The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-03-15

NtlE EHlueut lIoul tine luIaHeoloEy ul
this clause that it was intended to pre-
cluds the possibility of any interference
with the rights Of female citizens. This
careful guarding Of the rights of female
citizens was no doubt the result Of a
conviction felt by the trainers Of this
section that women should not be held
responsible for the sins Of men, and that
the ratio Of their representation should
not be iuterfered with. How would
men construe it if it should read female
citizens, instead Of male citizens? ? Let
us see-''But when the right to vote at
any election, etc, shall be denied to any
Of the female inhabitants Of such State,
being twenty-one years Of age, and citi-
zens Of the United States, etc, the basis
Of representation therein shall be re-
duced in the proportion which the num-
Der Of such female citizens shall bear to
the whole number Of female citizens
twenty-one years Of age in such State"
How, ] ask, would men coustrue the
clause were it to read as I have Just
quotedi female citizens instead of male
citizens? Would they not Immediately
decide that, instead Of depriviug male
citizens Of the right 20 vote, it secured
their vote against reduction IN any COZ
tingency that might arise? You can
easily see that whatever construction
it would bear when applied TO one class
OF citizens, it will also bear when ap-
piled 10 the other class. We think you
will agree with Us that the citizenship
Of woman cannot further be called in
question, either from a natural or con-
stitutioual standpoint, and that, as a
citizen, she is entitled TO ali the rights
and espousibilities pertaining to the
state of citizenship. We will now in
quire what are the rights, privileges,
and immunities Of citizens Of the United
States That you may have the highest
legal authority in our nation, I will
quote from some Of the Justices Of the
Supreme Court of the United States,
and also from Henry b. Selden, before
the court in Albany, New York, in tue
case Of susan b. Anthony. Chief JUS
,ice John Day, in the case Of Chisholm
Ex'rs, Us. state Of Georgia, in the
course Of his opinion, says, AT the rev.
olution the sovereignty devolved upon
the people, and they are truly the sover-
eigns Of the country, but they are sover-
eigns without subjects, and have none
10 govern but themselves. The citizens
Of America are equal as feliow-citizens,
and joint tenants in the sovereignty" !"
Chief Justice fancy, in the case Of Scott,
IS. Stamford, uses these words: "The
words, people Of the United States and
citizens are Synonymous, and mean
the same thing. They both describe the
political body, who, according to our
republican institutions, form the sover-
eignity, aud hold the power, and con-
duet the government through their Rep
reseutatives. They are what we famil-
iarly call the sovereign people, and
every citizen is one Of this people, aud
a constituent member of this sovereign
ty.n Justice Daniels, in the same case,
says: "Upou the principle of etymology
alone, the term citizen, as derived from
ciUitus, conveys the idea OF connection
or Identification with the state or gov
ernment, and participation in its func-
tions." Also Justice Washington, in a
ease before the Supreme Court, speaking
Of the privileges and immunities of the
citizen, as mentioned in section p, Of
article 4th, of the Constitution, after
euumerating the personal rights, etc,
adds, "to which may be added the elec-
tive franchise" Thus you see that the
Supreme Court Of the United States rec
ognizes each person belonging to our
nation as a sovereign citizen, andclaims
for each citizen the equal right Of suf-
frage. We will now quote a few pas
sages from the argument Of Henry b.
Selden, before the court in Albany, New
York, in the case OF Susan b. Anthony,
whom, you remember, was tried for IL
legal voting. The illegality consisting
not in the fact that she was not citi-
zen, but that she was a woman. Judge
Seldeu, in speaking Of the right OF wom-
en- TO vote, says, at has never, since the
adoption oftbe Fourteenth Amendment,
been questioned, and cannot be ques-
TONED, that women, as well as men, are
included in the terms Of its first section,
nor that the same privileges and i'm
muuities Of citizens are equally secured
to both.n What, then, are the privi-
leges and immunities Of citizens Of the
United States, which are thus secured
against abridgmeut by this section? !
claim that these terms include not only
the right of voting for public officers,
but that they include the right as pre-
emiuenily the most important of all the
privileges and immunities to which the
section refers. Among those privileges
aud dimmunitie- may doubtless be classed
the right TO life and liberty, TO the acquire
ment aud enjoyment Of property, aud to
the pursuit OF ones own welfare, so faI
as it does not interfere with the rights
and welfare Of Others. But what secur-
ity has any one for the enjoyments Of
these rights, when denied any voice in
the making Of the laws, or in the choice
Of those who make and those who ad-
minister them ? The possession of thi.
voice in the making and administration
Of the laws. This political right is whar
gives security and value to the olhel