8203. SUFFRAGE, Education and.—[continued].
In the constitution of
Spain, as proposed by the late Cortes, there
was a principle entirely new to me, * * *
that no person, born after that day, should
ever acquire the rights of citizenship until he
could read and write. It is impossible sufficiently
to estimate the wisdom of this provision.
Of all those which have been thought
of for securing fidelity in the administration
of the government, constant ralliance to the
principles of the Constitution, and progressive
amendments with the progressive advances
of the human mind, or changes in human
affairs, it is the most effectual. Enlighten the
people generally, and tyranny and oppressions
of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits
at the dawn of day. * * * The constitution
of the Cortes had defects enough; but
when I saw in it this amendatory provision,
I was satisfied all would come right in time,
under its salutary operation.—
To Dupont de Nemours. Washington ed. vi, 592.
Ford ed., x, 24.
(P.F.,,
18161816)gt;
See Constitution, Spanish.
