You cannot fail to see that the
question brought up by Miss Anthony's prosecution and trial _by the
United States_ for the act of voting, has developed the most important
question of United States rights; a larger, most pregnant, more
momentous question by far, than that of _State_ rights. The liberties of
the people are much more closely involved when the United States is the
aggressor, than when the States are aggressors.
"The Act to Enforce the right of citizens to vote," declares that
CITIZENS shall be entitled and allowed to vote at all elections by the
people, in any state, territory, district, county, city, parish,
township, school district, municipality, or other territorial division,
&c.
This Act was passed _after_ the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment,
and is designed to be in accordance with the Constitution. It does not
say _black_ citizens shall be entitled and allowed to vote; it does not
say _male_ citizens shall be entitled and allowed to vote--it merely
says CITIZENS. It covers the right of women citizens to vote, and yet
United States officials claim to find in this very act, their authority
for prosecuting Miss Anthony and those fourteen other women citizens of
Rochester for the alleged _crime_ of voting.
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