The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-12-25

!
against the Union, are enabled TO elect \
X preventative in Congress. while in the
loyal states II requires one hundred and
thirty two thousand Of the white ieopla
Chat fought tor the Union to elect a r. r.
sentative In levyiug every tax, tn er-fora
IN making every appropriation of money,iu
hXltg very line of public policy in de-
creting whdti>hall be the fate aud fortune
| OF the Republic. the Confederate soldier
| south IS enabled to east vote that is txire
as powerful and twice iufilentia AS the
| vote OF the L MON soldier North.
But thu white men of the South did not
acquire aud DO not hold this superior pow
er bv reason of Law or Justice bur in disre-
gard and defiance of both The fourteeath
amendment 10 the Constitution was EXPECT
Ell 10 be and was de-igned 10 be a prtven-
tive and corrective OF ali such possible.
abuses. Tne reading of the clause applica-
Die to The case Is Instructive and Sugyestiye
Hear it:
Representatives shall he apportioned
among the several States according TO their
respective numbers. counting the whole
numb of perso"s in each State, exclud-
fng Indians not taxed. But when the ght
to vote at any election for the choice OF
electors for President aud Vice President
of the United Stats. REPRESENTATIVES in
Congress the executive aud judicial officers
OF d State, or the mem brrs ot the I~gisla-
ture hereof. is denied to any of the N ale
Inhabitants of such State b-ing twenty one
years OF age. and eli Sens of The United
OLdtcS. or ia any way dDTIt 3ed. tXCrDr
participation in rebellion. or other crimp,
the basis OF representation therein shall b.
reduced in the proportion which the number
OF such male citiZ ms shall bear 10 tn"
whole number of male citizens tweuty-one
years of age in such State
The patent, undeuiable intent of this
provision was that if any class Of Vo.erS
were denied or in any way abridged in their
right OF suffrage, then The class so denied
or abridged should not be counted in the
h.t-I.
that no State or States should gam large
Increase of repreSr ntatlun in Congress 10y
reason of counting any class of population
not permitted to take part in elec1ing such
Representatives, but the construction CIV
Ell TO this provision is that before anv tor
fixture of representation can b. enforced.
the denial or abrlgmeut Of suffrage must
be the result OF law spec hcally enacted by
the State. Under this cons rue ion every
negro voter may have his suffrage absolute
ly denied or ia ally abridged ny the violence
actual or threatened, o. IrreS pou>ibie mobs,
or by frauds anu deceptionS of State officers
from the Governor DO vi to the last election
clerk, and then, unless some state law can
be shown that authorizes the d. NAL or
abridgmeuJ, the state escapes al penalty or
peril OF reduced representation. Ibis cor
struction may be upheld by the courts
ruling on the letter of the law, ~ hich
killeth." but the spirit of justice cries aloud
against the evaSive and trOciuu, conclus on
that deals out oppression to the iuuoern
aud shields the guilty from the leg Ultimate
consequences of Wiiliul trausgres-ion 4
The colored citizen is thus mo t uuhappi-
ly situated mis- right OF suffrage is bur 4
hollow mGckery; it holds to his ear the
word CT promise bur breaks ii always to hi,
hope, and he ends only in beng made the
unwilling Instrument of increasing the 20
litical strength of that party from which
he received evrr-tighteniUg frtrers when
he a slave and chntem ptuous refusal of
civil rights since re was made Tree. he re-
sembps indeed those unhappy captveS in
the East who deprived OF their birthright
are com PEELED to yield their stre~g 9Th to
the uphuilding of the monarch from those
tvraunies IN Y haze most to fear. and to
fight against the power from which alone
deliVeraHc+ m iyht be- Expected. The fran
chise intended for the shield and defense OF
tue negro, has beeI turned against him
and against his friends, and has vastly in
creased the power of those from whom he
has nothing to hope aud everything to
dread.
