The Portland daily press., 1866-02-13
TINS congress9 Why not? win not the States
consent 70 have the suffrage based upon in
senlsencer Let them have an opportunity to
rA ''' themselves. REPUBLICAN.
Letter from Washington.

= ''''niSeiVes. REPUBLICAN.
Letter from Washington.
l...l.... WASHINGTON, Feb. Z, 1886.
De0dte IN the Senate upon the amendment In
the C0hstatuts0R reported bv The Recon-
struction Committee Senator Fessendem;s
Speech. ..r ,..,.. -. :.
To the Editor of the Press:
The debate in the Senate upon the proposi-
tion to amend the Constitution, reported bv
the select committee of fifteen, on Reconstruc-
ton, commenced on Monday of this week.
Mr.. Sumner opening in opposition to the pro-
posed amendment. He occupied portion of
two days, speaking with his usual careful pre-
paration to large attendance. He won much
admiration from his hearers, and the closing
portions Of his speech are spoken Of as very
eloquent.
To-day, Mr.. Fessenden replied, leading in
tne support of the reported measure as be-
came his position as Chairman of the COM
mittee which reported. He spoke, as is his
wont, without any elaborate and scholarly
preparation, with merely such arrangement of
his matter as fits practical and ready debat-
er. Nor was there any crowd in the galleries
expectant upon his words. The seats of the
Senators, however, were quite full, and hear
ers in the gallery increased as he went for
ward. ..4.- -.'.....-+,
The manner and bearing of the speaker
were admirable. They were characterized by
an air of dignity and authority fitly becoming
Senator, the fruit of life of honor, decis-
ion and selfrespect. The same ornament ap-
peared on him when / first saw and heard
him more than twenty years ago, he then hav-
ing served single term in the national House
of Representatives. 1t is as bright and con-
spicuous now, that his sons, surviving in
whole or in part, the shocks of battle, have
been made Generals in the military service of
the United States, and he himself has entered
upon his third Senatorial term. g
Hisspeech, also, sharp and incisive as IL was,
was, still frank. He did not pretend, nor con-
tend that the measure which he was advocat-
ing did, or ought to satisfy entirely the desires
of those like-minded with himself upon the
main matter in connection with which it was
introduced. 1t did not, as he would desire,
make distinctions of caste or color in the mat
ter of political privileges in the several States
unconstitutional, thus writing down in the
organic law of the land, great and immu-
table principle which would work wisely and
well for all time. Still closer to the point, it
was open, he feared, to evasion by cunningly
contrived legislation, which might be adopted
with that intent The attention of his fel-
low, Senators to this point he earnestly re-
quested- i lo-sor,l ni - .sp.85
q 1t did, however, he eontended, tend to de-
prive all the States upon which 1t should act
ually operate, of a portion of representation
to which in equity and justice they were not
entitled; that is, that representation which
they would have. if allowed to enumerate in
their representative population whole race
| or color, whose elective franchise they denied
or abridged. 1t did not, on the other hand,
like an amendment basing representation up! I!
on voters, diminish the political power of
those intensely loyal States, which on the very
edge or In the actual field of battle, had re-
manned true to the Union, and still keep them
selves loyal to the United States, by excluding
from the privilege of the ballot-box all who
have aided or abetted in the rebellion. 1t con-
formed also to the idea adopted in the Consti-
tuition as it is, of basing representation upon
population, the whole population, men, women
and children, all those who are allowed to vote
in person or by proxy, who are allowed share
in the actual government of the land, by pow
er, or by the influence of the ties Of affection
and common personal interests, the whole gov
erning class, in fine, in general all to whom a
share in the government personal or indirect
is open by their own acts. 1t also tended to
induce all the States, by its appeal to their
love of political power, to do away with all
legal distinctions of race or color, and to open
the elective franchise to all races of men alike.
Giving no new power of exclusion to the
States, leaving the control of the elective fran
chise to the States where it now is, it was not,
and could not be fairly characterized as an
abandonment of moral principle, or another
base compromise. m .sid IFs
Moreover, in the opinion of the committee
neither of the alternative propositions, thai
for basing representation upon voters, nor tina
securing the elective franchise alike TO all race
Of men, would be adopted by the requsit
number Of States. Ut is to be hoped that the
committee is mistaken in this apprehension.
This amendment probably could be carrie,
through the legislatures of three fourths o
the States. NlI al oi ldIcFi
i A plain, logical ard not rhetorical speech, 4
would have gone to its conclusion without an
attraction Of peculiar interest, had not tn
Maine Senator found himself compelled, 1
due course Of argument, to. examine in brie
the measures which the Senator from Mass
chusetts proposed as substitutes for that n
ported by the committee. This called M
! Sumner into an explanatory colloquy. T
: + those who know Mr.. Fessenden In any forul
where he has been debater, it was easy I
, see how such colloquy was to end In an,
, event he was not to be worsted. So it di
end. The loose, indefinite, mprofessions
: style of composition which the Hon. Senate
! from Massachusetts, carries even into propo
, ed statutes and constitutional articles, coul
' not bear the sharp examination of pre-em
: nently practical legislator like the Senate
from Maine; and it was evident that the sui
t stitutes were far more imperfect and open
, objection, if not clearly mere impotent tina
E the measure for which they were to be subst
: | tuted. sHW Do se n"
a Before he found time to speak of the presen
t relation of the rebellious States to the Unior
v his physical strength failed him, and he posi-
lively declined to continue his remarks to con
: sume second day of the time OF the Senate
/. though urged thereto by some of his fello'
It Senators. ..t ID. .-...-. r,.,a L.
e Visit to the Reform School.
ii IT, tho E,l;for of the press. e s