The Court further said, “And so if other rights are assailed by the States, which properly and necessarily fall within the protection of these articles, that protection will apply, though the party interested may not be of African descent.”

What “other rights fall within the protection of these articles?” What “other rights” do these amendments cover?  The fourteenth article, after declaring who are citizens of the United States, and of States, still further says, “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction, the equal protection of the laws.”  This comprises the first section of that amendment.  The jurisdiction and protection of the general government applies to United States citizens.  By its prosecution of Miss Anthony, the general government acknowledges her as a citizen of the United States, and what is much more, it acknowledges its own jurisdiction over the ballot—­over the chief—­chief, did I say,—­over the only political right of its citizens.  This prosecution is an admission of United States jurisdiction, instead of State jurisdiction.  This whole amendment, with the exception of the first clause of the first section, which simply declares who are citizens of the United States and States, is directed against the interference of States in the rights of citizens.  But in Miss Anthony’s case, the State of New York has not interfered with her right to vote.  She voted under local laws, and the State said not a word,—­has taken no action in the case, consequently the United States has had no occasion to interfere on that ground.  The question of State rights was not as great a question as this:  What are United States rights?  Can the United States, in its sovereign capacity, overthrow the rights of its own citizens?  No, it cannot; for the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution specifically declares “The right of citizens of the United States to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States, or by any State, on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

This fifteenth Amendment has been seriously misapprehended by many people, who have understood it to mean that women could be excluded from voting, simply because they are women.  I have shown you that Statutes and Constitutions are always general in their character; that from generals we must argue down to particulars, and that if there is any doubt as to the interpretation of a statute, it must be defined in the interests of liberty.  But as to the interpretation of this statute there can be no doubt.  Had it read, “The right of citizens of the United States to take out passports, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States, on account of race, color, or