aw, 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 previous condition of
servitude," no person would interpret it to mean that such right to take
out passport could be denied on account of _female_ sex, or on account
of _male_ sex. We will read it now, first in the light of the