Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1879 — NATIONAL POLITICS. [ARTICLE]

NATIONAL POLITICS.

Sjeech of Seoaior taw on the Ed munis fieso.nticas. A Massachusetts Missionary Politely Requested to Begin Work at Home. In tbe United States Senate, Wed nesday, February 5, during the debate on Mr. Edmunds* resolution relating to the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments to the constitution Senator Voorhees made the following vigorous reply loan assault made by Senator Hour, of Massachu setts, on tne constitution of Indiana: Mr. Voorhees—Mr. President, I have not participated in this deb.-te for two reasons: First, because I am suffering too severely from a cold; ano sec oudly, because I attach but little importance to the resolutions of the senator from Vermont or to the discus aion upon them. I only arise now for fear the assault or criticism made by the senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Hoar) upon the constitution o f Indiana may be misconstrued if I should remain entirely silent. My view of this whole question is that whenever the constitution of a State made before the war, or since for that matter contained a provision upon tbe subject of suffrage discriminating against any one on account ot race, color, or previous condition of seivi tude, the fifteenth amendment to the consti ution of the United States oveirides that provision and renders it nugatory and void, even though it may still remain in the constitution of the State. I regard the amendments to the constitution of the United States as valid parts of that iu strument. and together with the other provisions of the constitution they constitute the paramount law of the land. By the fifteenth amendment all discriminations on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude are forbidden, as I have stated, but with this exception tbe question of suffrage and its regulation remains with rhe Stat s as heretofore. 1 voted for the amendment offered by the senator from Arkansas (Mr. Garland) and be expressed my views far better than I can express them myself. I Io not merely think, or conjecture, I know that the fifteenth constitutional amendment was not legally ratified by the Legislature of Indiana; 1 know chut as an historical fact. Consexuently, when called upon to vote whether tbe amendments, including the fifteenth, were legally ri - itied or not, I could vote but one way. I did not make the issue myself, b >t when it was made I could pass upon it only iu the manner I did. But, sir, there is a ratification that comes by usage, by sanction, oy acqniesence, by acceptance ou the part of the peo pie, ana of the States, and of the various departments of the Federal Government. That kind of ratification has been given to the amendments of the constitution brought in question here, and I presume there is not a man iu the United States who desires to disturb them. Certainly I do not. I say to the senator from Massachusetts that ut‘sorae other tirn<, not to night, I will perhaps endeavor to entertain him with a crmpuii on between tbe constitution of Indiana and tne constitution of Massachu setts, in the privileges, rights and lib erties they ex;end to ihe citizens of our respective States. Mr. Hoar—Will the senator allow me a moment? The presiding officer (Mr. Cockrell in the chair.) Will the senator from Indiana yield to the senator from Massachusetts? Mr. Voorhees—Certainly. Mr. Hoar—Mr. President, the senator from Indiana certainly misundcr stood me if he supposed it was my purpose in the least to make any reflection or disparagement uuon the constitution of his State. I was endeavoring simply to express my view of the Disposition that suffrage was not conferred by the constitutional amendment; and for the sake simply of putting that point, I said here is the constitution of Indiana; it is an old one: the same thing was in that of Connecticut at oue time; I cite Connecticut because it is the State of my own ancestors who had something to do with its institutions. But my point was, the State of Indiana says the negro shall not have suffrag», and that is all it says; then comes in the constitution of the United States and »ays you shall not discriminate against him. My question was, ‘From what authority dees the negro get his suffrage?” It was not in the least with the view of intimating that the constitutTOn of Indiana would not compare favorably with any other iu the country, but simply as illustrating a legal proposition.

Mr. Voorhees: I did not understand the criticism of the sena.or from Massachusetts to be in a hostile spirit. What I desire to say now, and I am not in a condition to talk at all tonight. is simply that Indiana with that clause in her constitution yields absolutely to the paramount law contained in the constitutional amendment; and that discrimination which she made before the war on account of race and color has been abrogated by the constitution of the United States. The black man enjoys suff rave, the right to vote, and all other civil rights as eompie ely in Indiana as in any other State; much more so, the senator from Massachusetts will pardon me for saying, than he can possibly do in the State of Massachusetts. Of the tnree quarters of a million of black men who vote in the fcJouthern States there are not 50,000 who could vote under the constitution oi the State of Massachusetts. And why? Whil,e noi discriminating against them on account of their color, yet there is a clause in t! e constitution of Massachusetts which requires a man, before he can vote, to be able to lead the constitution in the English language and write his name. It is well known that the negro can read it, as a general rule. in no language. It is fc not their fault, it is theii misfortune, the misfortune of their former condition; but Massachusetts, stand tug, as she assumes always to do, in the front ranks of human progress, has a clause in her constitution that woulu disfranchise nearly the whole negro race at every voting precinct in her borders. She also disfranchises those of foreign birth u til they can b-arn a new language. When you see those words, “the English language” in her constitution, you at once see against what class of people the elaus- is aimod. It is provided that the f, r igner who goes to Ma. s - chusetts to seek citizenship shall slay there long enough before voting merely to understand something of the institutions of the country, not metely to imbibe a veneration and love for them, but he must be schooled in a new tongue, so that he can read the constitution in the English language. And 1 submit in ail kindness to the senator from Massachu setts that while there is some want of harmony between the constitution of Indiana and events that have taken place growing out of the war, while

some of her ante bel'um previimsos do oot harmonize with - the great changes that have since taken place, tnat is not as. ult on her part. This proscrip live provision, however, in the constitution of Ma-sachnsetts does not grow out of national events; is grows out of a spirit inherent in that State, not leveled originally, of course, against the black nan, but now applicable to him as to all others. I- was leveled against the foreigner o 1 in lly, but it now p os< ribe> tbe negro as well as the foreigner; and, white the senator from Massachusetis h: the true spirit of oid apostolic pro* pagandism gives us the benefit of his wisdom, assumes tbe functions of a missionary in his teaching to other more modest States, I would commend him before go'-g further in his w< rk to liberalize the institutions of the State of Massachusetts. I commend him to begin at home. John F. Boroughs, Esq., has located his law office up stairs in Bedford & Jackson’s block. He was not fuddled, but his wife was off on a visit. He boarded for the time being at a hotel, and was pleased with the agreeable manners of a waiting maid. He proposed a buggy ride at which the w. m. became indignant, and the landlady gave him a wholesoma lecture, Dot. Ralph Spencer, of Monticello, and Billy Legg, of Remington, have purchased Jimmy Meehan’s bakery, and will convert it into a first class restaurant. Jimmy takes his departure for Boston, to-morrow, and will carry with him the kind wishes of many friends. Benajah Johnson, of Montgomery county, formerly of Gillam township, this county, was recently thrown from a load of straw against aboaid fence, by a runaway team, breaking his light leg at the hip, bruising him internally, and at latest accounts his condition was critical.