Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-04
THURSDAY. APRIL 4, 1889
The Frfteenth Amendment.

In order 10 a clear understanding OF what
we have 10 say ia regard 10 that amendment
we copy the first section Of it in full;
"ArtScle XIV, section 1.-The right OF
citizens 81 toe United states 10 vote Shall
not be denied or abridged by the United
States, Of by anv State. on account OF race.
color, or previous condition OF serVltuue.
This is peculiar language. 1t Is based
upon the fourteenth amendment, when
declares that oil persons born or naiuralized
tn the United States and subject to the iuris-
diclion thereof are "ciilzenS OF the United
States. "Now. II az we think we showed
clearly yesterday the fourteenth amendment
was never ratified IN due form, then there
was nothing for the fifteenth amendment to
operate upon so far "a the negroes were con-
cerned. II the negroes were not "cit'ztns"
Of The unitrd States at the time OF the al
lseci ratification % enc fourteenth amend
ment, theu the fIteeoth amendment could
not and dld not make voters 81 them. Were
they citizens Not unless the fourteenth
amendment made them citizens; for though
they had been emancipated they were GER
family not "citizens." They were merely
free negroes. This IS not mere dictum OF
our own; but is what the United States
Supreme Court decided in the DRIED SCOTT
case. From the nie OF Chief-Justice TANEY
in AppiCtoR's CVc!oDoedid Of american
Bf00ruphv we copy the following:
lie IChief-Jusliee fancy, speaking for
the courll held that the plaintiff in error,
bred Scott. was debarred from seeking a
remedy in the Unitod states Circuit Court
for Missouri on the ground that he [Scottl
waa not a caiifc11 Of that state, and enun-
cisied Cthe Suprrlne Court did the general
principtc that aegroes could not become Cit'
seAs bg TIC act a. any state or ofhe United
.Sfdfcs.'
Inssmuch as In the absence Of the four
teeuth amendment (Which has never been
righlfully ratified no negro could be ga citi-
zen OF the United States" 1t follows neces-
ssrily that the fifteenth amendment could
not touch the negroes.
But how was the fifteenth amendment
rati6edy IL ought 10 be sufficient to say
that it was ratified under duress 10 prove
that II was never ratified at sill. And not
ouly was It ratified under duress, but a
State Georgia. was counted for ratification
which rejected il, aud Was denied represen-
tation In Congress until she ratified it. SO
were other southern States; but Georgia's
was n peculiar case.
The fifteenth amendment could not even
be proposed 10 the states II the southern
States had not been wrOngiuly and uncOn-
ttitutionally deprived oitheir representation
In Congress. The vote in the Senate on
proposing II was-yeas, 80; nays, 10. IL
even four southern states had been repre-
scented In the Senate, the fifteenth amend
Ineut would never have been proposed.
What a farce il was-or rather what wicked
tugglefy with the Constitution-thus 10
pretend to believe that State which had the
right TO vote upon the question OF ratiica-
ton did not have the right TO vote upon the
question OF proposing au amendment
Fraud. fraud, fraud everywhere.
New York at FIRST ratified the fifteenth
amendment, but 10 1869 the vote OF the peo-
plo Of that State was taken on the question OF
equal Tor negro suffrage, and majority OF
thirty thousand was returned against negro
suffrage. New York thereupOn withdrew
her ratification Of the fifteenth amendment
But TINT fat did not prevent Mr. HAMILTON
FISH, who had then succeeded Mr.. SEWARD
as Secretary OF state, from counting hers IN
order 10 make up the needed three fourths
81 tho Stale legislatures. By the way, let
us say Just here that the American Almanac
Ilxy
tiled to by Mr.. FISH one other State, and thus
makes cut that thirty States ratified. But
the ofilchl certificate Of the Secretary OF
Stqtes shows that only twenty-nine out OF
thirty-seyen States ratified. Now il Georgia
had the right to rstiy after rejecting New
York bad \ right to reject after ratiiying,
provided she did so, as she did, before states
enough had ratified t. make the amendment
. part Of the Constitution. Ohio also at llrst
rejected the amendment.
Now bear the facts in mind and then read
Mr. FIsH's certificate. After reciting the
fifteenth amendment he says:
cit appears from official Documents on
file IN this department that the amendment
u the Constitution al the United states pro-
posed as aforesaid has been ratified by the
Legislatures Of the States OF North Carollua,
West Nifglnis, Massachusetts, Wisconsin,
Maine, Louisiana. Michigan, south Caro-
lima, Pennsylvania Arkansas, Connecticut,
florida, Illinois. Indiana. Nelo fOrk, Now
Hampshire, Nevada. Vermont, Virginia,
Alabama Missouri. Mississippi, ONO, lo~a,
Kansas, Minnesota. RhOad Island, NEBRASKA,
and TexHs-m all tweDty.nine states.
And further that II appears from an
Official document on file IN this department.
that the Legislature OF the State Of New
YORK has since passed resolutions calming
10 withdraw the said ratification OF the said
amendment which had been made by the
Legislature of that State. Aud
further II Appears from Al official document
on file in this department that the Legisla-
ture OF Georgia hss by resolution ratified the
sasd proposed amendment:
"NoN, therefore, be It known that !,
Hamilton Fish, Secretary OF state Of the
United states, do hereby certify That
the smendmentaioIcssid has become valid 70
all iaten,s and purposes a. a part OF the
Constitution u the United states"
Why was Georgia not named among the
twenty-nine ratliyiDg Slatesl Why was sue
put by herseliY There can be no reason as
signed except that there was on ME in the
State Department su Official document show
ing that she had rejected the amendment,
and that he knew she had been forced after.
wards 10 rathy. lie counts New York with
the twenty-nIno though he had an Official
document showing that she bad withdrawn
Der ratification. Virginia and West YIgi-
MIA Mr.. fIsA also counted, though, as we
have shown. West Virginia has DO eonsiitu.
fioisl existence. and Virginia WAS forced 10
fatify. The Forty-hrs, Ce0gfess, AZ It's ilsst
session, passed au act which provided IS
follows:
"Ref0re the States Of Virgins, Nisslssippi,
snd Texas shall be admitted 10 representa-.
ton in Congress. their several legislatures
shall raliIy the fifteenth article which
has been proposed by Congress 10 the sey-
efal states ~ an amerdmfut 10 the COnstitu'
ton OF the United States"
There was the force which crowded a
fssshood into the Constitution. The same
sort oil fierce was applied In The case Of all the