New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-27

| noliIticaY corporation than in the othsss
! freer ana more liberal grant OF the frau
| chise in the one than in the other; and hi.
! is really tbs only difference between then
| Both Of them are close corporations, so IA,
F, as participation in legislation is concerned
| Both alike come IL conflict with the fund.-
! mental principle OF equal burdens in civil
society. Both have their privileged classes
| and both have their excluded classes, thai
I politically considered are outsiders, hsvin,b
I no voice in The election OF their rulers
! Their only privilege Is that Of submission to
| and protection by the laws which Others ses.
! ii. to make. Politically. they are nop,
! existent.
| II il hardly nece .sary 70 say that snch al
| theory OF government il emphaticallv no.k
! .he one promulgated J, the declaration oil
! ;ndepeu dence According to that 1nenor.f
! able il, strumen. all men are crested
| %eual.'' and endowed by their Creator
! With certain iHslienable rights. among
| which are '.life. liberty, and the pursuit
! OF happiness" For the security OF these
! rights governments are instituted among
! men," ANA in performing this function and
serving this purpose they derive ''their
! lust powers from the consent OF che gov
, erred." These governments ere :he crea-
lures of the governed. They exist py their
con sent and act as their representatives.
| The original sovereignty is in che governed,
by the creative law Of natures God. This
! is the doctrine of tho declaration Of indie
pendence, according to which governments
act only by delegated power. They haveS
no right ct action excep: 80 thIs derived
from she consent OF the governed. They
do not exist for themselves or 20 bes:ow
rights upon the people. but rather 70 ex-
press and carry into effect III. popular will.
They are Of the people end 5y the people
and Tor the people.
Who then are ths people srcm whom they
spring. by whom and for whom they EXIST
Who are the people who are entitled under
this theory to selec, the agents Of govern
menc, and in this way to participate in the
enactment and execution Of law! But one
answer. considered as stating general
principle. 10 possible without contradicting
the theory itself. The people are the gov
erneG. The subjects " law are 'he SOURCES
of law. The persons who rule are GiInply
their representatives. They rule by no
right inherent in themselves and b. no d.
vine eight Of inheritance from those who
have ruled before thenA Their power
is the power Of the people. granted 70 them
by the people. The mode o: .ne grant ID
that Of = popular election, regulated by the
laws which the people, acting through theiS
representatives, have 6nacto3 A)g she 2Ute
pose. q
suppose then that eieSs election lave,
discriminating on the ground OF sex, ex-
clude One-half of the people from sine voting
right and bestOw the privilege ApOn the
other halls This being the fact. j. the gov.
eminent an embodiment Of the principles.
OF the declaration of independence Nos
at all. any more than il the exclusion %er0'
based on some ether ground. The people.
by the fifteenth amendment, have eaid that
no such exclusion shall be founded On trace.
color or previous condition .. AtrvitudS.'
" ha }aH
than on eOlors Those whe ebecs 20 woman's
suffrage are logically bound - de one OS
two things-either to give uis che prime
ciples proclaimed in the declaration OF in.
dependence, and in 60 doing % give up tho
whole theory OF popular government. OF 70
show that natuHe-pOt custom. NOT usage
not law, not che mere will Of the Wlafs sex.
bu. rature--the very constitution OF ,hings,
works in the ease OF woman q fixed and
permanent disqualification 60 vote in The
election Of civil rulers. Ii she - 2ot thus
disqualified, what right have men TO- say
thar she .haii not vote, and that they only
shall. ~, voters Nv either si.hs than that
Which he Wing ~. 10 say that he 10 the .
State. - thsst "a" .'eOple are merely the 4
subject. &c. hla wIlL The rimple truth is.
y GOVERNING 81 men exclusively is an aris- 4
:ocracy Of Mss- :he women have ne share
il il and no lo"sv eyes it. They Muse
submit 70 il, ;U Is the slave fau% submit
70 Ills master. re consen. Ok choice has
nothing 20 d, .s,s il; it 10 in relation to
them. Theoretically. and too often has been
PRACTICAL. . government 81 1aMit!gagN0
GeepotisiE.
Any effort 20 dodge ibis iccica' st-ul. hg 4
classifying rights into natural, civR and
political is . mere play upoA words. The
fact il chat governments. according TO she
true theory, certainly according - the
American theory, exi-t 20 define and de.
ryrhHs of ~ nN 81 ops
but Of all classes: not 81 one sen, but q
both sexes. These rights in che charactey
OF nature are equal; and hence. che sxclu-
sion OF any class, not disqualified By narure
or crime. from the right of soting Is a
denial 60 that class not only of equa!
rights. but Of privilege which is the cure
guarantee for its own protection. No class
deprived Of political power can protect
itself. The power is Just ae necessary to
sefDrotection a. government itself. II
always has been SO and 10 always will be SO.
II was on shs principle that the right Of
voting was bestowed upon the freedmen.
1t was regarded - necessary - sheir
highest safety.
The principle is Just as tr;H Of woman az
i. is Of man. The old common law doctrine &
in regard to woman-thAt merged hes lega! Z
existence IN that of man. while h made her .
mere ward, Of whom man was the guard. .
iar-~le:t her in the state o! helpless lie. :
pendence without any power 20 assert her
own rights. 1t made the man q despc. in
respect 20 woman. The Improvements Of
American legislation, espsciall. within che \
last twenty-five years. have cepeale. many
o. the inaxims Of this doctrine and greatly <
changed the legal status OF woman IN This i
country. This work of improvement is no. b
vet finished, and will not be until we have 3
a square deal of equal rights a. between I
the two sexes. Then the political importance
Of woman will make hes powe. il Tho
body polite. Being power, che will com.
pei legislation to respect her rights. Those
chosen 70 enact and administer laws will 4
that women. as well as men, arc
20 be considered. An effective part of pub.
lie sentiment will consist in Che opinions of
women. The ballot will stand ..hind these.
opinions and give them torce.-.I.sS Vows Z
!NdepeasieNt.