The political power thus appropriated by
southern Democrats by reason OF the negro
population amounts 30 thirty-tive Repre-
>entatIve> in Congress. 1t i maSSeG al
most soljdly and off~ets The great State o.
New York; or Prnust lvania and New
jersey together; or he whole of New Eng
land; or OHIO and Indiana united; or the
combined strength of Illinois, Minnesota,
Kansas, California Nevada, Nebraska,
Colorado. and Oregon. The seizure of this
power is wanCon usurpation; 1t i fragrant
outrage; it i violent perversi0n OF the
whOl- cory of Republican government
1t innuTes solely to the present advantage
and YET. believe. to the permanent dis
honor OF the Democratic party. Ii Is by
reason of This tram ping down OF hum ~
rights. this rlthless seizure of unlawful
power that the Democratic party holds III
pOpul r branch OF Congress to day aud
will in les than ninety DAYS have control
If this body also. thus grasping he entire
legislative department of the Government
through the unlawful capture OF the South
I'm States. Ii the prescribed vote of the
South were cast as its lawful owners dc-ise.
the Dem cratic party could not gain power.
Nay. if il were not counted on the q, her
side against the instincts aud the Interests.
against the prinripl and the prejudices of
its lawful owners, Dem pcratic success would
he hopeless. 1t not enough, then for
modern ID mOcratic tacties that the neg"
vote must be Siltuced the demand gre>
farther and insists that iU shall be counted
on heir side. that all thu Representatives n
Congress AID all the Presidential electors
apportioned by reason OF the negro vote.
shall DE so cast and s. governed as t. insure
Dem ncTatic succeSs-regaTdle>s of justice.
in defiance OF law.
Aud this injustice is wholly unproveked.
| doubt if it be in the power OF the most
searching inVestigar ion to show that in any
Southern State during The period of h
d lbican control, any legal voter was ever
debarred from the freest exerei-e OF hi
suffrage Even the rrveuges which would
h4ve leaped into life with many who de
>piSed the negro were buried out OF sight
with a magnanimity which the superior
race fail TO follow and seem reluctant to
ecognizs. | know il is said in rrtort OF
such charges against the southern elections
IS am now reviewing that untairness OF
equal gravity prevails in Northern elections.
| near it in many quarters, aud read II ~
the papers that in the late eXciti" e election
i'm Massachusetts intimidation ana bull
DOING, ifnot SO rough and rancorouS a, in
the South. were rs widespread and Ell Give.
l have read, and yet | refuse to believe,
hat the distinguished gentleman who
made an energetic bat Unsuccessful canvass
tor the Gpvernpr-bip of thai state, has III
dorsed and approved these charges, and
have accordingly made my resolution
broad enough to include their thorough in
vestigation. | am not demanding fair cleo
tions in the South without demanding fair
elections in the North also. But veuturing
TO speak for the New England States, OF
whose laws and customs know something.
dare assert that in the late election in
NJ Massachusetts,, or any OF her nelghborIng
Cpmmonweaiths, it will be im possible 20
find even one case where a voter was driv-
en- from the pollS, where voter did not
have the fullest. faire>t. treeSt opportunity
to cast the ballot OF his choice and have It
honestly aud faithfully counted in the re-
turns Snffrsg on this continent was first
made univers j in New England, and in the
administration of tneir affairs her people
have found no other appeal necessary than
that which is addressed TO their honesty Of
conviction and to their intelligent self-in-
terest. Ii there be anything different 10
disclose l pray you show it to us that we
may amend our ways.
But whenever a feeble protest is made
| against such I'M justice as have described IN
the South. The response we get comes TO US
in the form:nt a taunt. what are you going
| 10 do abOutit?' and "H0w do you propose
to help yourselves" This is the stereo-
| typed answer OF defiance which iBtrenched
wrong always gives TO inquiIing j"stiee !;
| and those who imagine it to be conclusive
| do not know the Iemner of the American