The Portland daily press., 1866-03-20
The Constitutional Amendmsnt.

The Blaine amendment to the Constitutions
defeated in the Senate on the 9th inst, was
drawn up in the following terms: -
Representation shall be apportioned among
the several States which may De inciuueu
within this Union, according to their respece
tive numbers counting the whole NUMBER VI
persons in each State, excluding inuiaiie noS
taxed, Provided, that whenever tne eieetiNe
franchise shall be denied or apridSeu III ahy
acconnt of race or color, all persons OF
such race or color Shall po e1NtNN -
ba lis of representation.
This amendment was endorsed by vote OF
7oo,o Az in the House and received Is out of
At votes in the Senate.
We publish elsewhere the letter in which
Mr.. Sumner explains the grounds OF his oppo-
sition to the Blaine amendment. The amend
ment since offered by Mr.. Sumner himself,
reads as follows:
Representatives shall be apportioned among
the several States which may be included
within this Union according to their respec-
tive numbers, which shall be determined by
taking the whole number Of persons and ex-
Guiding Indians not taxed. Pr0utded, fhat
whenever male citizens over the age oftwenty-
one years shall be excluded from the elective
franchise in any State. except for participation
in rebellion, the basis of representation therein
shall be reduced in the proportion which the
mum ,er thus excluded bears to tine whole
number of male citizens OF the United States
over the age of twenty-one years In such
State. go
D.. 1t is difficult to find any difference in prin-
ciple between this proposition and Mr.. Blaine's.
Both admit that citizens may be excluded
from the elective franchise for reasons satisfac-
tory to the dominant classes in the several
States, and so far are not republican in spirit
There are obvious advantages in leaving the
basis of representation undisturbed by exclu.
sion for participation in rebellion, and in the
purely formal matter Of emitting all allusion
to Acknowledgement on account Of race or col
or. But SO long as the fact is there, itwould
seem to be of very little consequence whether
the wOrd is written or rejected. Readers have
perhaps heard that the word slaue does moi
occur in the American Constitution.
Whatever may be the merits or faults of Mr.
Summers proposition however, it is at least I'M
likely that it could be carried. The Presidents
party-Messrs. Cowan, Dixon, Doolittle, Nor
ton and Stewart-with the eleven Democrats
anu bhS bNO wv ii Siuld OCndJOio, CUuut
to eighteen, more than third of the whole
Senate. 3 e-r- ha-- l7-i -i.''ili' '''-' %
- We come then finally to the Presidents
amendment offered by Mr.. Doolittle, and pro-
wiling as folows: AW s..sl 10 li'o t'-l''
After the census to be taken in 1870 and
each succeeding census, representatives shall
be apportioned among the several States ac-
cordlns to the number in each State of male
electors over 81 years of age. qualified by the
laws thereof to choose members of the most
nu nerouj branch Of its legislature; and d-
rect taxes shall be apportioned among the sew
eraI STATES according to the value of the real
and taxable property situated in each State
not belonging to the State or the United
States. ti....5 ..,iss.ft Ira .lo5Gsi3R
- This is not so satisfactory on many accounts.
as the proposition against which Mr.. Sumue.
contended. 1t is no more Objectionable. on
the score of licensing caste than Mr. Summers
own proposition. The Tribune There is only
one) urges "every earnest advocate of equal
rights" to give hearty support to Mr. Doc
Titles proposition. The Boston, Advertiser
suggests for Mr.. Summers consideration, the
familiar story Of the Sybil and the three books
Of fate. This is not the most desirable meas
ure of the three, but it is the only one now be-
fore the Senate which can be carried. Wheth-
er the Democratic members will or win not
Support the President'by voting tor his amend
ment, the Administration wing of the Eepubli-
can party may be depended upon AMI the
amendment win pass if the Radical Republi-
cans choose. 1t will come up in the Senate
to-day.