The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-09-11

anu Ill WHICH, lncy Wclc polh ttt fcshi W.
It gave them no legal or political status.
It conferred on them no civil rights. |
Such a condition of affairs was not only |
wrongful but harmful. The ideawas not |
to be tolerated, that, in a Republic founded
upon individual rights, in a government of
the people, there should be four and a half
millions of free individuals, endowed with
no civil rights or powers; in the political
society but not Of it; without legal voice
or standing; owing obligations to society
while unable to claim any counter obliga-
tons in. their own favor. So long as the
colored people were slaves, they had pro-
lection from their owners. But when they
became free, it became necessary, it be-
came just, to clothe them with the civil
powers of self protection. wa s,.Qstt
The Republican party, therefore, in its
fearless policy of justice and right, went q
step farther than the Thirteenth Amend
ment, and ordained another organic pro-
vision: e,
The Fourteenth amendment makes ndtioe
and ndt,ualized Inhabitants, citizens of the
United States, and of the States IN sohich
they reside. u!i. - -la.
On becoming an American citizen, that
moment is the man invested with all the
rights, dignities and attributes attaching to
the character of citizenship. But it does
not follow that he can enjoy them.
LAWS MERELY DECLARAToRY DO NOT
''''' ENFORCE THEMSELVES.
Nor did this declaratory article of the
Constitution. The prejudices of caste sub
iccted the new citizen to be, severely re-
stricted in his rights and privileges as such.
Hence another duty was deyolved upon the
Republican party, from which it did not
shrink. 1t enforced the Fourteenth Amend
ment by an act of Congress, the purpose of
which was, by carefully drawn provisions,
to give the protection of the Federal courts,
in all their civil rights, to the newly created
citizens of the Republic. nfaih
The Cell Rights Act placed all citizens on
an equal footing beforethe lao, and furnish
ed to all the means Of cindscdtin9 the rights
incident to citizenship. 's'si ai3of
Benignant and bold, however, as these
measures were; fierce, untiring and un-
scrupulous as the opposition to their enact
ment has been. the Republican party did
not quail before the further duties of its po-
sition. lmpelled by the logic of events, by
the inspirations Of justice, and by the moral
Ja,,ooS ,,oos,,o 49,, 40 Eourtoontb
i,iolo Vall.oo ''''''' 70 'i''''' '''o o'i
| 1Ailieilo'lieii'' s..---i
SUFFRAGE WAS NECESSARY To The
| INDEPENDENCE OF THE CITIZEN.
Ours being a Republic, government Of
| the people, there could be no wisdom OF
| Justice in DISTINGUISHING four and half mil
lions Of citizens, blameless of treason OF
crime, and disqualified only by misfortune
| With intrepid, with sublime consistency
therefore, in its pursuit of justice and
right, the Republican party hesitated not tt
storm the very citadel Of popular preju
4 dce, and resolved to grant to tho colorec
| man the ballot, by still another constitu
tional article. dj
The Fifteenth amendment giues the cleo
me J'anc'ase 70 a~ c"'Se''S' 'Tespec''oe .
rag or coeoI' 81
~ ~, h"rn IF Of tha ,oa;col nacess;t;e.
W. va 9ba os ca o home morally and nol;tcaII,
y, 49, hn h,,t 3har, ,ve,e inst and r;ght
on5 @' e, nnt onIv NV thor nol;3;ca
u ,,aaoes;t,T III +ho;,. ;rhorovt merit An,
nther na,ty charged with the resnonsibili
foe az 10 a;tuoton and conducted h,
h I,en statesmon 1To,,ld have hoen obl;ce'
10 n,,,,sne snhstant;allv the same nolicy.
-,
CoNsIlIuIloNALD hoLAhAlloNs NEE
10 BE VlTALlzilD BY hiaetisliAiioS y,
The fifteenth amendment, however, Tx
the fourteenth, was merely dec!aratory
1 If could mt enforce itself. The bpStOWa