The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1866-10-13
u The Presidents Policy.

The author Of the platform ofrprinclples enun-
ciated by. tbe Philadelphia Randall DoolittIe Con-
vention was VHon. Henry j. Raymond, member
OF Congress from New York sand editor Of the
Times Of. that city!9 Mr. Raymond was elected
to Congress as q Union man,, but chose to follow
the fortunes of President johnson and became a
supporter of MyfPolicy." IA late number of
the Times contained 4 letter written by Mr.. Ray
mondl to his constituents, declining TO be q, can
didate for e-election on the ground that his
i" past action does not command the approval of
:" large body among, those who originally sup
"ported him. and that apart from such approval
"a seat in Congress ceases to have for him any
attracton.'if He respectfully acknowledges
that the Presidents policy is an 'sevident
"and signal failure and that his own identif-
cation withlit was an error ofrjudgment. He
wishes it, howeEerjit to be understood that he
Railways has been and shall remaina member Of
+" the Union party OF the Democratic party he
says: a9i1iag 8asod gal9i =. 5ofT
20 With the Democratic Party, as it has been
organized and directed since the rebellion broke
out, have nothing in common, and should
regard its re-established ascendency in the gov
eminent of the country, State or national, as a
public calamity Pierre are no perils pending
over the country which demand resort to so des-
perate a remedy, or which can be .ayerted by 1t !;
and have implicit faith that the people, while
checking the excuses of rash and extreme men
in the Union party, will still commit to its hands
the restoration of the Union which its courage
and devotion have SAVED"
The sentiments of Mr.. Raymond no doubt re-
feet those ofThurlow Weed, if mot of Mr., Sew
ard, and Of the whole body of so-called g Con-
,,servative Republicans that followed President
Johnson into the Philadelphia Convention. We
presume they are alias sickiofthat, policy as Mr..
Raymond and, like him, will be aptto manifest
it on election day: Coming, as these ayow-
ais of Mr.. Ray mopd do, Justin the white heat
of the campaign, they will precipitate all hesita-
ting, floating and wavering sentiment into the
swellinganasses Of the Union party It really
seems now as if the majorities against the Presi-
dents policy might be set down as at fabulous
figures. They will no doubt be unprecedently
immense in many Of the States, and overwhelm-
ing in all of Them dslaJ 5!9dasst3
While7we are citing Mr.. Raymond, we will
give an able and dignifed article from his pen
on the subject Of the Constitutional amendment.
In the address of the Philadelphia Convention he
declared in that document that the ten millions
of the South would be e unworthy citizens -
and g degenerate sons " to adopt the amend
ment--he now advises its adoption as the only
means Of maintaining the peace Of The country
There is not the slightest difference Of opinion
so far as we, are aware, in the Union Party, and
very title anywhere else, as to the wisdom of
ratifying the constitutional amendment proposed
by Congress. Itreceived every Union vote in the
| House, and is sustained by every Union jour
nal throughout the, country. The, only point
upon which differences do prevail is as to, the
policy OF making its, adoption condition prece-
dent to the admission Of representatives from
| Southern States.
The objects sought to be attained by this
amendment are important and desirable. The
first which clothes with the equal civil rights be-
longing to citizenship all the native born inhabi-
tants of the United States, commendsitselft eve
ry mans sense ofjustice and ofthe public policy
1t was the worst feature of slavery that it Kept a
large class of persons outside the protection of
the law u and now that slaverylhas been, swept
away, there Is no shadow ofexcusefor perpetual
ing this worst of all its wrongs. We trust the
| Southern States will make speedy provision for
extending the full protection of the law over their
| enfranchised slaves, IN common with all their
people but, aside from thisa there are many rea-
| sons of justice and propriety why the National
Constitution should make this guarantee univer-
sal and perpetual. duag ygiaH
! The second clause of the amendment is design
ed to remedy an inequality which now exists in
the enjoyment OF political power. It was decided
by the trainers Of the Constitution that population
and not voterS should constitute the basis of rep
resenation, and this ceases to be the wisest rule
only when large masses of thepopnlation are ex-
cluded from suffrage in some sections of the coun-
| try and not in others. Then it becomes an ele-
ment of inequality and injustice. voter in
the one section has double the political power of
a voter in the other. This inequality exists to-
day between the Northern and Southern States,
andiit ought to be corrected This would be
true, If the question had never had ything
whatever to do with the rebellion-or If the in
equality were in favor of the North instead of the
South. Every man can see that it is unjust, and
the Southern States ought to see it as wellas the
Northern. A nd as no section is to be benefited
in the long run byfany inequality cor injustice,
the South as well as the North ought to ratify
this amendment Itinvolves, it is true, tempo
rary surrender of a portion of the politicalpower
now enjoyed under the Constitution but that
surrender would beimore than compensated by
removing an injustice which so long as il exists,
must be the fruitful source of sectional idiscon-
tent and national discord. elszoaf jaZiad
The third clause of the amendment declares GER
tain classes of persons who took a responsible
part in the rebellion, ineligible to office until re-
IA ~ E.