be
enjoyed, in the same manner as by other citizens. If ever a
suitor was entitled to rely with confidence upon judicial
utterances of great principles of law, Mrs. Minor was thus
entitled, in her case. She was a citizen of the United States by
birth; admitted to be possessed of every qualification but that
of sex. Her counsel appeared before this court and quoted its
very language above given, and asked the court to be consistent
with its own teachings. But no. There was no great and powerful
party to back her demand, as in the case of the negro. She was
merely a private individual, and the court contented itself with
saying that the right of suffrage when granted would be
protected! To which it may be replied, if women ever vote, they
will protect themselves; but, if their right should subsequently
be denied by the State, the Supreme Court, according to its own
rulings in this case, could give no protection, since it declares
the right to be wholly within the control of each State. But why
should the court require the women citizens of the United States
to produce a special grant of the right, when it required nothing
of the kind from the negro? Are there two laws in this country,
one for the negro, and another for woman? Does the Constitution
of the United States recognize or permit class distinctions to be
made between its citizens? Yet by this decision, the negro is
placed above the woman. He is her superior. His position is above
her. For our own part, we decline to accept any such construction
of that instrument, knowing that the time will ultimately come
when some claim similar to that of Mrs. Minor will meet with
proper recognition. To make its inconsistency still greater, the
court in this case declares that "allegiance and protection are
reciprocal obligations. The very idea of a political community,
such as a nation is, implies an association of persons for the
promotion of their general welfare. Each one of the persons
associated becomes a member of the nation formed by the
association. He owes it allegiance and is entitled to its
protection," yet in this case that protection is denied. While
the negro, then, is thus declared to be a voter, by reason of his
citizenship, in every State of the Union, there is no law either
of t