Report Of Austin Blair

The unduinignud, oio of thu Committeert) Judieiavy, to wlmm war, referred a "Joint raaolutiótl propoying to urnend tlie seoond nrtirlo ot the ooliblttution relative tn tWultttit vu franchise," tojjjuther with u large nuinber of putitions vu y nunierously iynd i.y wti leiw of tlie Stu'e genernlly, pruyin siiüh imendrnent, respuc fully reportn : Th;it ho hüti given the suljuct ;ill the ooiiHÍdt--ratinn whioh u very limited time and tliu varinus duties of 'the coitimit tee wonld allow. And thuugb the undarfiiatiwd is not able now to w til sr ih(iroi)L;h nn examinat'.mi 01 1 1 1 't.-1 .quustion in tilia report is lio would bu glad to do, it is fililí lioped that a vt-ry Imiir-i-onti'ined ügilation of the qiientioii of ihu fXtwiHion üt the rigtit of Buffruft to all inale uïtiZötia a'boya thts ag f twenty-one yeurs, without dis. 1 tiViction 'f colo-, ouisido of thia hall, and thü t'iiiioht.iifd advance of public opinión consequent upon it, have retideréil lanjitby iirgmnont iin'neeessary here. ïhe extüiision is demaiided more par'.icularly in behalf' of onr Wlo-citizi-ns of the longrmglectsMl (and 1 think I may afely eay, long opprussed.) Afrri'.ftn race.' In the otrtiíicferínion of thts subject, I have liad no diffioulty in rrïviiig at the conclusión thut the pi ayers of the petUioneia onglit to be gmnted. Any ther conclusión is deumiid to be direitly at war with the very spirit of riur repiiblioan mstitutiuns, b ii-ed they ure upon the doetrif e, th:it ii perfect equality of rigtits, bcith civil and politioul, is the birthnght of ev. ry tnun "f whaiever name or color or nation. The oonstitutioii oi Mi;h ifnn. whioh it is iiow proposed to arnend, in the véry first line of its artiule, u the fundumentul propusitiyn upon which it is based, usserts, that " uil politicül power ij" iuliei'güit in tho peonía. Biílioviniar, as 1 rio tnoat luüy, in th: truth of this di'utrino, as I am ntiroly at a loss for any pretot upr. whiuh 'a largt! clas ot "the pyople uail juftly bü denied tho free exuicisü uf the right uf suömge It the word "whity" was to bo insörtèd anywhei'O in the oonsii utinn, urely i: shoiild have been in thi.slirst and fundamental propondon, and then it would have reiin "all poütical po wei1 is inhei'ent, in the lwkilt penpl'-a prineiiile the absMrdiiy ,i which is too pulpabla to escapo ihe notice of the most obtiise intellect. There is in this country but one way by whicli poütiul power is tnanifested by Ibu people. and thut is by the right of suf f'ragt!. He who may not votj is as pnvverless praoiicnllv bs if ie were dead or enslaved. ïïmv monstrous a wrong, then, do we eotnmit, when we fjirbid a porliun of oiir people thü Daüot-U.'X, licknowltsdiïing at the mm time the nlitmble right "f all to thu exercise of poüiioal power. Srcli is the wrong now done to the colorcl rai:e- a wrong, we venture to ay, without a reanon - without eawïe or KXuie, uuTess an unjiwt and wicked prejmlice, whiuh is a disgraca to tlioe who fuet it, ought to )ecii!led au exuuse. Our laws rt-quire ot the cnlor'd man that ho shuli submit to the {xovernrnt'nt wü have establi-h(i(l, :inl be obediont to iha hiws oi its maKing, and more than th:it, he (lift pay taxes and take t-hare in the huj-dcntj incun'ed lor the support of thut govornuiont. and Vet he is der.ied any the ieast voioe in the choico of bis miers, or hl the niaking ftf the law - Whttt bettiT is this Ilian the oppivssioiisi against which 0111' fathers rubelled ? I( ■■'alljüst governuiüiit is instituted for the bunefit of tho governed, ' then what opinión must vte fonu ot the jnnlice of Mbhirjan toward hor oolored uitizens ? To these questions Ibero can be lint une answi;i Michigan must make ha ate to repmr tnis greai wrang - ner penpla must bu free. 1 w-uld wiílingly lwiva this suhject huro, luit feel it iny dutv to uvert (nr u ainmunt tu some rtí thuiirgumentá by which the Juuiiil f the right of sunraga to the ooloretí ífnah is scHnétimes uttemptád ti be sus tainoii lt ifl unid thui'aca aru ignorant and degraded, and therotoio untit frtr Bi) important a light ua that í vuting. 