The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-03-22

confer it. When the Constitution says
that the right to vote shall not be denied
to the citizen, il recognizes that right as
pre-existing. To show you that more
than the African race was intended to
be included in the provisions of these
amendments, it is hut necessary to say
that our citizens are made up from
nearly all races under the sun, and that
. to secure the recognition and consequent
enjoyment Of the rights Of citizenship 10
these races, it became necessary TO
adopt these amendments, compelling
the Anglo-Saxon, OF dominant race, to
recognize the rights Of citizens Of other
races. Another reason, showing that
the African race was not the only one
intended TO be included in the provis-
ions Of these amendments; that only by
depriving the States and United states
Of the power to deny to abridge the
rights Of citizens to vote, on account Of
race, could they hope to keep the bal
ance Of power among the races. Far
seeing statesmen no doubt saw that.
were only the African race enfranchised,
the time might come when they might
outuumber the Anglo-Saxon race, and
take the power in their own hands.
This contingency is nicely guarded
against in the Fifteenth Amendment.
That these amendments not only in
clude citizens Of all races, but also Of all
sexes, aud was so intended by our wise
Legislators, is apparent, not only from
their phraseology, but also from the dis
cussions in Congress on their adoption.
Senator Carpenter, who took part in the
discussion on the Fourteenth Amend
ment in the Senate, and aided in its
/ passage, says: ''The Fourteenth Amend
ment executes itself in every State in
the Union. II is thus the will OF
the United States in every State, and
sileuces every State constitution, usage,
and law which conflicts with it. %
And il this provision protects the col
ored citizen, then it protects every citi-
zen, black or white, male or female;
aud all the privileges and immunities
which ] viudicate to the colored citizen
/ I also vindicate to our mothers, our
wives, sisters, and daughters" Judge
/ Selden, in his argument before the court
in Albany, says: at has been said, with
how much or how little truth do not
know, that the subject of ssoaring "a
women the elective franchise was not
considered in the preparation or in the
adoption Of these amendments. Il is
wholly immaterial whether that is so or
not. Il is never possible to arrive at
the intention of the people in adopting
constitutions, except 10y referring to
the language used. As is said by Mr..
d. Cooley: The intent is to be found in
the instrument ITSELF It is not a new
thing for constitutional and legisla-
tive acts to have an effect beyond
the auticipations of those who frame
them. It is undoubtedly true that
i'm exacting magma chdrfa from King
John the Barons of England provided
better securities for the rights of the
common people than they (the people,
were aware Of at the time, and the
rights Of common people were neither
forgotten nor neglected by them. II
has also been said, perhaps with some
truth, that the trainers of the original
Constitution ofthe United States 'builded
better than they knew and it is quite
possible that in framing the amend.
ments under consideration, those en-.
gagged in doing it have accomplished 6
much greater work than they at tn,
time were aware of. am quite certain
, that it will be fortunate for the country
. if this great question Of Woman Suf
B. frage, than which few greater were eve
= presented for the consideration of am
q people, shall be found almost unexpect
edly to have been put to rest" justice
r Bradley, Of the Supreme Court Of tn
{ United States, in speaking Of the Four
T. teeuth Amendment, in the course of hi
I opinion said: at is possible that thos
who framed the articles were not them
= selves aware Of the far-reaching eharac
b ter Of its terms. They may have ha
+. in mind but one form Of social and po
a litical wrong which they desired to re
e dress, yet if the amendment, as frame
r and expressed, does, in fact, have
4 broader meaning, and does extend il
/. protecting shield over those who wer
\ never thought of when it was conceive
t aud put in form, and does reach sue
}. social and political evils which wer
G never before prohibited by constitu
!, tional amendment, il is to be presume
e that the American people, in giving
Il their confirmation, understood wha
i they were doing, and meant to deere
e what has in fact been done" The opir
IF ion Of these learned men is of gre;
weight, and is the only rational vie
= that can be taken Of the provisions
j. these amendments. u is but natur'
'r to suppose that the State Legislature
N discussed these amendments in the
d broadest, as well as in their most lin
II tied sense; and from the fact that the
D. were adopted by two-thirds of theStats
d as provided by the Constitution, the
ID can be no doubt but that in adoptir
p them they fully realized that they wou
x have to so amend their laws aud cOnst
y tutions as to not be in conflict with Il
D, provisions OF these amendments; al
II that as every citizen is, by these amenl