The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-12
MEMPHIS DAILY APPEAL.
WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER ~, 1893
NEGRO SUFFRAGE NUST 90 W.
DISTURBED.


DISTURBLR
Ex-At,orney-Gcncral Waits, Of ex-
President jefferson Dayis's Cabinet, in an
interview in yesterdays ArrE,l on the
subject OF negro suffrage devoted himself
mainly to an exposition OF the fact that
Congress cannot command or interfere
with the suffrage, a right that wholly in.
heres in the States. 4 Constitutional
amendment declares that the right Of
suffrage shall not be denied 10 any one on
account OF previous condition OF race, but
that great charter granted the Federal
Government by the States goes no further.
Congress cannot, therefore, cuHall or in
tcricrc with the exercise Of the suffrage by
the negro. Neither can the Legislatures
Of the various States Their Constitutions
specifically declare who shall vote
and there is no power even in any Of thcir
courts TO deprive pcaccabe and law
abiding citizens OF right thu, inherc5 In
NIL free men. and that so inhcrng, ante.
daics all constitutions and laws. This
right is the foundation OF all the consiitu-
lions aud all the laws Of all the States aud
OF tine Rcpublie. IAN governments derive
their powers from the consent oi the gov.
crncd.' The creator govs hci1ra the crci.
tup The negro Is FREQ nan IN the cx.
orcisc OF al the rights AMI duties that be-.
long to free men, and lac cannot bcdivcslcd
Of them save aud except ior the commits
sion Of crime OF which b. shall be- found
guilty by q court Of competent jurisdiction.
No cx post iac'o law can opcrtc against
the Natural or vested rights OF the citi.
zen. No State Legislature can cur,ail
the rights Of i,s citizens, no STATIC Cpn,ii-
tulional Convention could go ~ hr hc.
cause tho bill Of rights OF zach oi them dis.
tinctly declares the reserved rights OF ,hu,r
citizens, among them and the most yalua.
bic being the right 20 declare their form nj
government, and TO- alter, amend or abolish
1t as 10 them may seem best THIS was
made apparent la this STAT, in 1854 during
the proposed amendments io ihr Cou.tO.
tuition taking from the free ucyrors OF tha,
day the franchise. which Judge CASTOR, o
North Carolina, and subsequently, Jul-,
Caifon, oi tins state, declared iuhgrcl In
them as a right Of their free condition
In defiance OF these decisions aud OF Oh.
fact that free negroes hal always voted In
the state they were robbed Of their right
by the State Constitutional Convention an,
an aticmp, WIS made 20 drive thea
out Of the State But this vss iti.od D.,
aicw fair minded men vino valued rgh
above party oNiFyucy, and lhcv wen
allowed 20 remain In the State hut uu Q,
laws made more stringoniaud rigorous. y
groscr outrage than this was ever pyua
tmied bya majority upon a helpless m
nouiy but the ircc people OF color vyr
fully avenged, Tor the BuVu,ow uu.o
Government made haste ~ cuifan,hr
thom I O. logical result oi their irccdo
from slavery thus anticipating thc astiU
Of the other States In adopting the tou
tecnih Amendment Thgrsht OF sulm.
cannot be- hmprpd with without vi
dangcring the fundamental law r
the fundamental rights u' the ci,f.
under il. And 1t mus, always
borne in mind that u q msjoH
could disiunchisc one oct Of eli
zcns upon any prolcXt, they con
also jisiranchise any other sct up
any other prc,cNt. Thus the rights
Tho majority might gradually be svc
away. those Of the negro because
his color and the impos-ibIliiy Of /
Rsimilaiing with the white rucc. those
the unloticrcd whites because II th,
ignorance Of the alphabet. anil hnal
those Of the educated poor because III,
could no, satisfy property qualidcatio
Better bear the Ills We have than ~
others We know not Of Better bear vii
the Ills Of negro suffrage than court Il
Ills Of negro segregation rs parish ella
without lot or part In the Goycrnmcn
canccr on the body polite that mig
lead 10 most sefioua conseouencea invol
ins even tho life Of the Republic lisel
iyidual liberty ia the foundation Of q