The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-07-14
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT.


Der Of that Body.
WASHINGTON, D. G., July 2, 1866
Hon. A. W. Moss, House or Represen-
t%atives, Nashville, Tenncssee-Dear
Sir: sec from the public prints that
tae Governor has calledthe Legislature
to meet in extraordinary session on the
4th inst. The object Of thus converting
that body seems to be to secure, II pos
sible, the approval Of the Legislature
to the Joint resolution ofthe Congress
of the United States, proposing five
additional sections to the constitution
of the United States. 1t seems to mi
that q Legislative body, ~chosenIwhen no
such proposition had been discussed
before the people, should ascertain from
their constituents their feeling upon a
question of SO great Importance before
action should be taken thereon.
When we attempt to change the law
of the land as adopted by our fathers,
or add to that law, it seems to me that
we should consider we'll what the effect
will be, and how far we are interfering
with the original law or constitution.
Knowing as l do, your Christian spirit,
l am satisfied that SO far as you act it
will be through motives Of patriotism
and love of country. You will femem.
Der how we battled, labored and loved
together for the union ofthe States, and
that we, too in days that tried mems
souls, not only morally speaking, but
their courage. x ET@
When l vas elected a member of the
General Assembly Of the State of Ten
nessee. you will not fail to- remember
that | represented the county of Giles
in which county, had not been for
eighteen months previous to said cleo
ton. Why? Not because the people
of Giles county prevented my going
there, but because an army of men was
there, and because the Government of
the United States had failed to guaran-
tee a republican form of government
in that section. Yet it was called re-
publican, and men were put on the gen;
eral ticket to represent such counties
in many instances, who were not known
to the citizens of the counties from
which they purported to come. For
instance, take the lamented Waters, Of
Madison, who was a catarcr fora Rebel
General at one time ut jackson, Ten.
7 nessee, but who really resided, when
sent to the Legislature, in the State of
Illinois. ,,E. .hl al
Let us remember that in a republican
government the people, from whom all
power and authority is derived, select
their w representatives. "''
The first section Of this proposed
amendment makes all persons born or
naturalized in the United States and
subject to the jurisdiction thereof, citi-
zens, not only Of the United States, but
of the States in which they reside; and
further, to carry out the idea as above,
no State shall make or enforce any law
which shall abridge the privileges or
immunities of citizens of the United
States, not deny to any person within
its jurisdiction the equal protection Of
the laws. This seems to be very i'm
partial at a single glance, but before
deciding upon it, we had better refer
to the fifth section ofthis proposed ar
ticle, and see if by the so-called appro-
pirate legislation, Congress cannot or
would not declare all colored people
citizens of the United States, and ifso,
by this amendment, citizens Of the
States, and entitled to all of the priv
ilcgcs and immunities of citizens, voting
and all This article is q cunningly de-
viscd partisan plan to, carry ont a hel-
lish design. The soldiers who put
down the rebellion stated in their terms
of acceptance Of Confederate Surrender
how this whole matter should be set
tied, viz, by surrendering arms, no
further resistance, and becoming peace
able, quiet, law-abiding, and law-en-
forcing citizens. Has this agreement
not been kept in good faith Who
has disobeyed or annulled it Think
How many citizens Of your county ?
Well, you say some wont pay the freed
men. l tell you some won't pay the
white freedmen, nor never would. Well,
if so, a white man is as good as a ne
gro, if he behaves himself. To cut
short upon this point, the spirit and
genius of a republican government is
to do the greatest good to the greatest
number.
But let us examine section second.
Representatives shall be apportioned
among the several States according to
their respective numbers, counting the
whole number of personsin' each State,
excluding Indians not taxed. But
when the right to vote at any election
for the choice of electors for President
and Vice President ofthe United States,
representatives in Congress, the execu-
tive and judicial officers Ola State, or
the members Of the Legislature thereof,
is denied to any of the male inhabitants
of such State, being twenty ont years
of age, and citizens of the United
States, or in any way abridged except
for participation in rebellion or other
crime, the basis Misrepresentation there.
in shall be reduced in the proportion
which the number ofsuch male citizens
shall bear to the whole number ofmale
citizens twenty-one years of age in such
State" .... Ag0s SNO "e'"N
After thorough examination of this
section, Il you imagine why any por;
ton of our present so,called Represen-
tatives should be so anxious for the
Legislature of Tennessee to approve
this proposed amendment to the CON
stitution of the United States? Why
not? Ireply that it declares that Rep
resentatives shall be appointed among
the several States. Can these over.
anxious souls get in under this section
without an appointment in Tennessee
and a re- electiOn2 Not under this sec.