The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-11-03

We re-pubiish the proposed amendment 10
the Constitution a. presenting the real Issue
between the Union party and those who OPP
pose it, Chicago Republican.
We have, IN another article, gwen the
names of all the candidates. and indicated TO
the voters all the questions, upo. whom and
which they will be called upon to give their
judgment at the polls next Tuesday Bat
we do not republish III, proposed constiiu>
tional amendment, for the simple reason that
it is rot "the real issue" between the parties.
and cannot be voted upoE in Illinois mex,
Tuesday in any sense whatever. And for
the following reasons:
The constitutional ameuimen; has passed
congress by the requisite number of two,
thirds, and has been transmitted 20 the thir.
ty-six states for ratification BIZ their iegisla-
tures. II mist be ratified by three fourths
OF thetn-that is TO say. by twenty seven
before it can become a part of ilx corsii,u,
ton Of the United States. Having passed
congress, it can never again come before iha,
body. The President has nothin. 10 do with
ii, because its approval belongs to the states
in their sovereign AMI indie pendent charac-
ter. 1t can be approved by states now OF
hereafter, in detail, at any time within the
next five or fifty years 1t may be brought.
up and considered at any time ia the northern
legislatures but requires 4 concurrence at
the South before it can be fualy adopted
There are l6 socal.d southern or lately
slave states. This ame:.dmcat is designed
to affect them. Its purpose is, and its effec;
will be, no. 20 reduce the whole number but
to subtract about % members Of congress
from the South and add them to the other
pIrts OF the Union. The North has now
double the representation OF the South, ana
after next census Il will be more than double
This amendment IS designed greatly to in
crease this dispropor;inn. We repent, this
subject may at any time core before the
northern legislatures But /. may be stated
with entire certainty ard accuracy. that if it
shall be approved hy t!.s; section Which is to
lose so i@rcc!r b. At. here can he oppos
ton 20 i! in any other part of the country.
Illinois, most assGredlv. will never object to
harin. Der Representative increased, provided
the states from which her increase IS 10 be
subtrac'ed make no objection and accept the
plan. Iow. and why, then, can the proposed
amendment be called an issue IN the present
canvass in Illinois?
The reason why the Chicago Republican,
John A. Logan, and all the radical stumpers
in this state insist so stoutly that the consti.
tutlonal amendment is an issue, is, that they
hope thereby to divert attention from the real
issue. The constitutional amend ment, they
say, is offered to the South as a condition of
reconciliation. '1he condition is easy
lighter than they ought TO expect" &c. The
people wa t peace long for reconciliation
of the sections, and having this constitution
al anne ndment held up 10 them, are ready to
say the South should be satisfied with it. 1t
sjust here, therefore, where The baseness and
the fraud come iu.. zen. Butler, John 4.
Logan, Stevens, Colfax the whole radical
brood, from Wendell Phillip. down to John
A. Logan and The Chicago R,pu5tican itself,
although equal to almost any shame, still
have candor enough to scout the idea that
the constitutional amendment presents all
tina. is to be required Of the South. There
are two other propositions Joined with it:
The first is, that unless the southern states
accept the proposed reduction m represents
ton, they shall never have any at all. They
ara to be held outside of the Union and the
constitution, and ruled and taxed as subject
PROVINCES without representation and with>
ont participation in the common government
Of the country. This is the mildest express
sion of radical doctrine. The second il, that
If the southern states do accept, then the
question of their admission aud repyesentas