New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-04-24
VOLUME XIV.
RADICAL RECONSTRUCTION.

at last reported the terms on which they are viii
ling to restore the Union. The Constitution Is to
be amended m such manner that after 1876 ne
groes shall be endowed with the right Of suffrage
and in the meanwhile such States as may refuse.
the elective franchise to negroes are to have their
representation diminished in proportion to the
number OF that class of their population. Thus,
1t Is presumed that the plan for the perpetuation
OF radical supremacy will be made practicable.
Should the Southern States continue recusant,
their Representatives and Senators are to be
forever excluded from Congress; and should
the Southern States accept the humiliating
conditions imposed on them, they will
be compelled to submit either to dminisbed
representation, or to the election of delegations
chosen, in great part, by negro VOTERS and there
fore, presumably, in alliance with the Republican
party. In this manner the voice of the South is to
eHectually stiaed, and the Northern Democracy
deprived Of that assistance by which they might
recover control of the Federal government.
The plan is cunningly devised. 1t does not in
volve any OF those glaring and shameless VIOLA
| tions of the Constitution which the radicals per-
petuate with 80 much efffontery.j It requires the
consent Of the Southern States before 1T can be
carried into effect to the extent OF enffanchlslng
| the negroes and Africamz'ng inc Soutn. IL Is J."
| be supposed that Congress VIII Immediately pro-
ceed to draft and adopt amendments to the Con-
stitution, based on the suggestions of the commit
| tee. These amendments Will probably be adopted
by the legislatures OF all the Northern States, as
| ut present constituted. 1t Will then be Tor the
South to act upon them. But here question
| arises which may cause an irreconeileable issue
between the Executive ana Inc legislative branches
| OF the government. on the theories assumed by
the Presloent IN MS policy OF reconstruction, the
consent OF tWo-thlrds the legislatures OF all the
| States IS necessary to give validity to an amend
| ment OF the Constitution. In the number the
Southern States are OF course included The his
! tory of the antislayery amendment shows that
this is the deliberate opinion of the executive
department; and 1T Is the duty of the executive
department, through the Secretary Of State, to
give notice by proclamation of the adoption Of a
proposed constitutional amendment. Such notice
Will not be gwen unless the required two-thirds,
| including the late Confederate States In the whole
NUMBER, be hrst obtained. Even under the an
emaious condition oil affairs existing during the
reign ol uncontrolled military authority, the votes
| OF southern legislatures were recognized as neces'
sary ana Valid. NOW That the President has for
maily restored those States to their relations with
| the Union as far as that object can be accom-
! pilshed by executive action, of course the case
becomes much stronger in favor of the Presidents 5
views
But the radicals will probably take a different
| ground. Following out their doctrine to its logical
| conclusions they Will assume that not only are
the votes of the Southern States unnecessary to give
| validity to constitutional amendment but that
such votes are absolutely null Mr.. Sumner dis.
| tnctly announced this opinion last summer when
| he declared the anti.slavery amendment to have
become part of the fundamental law, by virtue
of its adoption by othirds of the so.called loyal
Sates the only States on his theories entitled to
vote on the question. He was followed by Mr.
Stevens and other leaders Of the radicals, and this
may now be considered established Republican
doctrine. 1t is settled, should their views prevail,
not only that Congress can exclude the Represen-
tatives of any particular State or States under
color of the right of each House TO decide on the
qualifications of its members, and thus absolutely
control the legislation of the country in the inter-
est of an apparent majority, though an actual
minority but that it can, by an exercise
of the same power, alter or amend the
Constitution at pleasure in combination with the
legislatures of bare majority or even of miner
iy of the States. To his issue the question before
the country inevitably tends-that is to say
| whether or not the Constitution can be amended
as the radicals please by concurrence of two
| thirds of only portion of the States, or whether
or not the President will be able to maintain
his position that the assent of two thirds of the
its own views If ia dicnIt =
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