'l'his, likö every oti er argument in a b;;d tíause, a utitrue in point ;í fact - Bnt 8ii.poae it wera truo, does k fiirnish :iny (round for conlinuliiíí a t;ystmn whii-h lias had iuoh a resnltV So lar fnim u, that it ís ona oí mu est reanoria why our systum, ns it regarda fliis riioe, ehoúld lio clmnged i ' unco It', by oi;r unju'ít lnws we have dc'trradiid tho ir. un aml besottod his innleilecl, t is a refineiiHüit oi' cruellv t tiiakt) (hit the prete.xt of turtlior contiimed opfiresMon, Ai)d that uch in thu case, so íar is thers in iny thad w (if truth ii) tliu cluirge al all, who u:in duny ? Wo have, by the soorn of the.uommunity nd lis opprer sivu itiwH, drívuñ the cnlored man in most inslanotís uto Üw most inenial om plovir.enls (atine other beinsr left open tu hiin). and, tima lias ho beooma the blackor oí hito men's bouts, aixl a fweupr of wi.ite men's chi;nney ! Hal who shall say that tiudei1 a systom of just and eqnal laws - laws which shall Bti-engthcn his hopes, protect Lis righís anú elovati? him lo tlltiliglit of íl ciiizen, he will becoine nothing tise. All expèrtèoce in tliis connti-y has proved that the best wuy ti) niaku a good and intfllifíit oiiizen, i.s not fir.st lo siiip him of all tha ri,lit and thd hopes ol one. 13 i t on the contraiy, whenever ou extei.d the dudes i mi tho responr ibiliiius of the énizen', wdHitiórial rnotivas irn f uvoishod him tobe prepared to meet thom, ahd he has been hut u poor olmervur who luis not buen oonvinued hv thfl history ('f our country of ttu' Culi abiütv tíi (overo hiiniself. Bm thore is s'.ill :m ëasiür annwer to ibis cuvil. If evun iiinoranco Mtvd degredatiou ure a siiffirient reason ior don yiiiy th rigbt of Mitiiairr'; ihoy shoijJd )- ply it wefl to the wlii'ü ii)an as to the black man, inca reither of thee il'B tho ntcessary ndjiircts of my cdor.- Ii' we a ill drive thecolorud .-ilizt-n froin the builot. box beciiuse üloss learned or e viltuoii thaii wo coijlrl wish him, ttien by èvëry rulo nf riht tho unleainfd and vietoiil white man shnuhi nu wi;h liiin Bnt we adopt no suuh rule wWn tin! white race is conoerned. No de'grbe of ighoranoo or vice escinden thein, come they i.oni wh:itever iJ'IKrter of Üie fj'1''"3 l'loy !T1!1V I" a not a nbain, ilion, that in & laud whirli boiists oí liberly, a colorad nuui nay not be rtfcüted :.vith equ'ni Liiraess? Is it a a crime thut hu fannot lie white, that iv( slioulc! tlnis putiish lijm ? One objeetiuii more seeuis to requiru ;i remark and tlien I have done uiihthe question. It is said that great numbors of blaoks vvill flüek to this Htate as their rgpidenee, if' tl;o proposed awendiiient sliolild hü made. That this would he the cuse to ány very groat cxtent isdoubtud. But if it should prove true to the utninst of tiio feurs (f tho niost tiniorou, thsn would it indeed be an honor lo Michigan, that thu ju-4ieo iiid liuuianity of her laws causcd the oppres-ed of other States to Eeok a home within her borders. Besides, it is yet to bo proven that the black man uecefsanly makes a bad citizeu The very effect "f the law which at!raeted hiin here woulü be to elevatu him, and the fuet that hu carne would bü evidence that he it least had spirit enough to lova libeity md respect liimself. Prono sueh a man most evidently the State has nothing to fear, but ery inuch to hope. And sliall it go for mitbirig that by the adoption of this iinendment we take a great step towards the elevation uf au oppresstd race? Does their coinmon hunianity with us give thetu no cluim to the eousideiatioa of the State ? Believing tp.ost fully thac the time iins come lien the colored uieu of America should bc allowed to issuine their rightful position as citizens of ihe Republic, upnn an equality in all respects wdh their white brethren, aud espccially ïlmt Miutj igau oujitit iiot lóngeï to permit in ber coiistitution a word v.'hicli crentes ai) uujust distiucniiii betweeti lier citizciis, and deiiius tlmt gréat principio which lies at tlie very foandation üf Iilt wljole politica 1 fatiric, I culi come to no otlier con clusinn tlian thvt thfl joint rcsolution ouglit to pasa. T!i ouminittee report back to tlie House the joint resoïutiun refurred to tliem and respectfully reoommeud its passago ; but Cor tlie reasoning of Iliis report tLo uuderaigned ia aloue respon tibio. All which is respeotfully sabtuitted.