Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-12-04

and generation. Another IS that Congress
cannot sit longer than the 4th Of March
proximo; and the most hopeful one is that
they will spend their time in elimination
and abuse of each other as to whose fault
it is that they are to be turned out in the
cold. when thieves fall out" &c.
The Amendments and appropriate
LegislatiOn.''
We have in the last two issues of our
paper stated our reasons for believing
that the Democratic party if in power
would and ought not to interfere with the
rights which the negroes have acquired
under the three last amendments of the
Constitution of the United States. We
have said in substance that these amend
ments having been acquiesced in, as 1.-The
great results of the war;" it would be sui
cidal, unwise and breach of faith on our
part now to reopen an agitation on this
subject, and that it is not to be thought
of for moment Wisdom and policy
both forbid it. 1t is not now question
whether it was the part OF wisdom to
adopt the 18th ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS it
was wise to deprive the States of all con-
troll over the question ofnegro suffrage, and
by single act confer upon mass of igno-
rant and newly emancipated slaves the
right to vote, regardless of consequences
to themselves and to the country at large
or whether it was wise in any event to vio
ate the fundamental theory of our gov
Enment in order to accomplish this or
ny other purpose. All of these great
pnsiderations were pushed aside in the
y desire ofthe Republican party to re-
lower. But, we doubt very much, if
orthern and Western States, which
for .tlsis- amendment, even in their
of Furnishing Southern rebels, would
zone so far if they could have for
he result of their unwise action. This
result has been to bestow the right of the
elective franchise on large mass of peo-
pie who thus far have shown themselves
incapable of using it for the ends of good
government. And as no portion of the
body polite can be injured without af-
fecting seriously the rest of it, the people
of the North are now brought to teel most
disastrously the bad government which
has existed in the South since the enfran-
ohising of the blacks. But, az We said be-
fore, the great mischiefhas been done, and
it is not within human wisdom to see how
it can now be undone. The question that
we have to deal with as practical men is
not now to see how this can be undone,
but to prevent this 18th Amendment from
being made the pretext for further mis-
chief and assumptions of power beyond
what is warranted by proper construc-
ton of it. The 18th Amendment is in
these words:
sARrIcLE XIV. Section l. The right OF citizens
of the United States to vote shall not De denied
or abridged by the United States or by any
State on account of race, color, or previous
condition of seryitude.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to
enforce this article BY appropriate legislation"
Any person who understands the En-
glish language can see that the sole object
of this much talked Of amendment, was to
compel the United States, and any State,
legislating on the subject of suffrage, not
to make determinations ION account of
race, color, or previous condition of servi
tude" This extent hath this amendment
and no more The 18th Amendment had
emancipatcd the negro-the 14th Amend
ment had made him citizen Of the Uni
ted States, and the 18th Amendment sim
ply provided that the States should make
no distinction between citizens of the
United States on account of color or race.
1t confers no right to vote on anybody,
but simply bleaches the black man po!iti.
cally, and declares that any legislation for
the white man shall enure for the black
man also. If any State law exists for the
benefit of males shove twenty-one it must
include the black men. No ingenuity
can extract any other meaning than this
from the amendment.
NOW, tuC Po"CA ~ Cu4o1CC CA1o &A1V1CAS
"by appropriate legislation" given to
Congress, is, and cam be only to prevent
any State by legislation or otherwise max
ing a discrimination in this matter Of suf
frage on account of color. This is the
whole power conferred by the words zap
propriate legislation" If any man, not
acting. under any State law or State au-
thority, by any means--intimidation or
otherwise a negro from voting,
the 18th Amendment does not confer the
least right upon the United States to eth
err make it an offence or to punish him.
It would doubtless be very grave offence
and one worthy Of punishment, but this
latter right belongs to the State alone, i'll