment which was referred to
BY us is to prohibit the people of Virginia
from dcpriving negroes of the right to vote.
Tie Enquirer complains that it does more;
that it not only prohibits us from depriving
negroes of the right to vote, but also pro-
hbits US from depriving poor white men of
the right to vote. We believe the Enquirer
is right about this; but then it had not oc
CURED to us that this was q very good objec-
ton, or one that would be very palatable to
the present white voters.
We suppose that the Enquirer will do us
tic justice 10 state that it commented upon
our article under misapprchension az to
lis pu:port, seeing that we made no refer
emcc to the last two amendments adopted
by the Senate.
Now, as to these other amendments. The
Enquirer says:
"Secondly, Mr.. brakes amendments
provide that no citizen, white or black, shall
ever be deprived of the right to vote or hold
Office on any account Except for crime) ;
every male twenty-one years old excepting
lunatics, idiots, &c., votes and holds Office
under the Underwood Constitution, and the
object of Mr.. brakes amendments is to
declare that euery such male alacdys shall
have the right to vote and hold office. Per-
sons vote and hold office under the Under
wood Constitution who have no property
Mr.. brakes amendments declare that they
always shall vote and hold Office. Persons
yo,c and hold Office under the Underwood
Constitution who have not paid their taxes );
Mr.. brakes amendments declare that they
always shall vote and hold office. Persons
vote and hold Office under the Underwood
Constitution who are public paupers Mr..
ly,y, thaf
always shall vote and hold Office. Persons
vote and hold office under the Underwood
Constitution who do not know their letters !;
Mr.. brakes amendments declare that per-
sons who do not know their letters always
shall vote and hold Office"
The reader will perhaps be surprised to
learn that there is no foundation whatever
fer this TRADE as to the Negroes right to hold
Office The Enquirer (unintentionally, we
arc sure,) totally misrepresents MIR. BRAKES
amendment in reference to holding.
We quote this amendment:
Provided, That it shall never be law
full for the same State to deprive any citi-
zen of the United States, on account of his
race, color, or previous condition of servi-
tude, Of the right to hold Office under the
Constitution and laws Of said State, OF upon
any such ground to require of him any
other qualifications for Office than such re-
auired of all other citizens"
It will be seen that so far from providing
that every man who is now eligible to Office
shall forever continue 80, this amendment
plainly allows any qualifications whatever
for Office to be required of both blacks
and whites. A property qualification
may be required; or persons may be re-
quired to pay their taxes; or paupers may
be excluded from Office; or persons who
do not know their letters. There is no
limitation whatever except that no man
shall be prohibited from holding Office be-
cause OF his race, color, or previous condi-
ton of seryitude. ANY other qualification
may be required.