The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-05-01
The Abortion.

Ino reconstruction committee has. been de-
lyered. 1t was In labor long time. The
thing which the New York delegation gave
birth TO couple Of dsys ago. The New York
delegation begot the present. miscsgen. aber-
ton. Abortion il 10. It falls, still. born. ana
although permitted nearly the full period Of.
CESSATION, it IL of ridiculously small proper
tions. There 10 just enough of it to deter
mine that it would have been . mulatto had
it not been foully dealt with.
To drop metaphor, the report of the recon.
struction committee 10 one Of those lodging,
evasive, compromising schemes familiar to
nor conservative. It is not for the mig
ger" and is against thswhite man. It
assails the policy of the president, and in
form respects his demand that the question
of suffrage shall be left to the deter nination
of the states. While doing this, it proposes
to punish the states in case thew decide the
question adversely to the wishes of an ultra
faction. Ii recognizes the sing state gov
erpments IN the eouth as lawful governments
in pledge of recognitioD O. them as such up-
on their compliance with conditions which do
not in any way affect the processes resulting
in their organization, and it denies that they
are lawful governments in prescribing such
conditions and refusing admission to the
members of congress now returned from them.
1t is plausible, treacherous and Jesuitical
scheme. Il will not satisfy any party or any
branch ofany party. It is purely measure
of partizanship, and so cowardly, inconsist-
emit and malevolent that it will not command
the approval of the party it is intended to
harmonize and strengthen.
The first section of the constitutional
amendment it proposes provides for the equal
protection of the law to all persons. Assum-
i've khot ~ so -
and political rights. this is we'll enough. The
southern states would themselves speedily
conform their statutes to the principle.
The second and most important section we
| append:
"SECTIoN 2. Representatives shall be appor-
ii oned among the several states which may be IN
| cluded within this Union, according to their res
pective numbers counting the whole number of
persons in each state, excluding Indians tax
ed but, whenever in any state the elective fran
chise shall be denied to any persons of male cit
izens not less than 81 years of age, in any way
abridged for participating in rebellion, other
| crime, the basis of representation in such state
shall be reduced in the proportion which the um-
Der of such male citizens shall bear TO the whole
| number of male ctizenA not less than 81 years of
| age"
| Two-ffths of the negroes IN the southern
| states are now excluded from the basis of
representation. This proposes to include
them all; but in case they are not snfran-
chised, to reduce representation in the pro-
portion which the number of male negroes
| over twenty-ona years of age bears 20 the
| whole number of male citizens over that age.
| Upon the assumption that the number of
| age, of both races, In the south, proportion.
| ately the same TO the whole number of inhab-
| itants as the average In the whole country,
| this should reduce the representation about
one eth. This is not very largo reduction,
but its intention is, and practical effect
| would be, to make voters the basis of repre-.
| sentation In the south and the whole mum Der
of persons the basis in the north. 1t was
concocted in the interests of New England
whore the female population is the largest
and it is not just either to the west or south
The section is carelessly worded. A strict
construction of it would not reduce the repre-
sentation because of the exclusion of person;
from the elective franchise on account of col
or. 1t only proposes such reduction in cast
the elective franchise shall be denied ''fOl
| participation Ia the rebellion or other crime ,
The distinctive conjunction in the fifth line
from the bottom of the ososstion refers to tn,
infringement of The franchise for the caus,
| specified, and not to class of persons. Al
persons, therefore, who shall not be denied
/ the elective franchise, for that cause, mus
be counted.
1
which dictated the Sd. section. Is it intend
ed az a declaration that the southern state
shall not be admitted to congress before jul,
4, 1870? Is it supposed the reconstruction
| amendment will not become part of tn
constitution before that time? Why shoul>
those who participated in the rebellion b,
permitted to vote tor members of congress ant
presidential electors for four years and thel
denied the privilege?
The fourth section is sensational and non
, sensical. 1t is equivalent to an announce
ment that there may be doubt as to the liza
, bility of the United States governments to pa,
: the confederate debt, and it's intention to d.
so Four years OF laundering, corruption
and misrule under an abolition administra
ton have gwen the people as large a debt a.
they will elect to pay. There is no need s.
. to amend the constitution rs to forbid then
TO pay more. There would be much more o
common sense in an amendment forbiddiny
Reputation. If the country shall be mucl
longer bedeviled by an abolition congress
and plundsred by abolition officials. eve,
such an amendment would not avail to pre-
, vent general bankruptcy which woult
compel the people to cast of the whole bur
b den of the public indebtedness.
), So far as the constitutional amsndmen
proposed by the committee is concerned Their
is nothing in it but what is mischievous or al
/ | surd but there Is nevertheless much more O
conservatism about it than we supposed Their
I would be. While this is SO, it is inexprsssi
| bly, more cowardly and contemptible than tn
announcement of a consistent radical polio
would have been. This is a thin ble-rig con
4 concern. IL the civil rights bill is constitu
q | tional, the negroes are all protected as full
n ly as the first section proposes to protec
a them. The amendment would do nothin
d for the freedmen. IF Sumner, Stevens an
!, | their gang support it, they will prove them
y selves as arrant demagogues and dirt-eater
/ as ever turned tailed to- the proposition {
Il which the "msrtyr" said this government
q was dedicated"
n Touching the bill which the committee hs
Il prepared as an accompaniment to the amend
= ment, lit is hardly worth comment. Althoug
: | the radicals cheated out of negro suffrage
| they are not so vindietive as to wish to forev
n er shut out from in the conduct of the govern
ment the leading men and best men in th
/ | south. They advocated this to secure negr
J. suffrage The thimble riggers who projecto,
= the amendment attribute to the radicals
: meanness of malsvoleace greater than we be