Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1866-10-03
TIE COLLAPSE.
RAYMOND DEMANDS RATIFICATION 0F
TIE CONSTITUTIONAL AlENDIEhI.

RAYMOND DEMANDS RATIFICATION 0F
TIE CONSTITUTIONAL AlEND1EAi.
Tie following article, coming from the
man who wrote and reported tie Atife--
f the Fourteenth of august CaPPerjoha-
son Convention. in which tho amendment
was as,s:!e,lsn the Southern States called
sron bot 10 ra'ify it, is perhaps 'he very
best argument IA favor Of that amenG0eni
that couil bs pfesested TO ihqririus
minds. We commc.:d !. especially :"
those uio have been mi-:eL by M Rsy-
mon,i's Ers, false iosio. 10 Is so~ Ai;a-
self again, an.i write, doubtless .ao mere
freely because lie believe. 'L.t he eau ear-
ry 4 j with him:
Taf,e i. no: tie s!iyhtsst dDsferre Of
opinion, SO far a, tce are oseare, IA ne
EMiou rr,y, and rry ht''s "sy 'of're
| ,lse, Gs to H.. si..'oo, Of rat Jyf,g III
coRs!,fatio.nt as,.p'1asf"t f'rof".ed by
Coayyee:. /; received every Union vote
in tie House. api j. sustained by every
Union journal thron:hou, the country -
Ike oaIy p>;ut upon which iifeTeEces q
prevail Is az TO the policy of making its
loption a condition precedent &c 'hs I'd
mission Of e?resen;atives from Southern
States.
The objects sought to DO attained BY
this amendment are important and Gesir-
.Lle. The FIRST, which clothes with TIE
e.,ual civil right be,or ging TO citizenship
all the naiive-boru iDhsbitants Of the
United States. command. itself to every
man. sense oi justice and Of public pol
ley. 1t Was TIE worst feature Of slavery
thst il kert large class of persons out
side the protection Of the law; and now
that .'arery has been swept away, there
is 40 ras3ow OF excuse for Fe,T,~tustins
this worst CT I'll its wrongs. We tru+t
the Southern States will make speedy
provision for extending the full protection
of the law over their enfranchisod slaves.
in coinuon with all their people; but,
aside from this, there are many reasons
Of justice and pro;r;e'y Why the National
Constitution should make tais guarantee
universal and perpetual.
Tie aecoud clause Of the np1cndmen. is
designed 10 remedy an Inequality which
no" exists III the enjoyment Of political
power 1t vas decided by the trainers Of
;he Consultation that popuIation aud nc'
sotcrs should constitute the basis Of rep.
rceeEiaii0n, and this ceases TO lie the
wisest rule only when large masses Q: the
popu i.i;on are excluded from suffrage in
some c.ions OF TIE country and nct in
others. Then il becomes an element Of
snd injustice 4 voter in the
one section has douhle Ito political power
Of voter 10 the othe- This inequality
exists &c day between tie Nogthera sad
TIC Southern States, aud it ought TO be
Chs would De trgo If the
1uest;o, had never had eaythiag what
ever 30 do With the IebeiHor-or If the
inequality we're in favor of the Norti ip
stcad cf the South. Every msn eau s,c
that it is unjust, and TIE Soathern States
ought 70 see it as we'll IS the Northern
And - no section is 70 be benefited iu the
loas run by any inequality oE any injas-
tice, tbs South IS well as the North ouga,
to ra:iiy tlis amendment. Il involves, II
is true, a temporary surreader Of e por
lion Of the political power now enjoyed
under the Constitution; but TIA. surren-
der would be more than compensated BY
an injustice which, 50 long as
it exists, must &c the fruitful source 0.
sectional discomfort and national discor6.
The third clause of the amendment de.
clares certain classes OF persons Who TOOK
a responsible part in th. rebellion insii-