Year: 1869

Legislature Of Hndiana.


70 The People Of Indiana:


We, the Undersigned, appointed by the
| democratic Senators and Representatives in
| the General Assembly, address you in their


Dehaif, and we believe in behalf of the fun
damental principles of our Government. We
believe the Government was formed for white


men, In the interest of white men, as well as


We know it was formed by white men, by


whom the cololed people were looked upon


as an inferior and subordinate race, aud
were held in servitude by the trainers of the


Declaration of Independence and founders
OF the glorious institutions under which we
so long prospered. Looking at the distinc-
| tion of races of men in this light, the voters
Of Indiana, by the last direct expression
4 taken upon the subject, by more TIM NINETY


thousand majority, in 1851, adopted on a
separate vote the thirteenth article of our
State Constitution, in these words: "No ne
gro or muatto shall come into or settle in the
State after the adoption of this constitution -
1 By the same constitution the right of suffrage
of voting-is given to "every uhHe male
citizen" &c. and, also, s'no negro or mulatto
shall have the right of suffrage" From the
formation of the United States Constitution
until now, the acknowledged right of each
State to regulate the suffrage of its inhabi-
tants-the right to vote-has never been
Questioned. These are the principles upon
which the Government was formed-the urn-
| eiples upon which it was administered by
Democrats, until recently. Within the last
| five years these rights have been trampled
upon by the fraud of leaders in the dominant
party North, and by force exercised at
the bidding of the same mea in the South
l..
struck down the Thirteenth Article of our
State constitution, aud held it of no validity /;
since which decision a vast influx of negroes
have rushed into this State. In view of these
facts, and many others that might be emu
merated the Democratic party charged that
there was 3 settled purpose upon the part Of
the party managers-especially in the East
of the Republican party, to force negro suf-
frage, and equality, legal and social, of the
races, upon the people. This charge was
met by the Republican party in this State,
at its last State Convention, in these words:
"Second-The extension of suffrage to the
negroes of the South is the direct resul; of the
rebellion and the continuous rebellious spirit
maintained therein, and was necessary to Sc
cure the reconstruction of the Union and the
preservation of the loyal men therein from
state worse than slavery, and the question
of suffrage in all the loyal States belongs to
the people of those States under the Consttu-
ton of the United States" And the same
party, at its last National Convention at
Chicago, in these words: ''The guarantee by
Congress of equal suffrage 10 all loyal men
of the Sonth, was demanded by every con-
sideration of safety, of gratitude and of JUS
tice, and must be maintained, while the ques-
ton of suffrage, in all the loyal States, prop
Il la1o Al Al
The Democracy, in the National Convention
at New York, upon the same subject Am
nestv for all past political offenses, and the
regulation of the elective franchise in the
States by their citizens" So there was no
issue as to right of suffrage in so-called loyal
States-this among the number. Republican
speakers and papers throughout the whole of
the last canvass. pointed the people to these
parts Of their platform as the full expression
of the views of the party upon the subject
The people confded in these Republican rep
resentations, and that party triumphed upon
them. Thus matters stood at the opening
of the present session of Congress not only
had Congressman been elected, but Govern
ors and State legislators had been placed in
power upon these doctrines and under these
representations. Therefore the maufactur-
ing and bonded interest of the East, seeing
power slipping from their grasp-that is,
seeing by the result Of the late elections that,
although for the time being they were sue
cessful, yet that white men were losing con.
fidence in them and their schemes; that
white men were becoming restive under the
enormous burdens of taxation now heaped
upon them they have invented this new
scheme of placing in the hands of those whom
they hope to control-an ignorant. irrespons-
ible and depraved race-this glorious right
to found. uphold, and direct the Government
And they desire to do so by this amendment
to the Constitution


"ARrIcLE Is. The right of citizens of the
United States to vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States, or by any
State, or on account Of race, color, or prev-
Gus condition of servitude.


"SEcTIoN 2. Congress shall have power
to enforce this article by appropriate legisla-
tion."


IF, before the last election, they intended
to fasten negro suffrage and negro equality
upon the people, and thus concealed their in
tention, they were guilty of fraud upon and
treachery towards the people. If they had
no such intention, then it is question which
neither they nor the Democracy had in view
when voting and being O matter of such
vast Importance, no less than permitting
some six hundred thousand persons to vote
who have not heretofore exercised that right,
it seems to us to be right and proper that the
voice of the people should be taken upon the
question. Even in England, lately. when
the question of the extension of suffrage to
persons not before exercising it, was agitated,
the Queen prorogued Parliament, and sent
the members to the people to take their voice
In the matter by way of q new election.
This was the action of monarchical govern
ment, and certainly much more should the
principle prevail in a country in which it is
said the voice of the people is as the voice OF
God. Then let us consult that voice. That
consultation, so far as it has been made, is
assuredly adverse to the position now taken
by those in authority. The question of ne
gro suffrage has, within the last few years,
been submitted to the people of Connecticut,
of Ohio. of Michigan, of Wisconsin, and of
Kansas, and in each instance mas been voted
down. When this proposed amendment was
before Congress the other day, an effort, upon
the part of Democrats, to again submit it to
the people through delegated conventions,
chosen for that nurnose was voted down by