Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-10-06

Ing words IN cur helpless condition, d system OF
hostility and oppression, such as was never
known 10 history, was luaugurated and entorc-
ed against u. \ pardon brokerage Office was
opened IN Washington, and our Impoverished
people muccd IN heavy sums to 20 Into lhe
pockets Of these greedy officials Next 10 order
cOufiscallon bills were introduced 10 Congress
which threat eucd to se!Z. the little property
that had escaped the ravages of the war; and
under the alarm which this measure engender
cd the energies of the couatry were paruyzad,
commerce suspended, trade arrested, auaivcr-
sal gloom covered she Soute. and hung over il
like the pail Of death. The people we're afraid
| t. make an effort to raSuScitatc their shattered
fortunes, and to repair the waste places in the
land lest they should ae arrested ia their Efforts
| by the sweeping features Of this bill.
| Then camc the reconstruction measures, by
which ourSt governments were ovcrturoWn,
and military rulers placed ever u Every Off
Ger Of the State held his place at the will OF
military satrap. Judges were arrested and
tried by military tribunals; the judgments of
our courts set aside by military oricr-; officials
depns"d and their places filled by tl,icvisA car
pet hagScrs; set o.! swin1lcrs and dosauIters
entrusted with the collection OF the public rev.
enue, which found its way into their pockets
instead OF the public treasury. BY these acts
the right OF suffrage was Conferred for the first
time 90 the negro, and the result of the eyue-
riment was the Underwood Constitution with
its acknowledgements and test oaths. And thus
the Intelligence and experience Of the State
was excluded from her public councils and
ignorance and brutality installed in their stead
| ln the meantime, whilst these measures We're
being enforced and the South held under mil.
ltary rule, three amendments to the CunstIiu.
tlon we're procured, and the most radical
changes made in the fundamental law of the
land. BY the thirteenth amendment, the first
10 the series, universal emancipation was pro-
claimed within the jurisdiction IT the Federal
Government; and the negro suddenly liberated
without htDess or preparation for his new du-
ties aud relations aud without compensation to
his former constitutional owner BY the four
| teeth amendment the negro was declared a
ctiz9a Of the United States, aud by the fiji
| tecnth amendment he Was dcc .rcd voter in
every State in the Union
Each OF these amendments vas accompanied
with thu provision that "CongrcSs shall have
power to cpi9rce this article by appropriate
legislation. And uudcr this provision to the
| Fifteenth amendment Congress passed what is
known the reinforcement act, " uuder the
prctrxt OF securing to the negro the enjoyment
OF the right OF suffrage, but rcay for he pur-
| pose OF ovcrawlng and controlling the clrc.
tons IN the States and thereby securing for
the Republican party perpetuation Of poht-
cal power. The passage of this act was au at
tempt by the dominant party to iniimilate the
people, aud we call upon the voters everywhere
to rally TO the polls and rebukc this inSolcnt at
tempt to ovcrawc the popular will and control
the popular clectous
That this act Of Congress is plain violation
OF the Constitution Is manifest from reading
the Fifteenth amendment, FROM which its adj.
Vocates claim TO derive the p .wvr to pass the
act The Fifteenth amendment that bears on
this question is in these words:
~ he right OF citizens OF the United States
to vote shall Got be denied or abridged by the
! United States or by any State on account of
race, color, or previous condition OF serv-
tude. "
1t will be observed, 10 the first place, that
the fifteenth amendment protects the right to
vote of "clizeGs OF the Uuited States" 1t
declares that the right OF the ctizrns of the
United States to vote shall DOT be denied or
abridged. " Il applies by It's express terms to
citizens of the Uaitcd States" aud does not
apply to the right Of ci,zens Of Il State to
vote. 1t affords no protection to them. This
Interpretation Of the amendment is sustained
hy the decision Of the Supreme Court of the
United States in the Sau. liter. house cases.
10 the second place, it will be observed that
the right 10 vote. whether it belongs to a citi
Zen OF the United States or OF State. rust
not DC denied or abridged" by the limited
States or any State. The prohibition is upou
the United States or any State that they
shall not deny or abrilgc The right to vote. By
Its very terms the amendment does not apply
TO interference by individuals with he right to
Sn,h rI -. t,l,
thortieS Of the State to punish, which can aud
will afford ample protection to all voters when
their right to vote is aSslicd or questioned by
any individual or combination OF individuals.
This Amendment speaks simply of the United
States acting through Congress, or of the
! States acting as States as distinguished from
their c0Djulnt action through Conurass, and
declares, by the way of negative, that the
right ct cltiz ns Of the United States TO vote
shall not be denied or abridged by the United
States, or by any State on account OF race,
color or previous condition of scrvituic :" aud
hence, to justify Congress 10 the passage of
such law rs the enforcement act and to
bring 1t within the Fifteenth amendment two
things must CONCUR: LIST. The right of citi-
zen Of the United States to vote" must be de
MED or abridged" "a. 1t must be "dcuied or
abridged" by 'thc United States or auy State"
If Individuals interfere with The right to vote
uud attempt to deny " ahridge it, the case is
not within the Fifteenth amendment, and Con-
gross can pass by virtue Of that amendment no
law 10 punish interference by individuals with
the right to vote. Such interference must be
punished by State laws. Now, it is this kind
Of INTERCHANGEABLE Interference with the right
to vote BY Individuals Or combinations of Judi
vlduas-Whch the enforcement act declares to
be an ofence and prcscrbcs the punishment
| for, ii committed; and as there is 20 power
given by the fifteenth amendment to punish
| such Offences. thcTct Is without warrant of law
| aud is therefore Il plaln violation of the Coz
stitutiou. For when the act was passed there
| had been 90 ctt,rt, and Done is pretended. by
any State to deprive any citiz q, over whom
the security afforded by the fifteenth amend
ment had been thrown Of the right of suffrage.
There has been no violation Of the fifteenth
amendment by any State 10 the Union, and 90
| attempt to violate it. The DOLLY complaint is,
| that rtain lnpa fins tha r;rht cf tEo ,o,ro