The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-10-10
COLUMBIA.
Wednesday Morning, Oct. 10, 1856.
The constitutional Amendment.


provisions of this monstrous BILL
which, in addition to ali the Southern
people have already suffered. will be
forced upon them if the elections
now III progress result favorably to
the radical party.
And what is the pretence for thus
compelling the people to enact an
electoral law repugnant to ali right
or justice? The answer is, that as
slavery has been abolished, the freed
men will count, IN making up the
basis of representation. Well, we
ask in return, whose fault is it that
Southern representation should be
increased in this way? Certainly not
the people of the South. Only three
ffths of the blacks were heretofore
allowed the South in making up the
representative basis, while every ne
gro in the former free States was
counted, and that, too, without the
privilege of voting.
\ cotemporary makes up q count
OF the loss and gain to each section
on the result Of either the adoption
or rejection of the am ndment, which
may thus be briefly stated: II the
amendment be rejected. the South
will gain nine representatives, and
the North will lose them. But the
Northern loss will be SO divided
among the several States as scarcely
to be felt If the amendment should
be adopted, the North would make
all the gain. for the reason that the
large negro population will not be
counted in establishing the rate of
representation.
If, however, the Northern States
admit the negroes to the right of suf-
frage and the South does not, Illinois
Maine, Michigan, New Jersey and
Wisconsin will gain one representa-
tive each, Massachusetts, two, and
New York four Thus it will be seen
that the rule which excludes negroes
not admitted to the right of suffrage
will affect the Northern States but
little. This is radical fairness, for
they assumed-which assumption we
hope will prove correct-that the
South will not consent to negro suf-
frage, and it is, therefore, easy, under
the operation of this amendment, to
rob her of a large portion of her
political strength in the Government,
and thus reduce her to a cypher in its
legislative branch.
But does radical faith warrant the
Southern people to hope that even
should they adopt the amendment
which they present as the only condi-
tion to the restoration of our rights
III the councils of the nation, they
will be admitted? What have the
Southern people not done, borne and
suffered, to obtain the boon of resto-
ration and peace? They have done
and suffered more than any people on
the face of the globe, who have been
overpowered by superior numbers.
They have consented to the loss of
millions upon millions Of their pro-
perty in slaves. BY this act, four
fifths of the people OF the South
were brought to the verge of ruin,
and many of them utterly ruined.
In addition, the blighting simeon of
war swept over the entire South, and
millions moro of property was de-
stroyed. And now these afflicted and
ruined people are required to humili-
ate themselves still further. Let us
hope that this required act of self
degradation will not be submitted to
by an honorable and gallant people.
How much more they may be called
upon to endure, no sage in the coun-
try can predict; but whatever it may
be, however great their trials, let
them bear them with manhood, but
rigidly adhere to honor and duty
duty to themselves and to their chill
dren.