The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-02


IL n q decide constitutional questions
ana the relation between the STATE Con Con
stitution and tho Fuurteentl,8 anu f 'lt's
teenth Ame1,dments Of the Federal X! Cons Con-
stltulon.
nBut," adds the Ledger. there has ri
\ wa ltened In the consciousness OF 81 IN ii
nountry a suspicion that the Fotrteentf
ard 154ftentith Amendments may have
heet, = measures of uncertain wisdom I,
ndded to the Constitution without duo de-
liberation upon the consedue nces, and
pretty general conviction that Inc cues t,s
ton treated in them-thnt OF negro SUI !. VI;
frage-is one Of those which had peter te
be left 10 the several States Tor de s'sr.
mination. Within n very few years JUS.
past remarkable reconstruction a o. o. f \
Northern opinion upor, the negro dues
lion has taken place, the conclusion be-
ing now hold BY our most thou t.fI'i'l
All zens that tho South may be trusted
"a should be trusted to deal wisely
nt,d honorably with what Is. liter oil, sitas
own great problem. The general prev
alence or this conviction may be SAID 70
constitute a sort,Bof ,inwrlttet1y amend
9ttnent 10 the amendments to the Constti-
tuition and 1t Is undoubtedly IN accord.
anco with 1t that the Supreme Court
has declined to allow the Fedcrnl VI "
bunals to decide whether Alabama's sui
K frage laws are In conflict with the negro
suffrage amendments The state OF NEW sty
York formally annulled Its ratification
critic Fifteenth Amendment, and II the
country generally has reached n mature
Judgment against It's wisdom, the fact
constitutes an !unenncted but effective
rescissory act which 1t Is the peculiar
function Of the Supreme Court TO give
the form OF law.
AS II that were not sufficiently sig
nincant, not to say startling, the New
York Sun comes along with an editorial
article on the same line, and after making
some reforenceto Thirteenth and Four
tenth Amendments, finally addresses IT.
self to the Fifteenth Amendment, which
Incorporates. 1t Gays, what the ma nation
Is rapidly coming to believe was one OF
| Its most deplorable mistakes. Lhe
hasty policy adds the Sun, which IN n
vested tho ernancipnted males ofiAffrica7n
descent with the full right Of suffrage suffrage
was partly the result Of supposed (. poll
tical expediency, partly OF an ignorant raj
oycres timation OF the possibilities OF de-
yelopment Inherent In the race. Inc 'fl
costly experience Of moro than third
of a century has emonstrated the ire ire.
nendous double mistake. The South has has
long known It; tho North is fast learn
Ing IT," Then In the same spirit OF can
dor and common sense the Sun says that.
3.however far the direful consequences Of
this error Of national Judgment In 1850
and 1870 may be successfully avoided IN
the twentieth century by local expedients
m evasion Of the spirit, II not Of the
letter, Of the Fifteenth Amendment, the
probability remains that sooner. or later later
the country will have to face clearly the
question OF It's repeal
The Fifteenth Amendment was con-,
ceived In hatred and born in vengeance
and Spite, 1t Is no surprise, therefore,
that 1t has proven to be a curse 10 the
black man, q curse to the Republican
party, and o question Of ever present
yexation to the whole country. In the
present state Of public sentiment, as an.
original proposition, IT would not 1o ol
one moment be entertained, but we fear sat
that the people Of the North he. have We not Of
the moral courage to repeal It. tits Won.
derfully significant however, that "a lead
ing Republican newspaper at the North.
should come out boldly and say, to all
Intcnts and purposes, that 1t ought to be
repealed, and the sooner the better. The
truth Is ut last asserting itself.