The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-11-14
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON TER
RIT0RY.

word citizen does not indicate sex, even |
those Indian women, whose husbands |
have severed their tribal relations, and /
become citizens of the United states, and /
have taken homesteads, and pree-mp- |
tlons, are also citizens, and as such are
entitled to vote at all elections in the
States or Territories, where they reside.
This is easily made plain-yOu of course /
fully understand it-but may be it may |
not be 80 clear to some of the readers OF
the New NORTHWEST. Forthis reason
viii review the Amendments little, |
and then give the law of Congress en- |
forcing them. The Fourteenth Amend |
ment defines citizenship, deprives the
States of the power of abridging the
rights Of citizens, and also forbids the
States depriving any person of life, lib
erty, or property, without due process
OF law, and guarantees to all persons the
equal protection Of the laws. The Fif-
teenth Amendment says, "The right of
citizens of the United States TO vote,
shall not be denied by the United States,
nor by any state on account of race,
colon, or previous condition of servi-
tude.n
The race, nor the color, nor the kind
of servitude is not specified. The citi-
zen may belong to the Mongolian race,
or the Malayan, the African, the Cau-
casian, or the Indian; just so they are
born or natuIalized in the United States,
and owe allegiance to the Government.
Neither does it define the color, whether
they shall be black, white, copper-col-
Ored, or 4 mixture of any of these colors.
Also as to servitude: 1t does not say in
what the previous servitude should have
consisted, whether that of slavery in
the Southern States, or that of subjec-
tion to a monarchial or n despotie gov
eminent; whether that Of servant, or
an apprentice, or of wife to tyranical
husband or whether it was the political
bondage under which the women of this
nation are living. "But, "say some, "this
political bondage of which you complain
is present bondage, and the amendment
says previous" Very true, but don't you
know, that so soon as women get the
ballot, that they will be no longer slaves,
but free and independent citizens, and
that Immediately their conditions of
servitude is changed from present to
previous. The law Of Congress of which
| spoke as enforcing the Amendments,
was passed on the 3lst of March 1870,
and is entitled "An Act to enforce the
right of citizens of the United States to
vote in the several States of this Union,
and for other purposes" the first and
second sections of which sre as follows:
SEC. ]. "Be e enacted 6y the Senate
and House Of Representatives. Of the
United States IN Congress assembled,
That all citizens of the United States,
who are, or shall be otherwise qualified
by laws to vote at any election district,
county, city, parish, township, school
district, municipality o r other territorial
subdivision, shall be entitled and al
lowed to vote at all such elections, with
out distinction of race, or color, or Previ-
Ous condition Of serUitude, any constitu-
tion, law, custom, usage, or regulation OF
any State or Territory, or by, or under
its authority, to the contrary notwith-
standing" l will just here remark,
that should any one in reading the Fif-
teenth Amendment suppose that it re-
ferred only to the newly emancipated
slaves, they can satisfy themselves on
that point by reading this law of Con-
gress, as also Senator Carpenter remarks
in the Senate. This law which l have
just quoted says, of race or color or pre-
vious condition, etc. Senator Carpenter,
| in speaking of the Amendments, says
in the course of his remarks: at is
thus the lCiU of the United States, and
silences eUery State Constitution usage or
| La,r which conflicts with it.
And if this provision does protect the
eolored citizen-then it protects every
citizen, black or white, male or fe-
male" will now give the second sec
ton of the act of Congress quoted above:
ind be it further enacted, That if, by
or under the authority of the CoHstitu-
ton, or lars of the State, or the Idtcs Of
any Territory, any act is, or shall be,
required to be done, e,prerequisite, or quail
ifcation for voting, and by such Consti-
tuition, or law, persons, or officers are,
or shall be charged with the perform
ance of duties in furnishing to citi-
zens an opportunity to perform such
prerequisites, or to become qualified to
vote, it shall be the duty of every such
person, and officer, to give to all citizen:
of the United States the same and equal
opportunity to perform such prerequi.
site, to become qualified to vote without
distinction OF race or color or previou;
condition of servitude; and if any such
person, or officer, shall refuse, or know.
ingly omit to give full effect to this Sec
ton, he shall for every such offense
forfeit and pay the sum of five hundred
dollars to the person aggrieved thereby
to be received by an action on the case,
with full costs and such allowance for
council fees as the Court shall deem just
and shall also, for every such offence be
deemed guilty of midsdemeanor, and
shall on the conviction thereof, be fined
not less than five hundred dollars, or be
imprisoned not less than one month
and not more than one year, or both,
at the discretion ofthe Court" " Need we
anything more than this to enforce our