The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-03-16

ground on which the bin can stand
Let US see what is the very text OF
that amendment:
SECTION 1. The right of citizens of
the United States to vote shall not be
denied or abridged by the United
States or by any State on account OF
race, color, or previous condition of
servitude.
SEC. 9. The Congress shall have
power to enforce this article by ap-
propriate legislation.
This amendments recognizes such a
thing as the right OF citizens of the
United States to vote in the States,
and it forbids the States to deny that
right to any citizen of the United
States on account of race, color, or
previous condition of serviiude. 1t
is a negative rule to the States, W hlch,
Like the other negatives or inbibftions
of the Constitution executes itself,
and needs no supplementary legisia-
ton. :" No State" says the tenth sec
ton of article one of the Constitution,
I" shall enter into any treaty, alliance.
or confederation: grant letters OF
marque or reprisal coin money emit
bills of credit; make anything but
golui and silver coin a render in pay
ment of debts; pass any bill of attain
der, er post faeto law, or law impair
ing The obligation of contracts, or
grant any title of nobility These
all aie legislative liabilities, self-im-
posed by the States, and the fifteenth
amendment is another instance of Il e
same disabling character. The STATES
surrender their power over these sew
eral subjects, and, until they attempt
to resume it, it is absurd to talk about
Congressional legislation to enforce
such provisions. They need no en-
forcement. They execute themselves.
The moment the requisite number of
States ratified the fifteenth amend
ment (if, indeed, the requisite num-
Der ever did ratify it) the States were
no longer able to deny OF abridge suf-
frage on account of race, color, or pre-
vious condition. And no State has
attempted any such legislation. On
the contrary, it is well known to eve
ry gentleman on the floor, as part OF
tie current political history of our
time, that every State conformed to
the compact and admitted negroes to
the suffrage. This is what the fif-
teenth amendment meant, and the
States, all of them, whether APPROX
ing the amendment or disappearing
it, whether voluntarily assenting
thereto, or cheated into an appa-
rent assent which was unreal, or
whether coerced by sword and bayo-
net, or by legislation, more cruel than
swords and bayohets, all, every one OF
them, came bravely and promptly up
to the demands of that ill-starred
amendment. New York adapted her
constitution to it. In Pennsylvania
we have not yet expunged the word
"white from the elective clause OF
our constitution, but we have suffered
it to be obscured by the fifteenth
amendment, and our colored popula-
ton have been as freely admitted to
the ballot as if the word white ha,
never been in our constitution. 9th
er States have contormed to the rule
with equal promptness and precision.
They have consented that their eXcDu-
sive jurisdiction over suffrage shall be
SO exercised as MOTTO exclude negroes.
Thus the fifteenth amendment has had
free course and been glorified. Now,
sir, in view of these facts, which no
man here or elsewhere will contradict,
what, ask, but shallow sham, is the
title of this legislation An act to
enforce the right of citizens to vote
Nonsense. The fifteenth amendment
enforced that night. True, the power
to legislate for it's enforcement is
granted by the second section, but
this bill and no other can be sincere
exercise OF that power until somebody
resists or denies the right. Legisla-
ton to enforce what constitutional
provision has already enforced oughI
to be laughed out of the House. What
would nay learned friend from Ohio
(Mr. Bingham), the chairman of the
Judiciary Committee, say of two laws
of forty odd sections-long, complex,
and obscure sections-to enforce :"
any of the inhibitions of the tenth
section, which have just quoted p
Would not his common sense recoil
from such preposterOus legislation
Yet it would be no more unnecessary,
no more absurd legislation than that
which is proposed now, though it
might easily be more candid and hon.
est. No, sir, no the fifteenth amend
ment, though made the stalking horse
to bear up the legislation, does not and
cannot sustain it. 1t is utterly with
out root in the Constitution. My
friend from Wisconsin (Mr. Eldridge)
characterized it none too strongly
when he denounced it as cheat, a de-
fusion, and snare. 1t is bill to OBJ
struct suffrage, to deliver the ballot
boxes of the States into the hands OF
the pimps, spies, and paid rogues OF
the Republican party; bill, in a
word, to prevent the Democratic citi-
zens from enjoying q free and fair bal
lot. And it marks curious feature
of our times. The fifteenth amend
ment extended suffrage to negroes;
the legislation to "enforce that
takes away suffrage from
white men. The philosophy of all
this is, if philosophy can be predicat-
ed of the politics. of the Republican
party, that the political power of the
country is to be torn from white men
and delivered to negroes ; the African
is to rule the Anglo-Saxon. To this
has the party of great
moral IDEAS come at last. BY glow
ing speeches and honeyed words they
have deludeG the people for several
years past. They hope to continue
the delusion until they shall have un-
dermined the South and stolen ali
their rights and consolidated one
grand central empire ON the ruins OF
the republic. The prophetic soul OF
the President already discerns the Iiv-
ing resemblance of our nascent en-
pire to that which King William and
Bismarck are building up to bless tn,
Germans, and very soon, if the people
continue power in the hands thai
WELD it now, the resemblance of The
two empires will become SO palpablt
that common and uninspired men will
not only see but will feel what tn,
President halls in the future-th
blessings of military despotism. All
our legislation points this way. The
bill now before US is one of the steps
in this doward road. 1t would bt
more manly and fair if it bore its reai
purpose upon its frontlets. Why not
call it a bill to destroy the State right
of regulating suffrage? Or, bill to
prevent white men from voting? Or
a bill to- continue the Republican par