The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-08-01

into the Declaration Of Independence,
was working in the minds Of the people,
and all the powers of Congress, the Pres
ident and the Supreme Court combined
could not stay the overthrow of negro
slavery. Will our rulers learn nothing
from the past by which to be guided in
their present duties? 1t is gratifying
to see that four out of the nine Chief
Justices admit that the Constitution of
the United States recognizes the right
of Suffrage in women. One of them
Justice Bradley declaring 'that citi-
zen of the United States has perfect
Constitutional right to go to or reside
in any State, and to claim citizenship
therein; and the whole power of the ma
tion is pledged to sustain that citizen in
the exercise of that right That citi-
zen is not bound TO cringe to any supe-
rior, or to party, for any act of grace as a
means of enjoying all the rights and
privileges enjoyed by any other eiti-
zen." Let us ask why this is so, and
we will see that, according to our Con-
stitution, all citizens are on an equality;
so that no citizen, as citizen, can be
superior TO any other.
Therefore, no citizen has q right to de-
bar another from exercising and enjoy
ing the same rights and privileges that
he or she enjoys. Hence, when the col
ored race was raised from state of
slavery to state of citizenship in our
: nation, not all the forces of the nation
, combined could Constitutionally have
, prevented them-both men and women
: from voting; for in the act of eDfran-
, chisement no distinction was made be-
: tween the sexes, but all alike were
! emancipated and recognized as citizens
of the United States, (the real fact OF
their citizenship having before existed
by virtue of their having been native
born subjects of our Government). But
fearing that some of the States might
refuse to recognize their right to all the
privileges and immunities of citizens
an Amendment was inserted into the
Constitution guaranteeing to them the
, full exercise of all those rights, by pre-.
|, venting any State ''from making or en-.
forcing law or regulation in any way
infringing the rights of citizens" anC
also declaring that no citizen should bt
deprived of the right to vote on account
Of race, color, or previous condition o
servitude. Thus throwing around al
l citizens, male and female, white anC
eolored, full and sufficient protection
: for the exercise of all the rights Of citi
zenship. How have these Constitu
tional provisions been carried out i'm re
lation to the colored women citizens
. Not one State in the Union has as We
: admitted to the ballot box one OF it
colored women citizens, although M
l one will deny that they have the sam
: right to vote that colored male citizen
u have. Why is this ? For the very rea
son that they know, that if they admi
c colored women to the polls they canno
{ prevent the white women from voting
They know full well that the same Con
= stitution that guarantees to the colore
women citizens the exercise of her Con
stitutional right to the ballot, ais
guarantees TO every other citizen tn
II exercise of the same right. Now, if IL
y citizen is bound to cringe to a superior
nor party, for any act of grace rs
" means of enjoying all the rights an
- privileges enjoyed by any other citizeI
= how can our Supreme Court expect
10 deprive one half the citizens of thes
'e United States of the exercise of the
'i rights of citizenship by deciding thi
;" women citizens cannot vote? In othC
words, that women citizens have Il
~ rights that men citizens are bound
- respect. But let their decision be VIII;
it may in relation to white womel
I they, "and the whole power of the nj
" ton combined" connot deprive IL
:, colored women of the right of voting.
= Thus the question of Woman Suflral
has become the leading question befo
the nation; and rs the Constitute
guarantees to ali citizens alike the exc
" :. else Of their rights of citizenship, wit
out distinction of race, color, or previoI
~ :, condition, and debars any State fro
" " infringing upon the right of citizen
- and as the State of New York b
sought to infringe thatright by prosecu
" ing Susan b. Anthony, a citizen of Il
United States and of the State of Ne
~ York, for exercising her right to vol
" she being OF mature age, and neither
=, idiot, lunatic nor criminal, and theI
" fore entitled to the full exercise Of h
right Of citizenship, we cannot see he
~ the Supreme Court can otherwise thi
On decide in favor of impartial sufirag
n and we declare that the action of t
'Oi New York Court was arbitrary and u
constitutional.
ne MONTANA WOMEN ENFRANCIIsED.
en- By an awkward mistake made by t
fleo laof Montana pori islafura that hO