The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-01-14


Tbs NsEFe suhEHss Question So c1ns
gTess -Ancfhef Constitutional
Amendment,
1t is evidently the object Of the don /:
inant party Of the present Congress to
hold the excluded Southern States, as a
condition of their restoration, to the
concession Of the right Of suffrage 10
the black race, or to the s~lternRtiTe OF
their exclusion in the enumeration CT
the people as q basis of representation
in Congress. To compass this object
various constitutional amendments
have been submitted in the House, the
most prominent of whicb-that propos-
ing { o make the actual number CT
voters in each State the basis OF its Fed
eral repFesentatiOn-has, perhaps, been
sufficiently ventilated. At ali events,
we think il may now be set aside as an
utterly inpracticable scheme. But Mr..
! Blaine, of Maine, has Just been sdyo-
D eating before the House a more plsusi-
bic proposition for the accomplishment
Of the end in view and as this pro
position, or something like it, may be-
come the leading feature Of the &C
struction policy Of this Congress, LET Us
briefly examine.
The Federal Constitution, article one,
section two, provides that Representa-
tiyes and direct taxes shall be appor-
toned among the several States which
may be included within this Union &C
cordine to their respective numbers,
which shall be determined by adding
TO the whole number OF free persons,
including those bound to service for a
term of years, and excluding Indians
not taxed, three-iifths Of all persons
(slayes) Mr.. Blaines proposition be-
fore the Committee on Reconstruction
strikes out all the words in italics of
this provision and substitutes the fol-
lowing-"Taking the whole number of
persons, except those to whom political
rights and privileges are denied or
abridged by the constitution or laws OF
any State on account of race or color.
Mr.. Blaine, after pointing out the IN
Just qualities hat would operate from
the adoption of the proposition basing
Federal representation on the legal
voters Of each State, explained that his
amendment would avoid all these diff
culties by leaving the representation of
the loyal States just as it is to-day, and
only "depriying the Southern States of
a representation based on their negroes
until the negroes shall be en~franchised
This is putting the case in the sim
plest possible form and if the excluded
States are to be kept out of Congress
until a constitutional amendment shall
have been adopted excluding the blacks
from the representative population of
all the States until the blacks shall pos
sess the right of suffrage, Mr.. Blaiue's
proposition is just the thing But is
such a condition precedent practicable
necessary SupposiDg that two
thirds Of each house of Congress are
in favor Of it, there is hardly q chance
that it can be passed over TO the States
in time for the consideration of n of
their Legislatures now in session. We
shall, therefore, have to wait for the
ratification of tnree-fourths of them a
year, and perhaps two years longer, and
the amendment may even then be re-
Are the excluded Southern
to be kept out all this time, and
this single issue of negro suffrage
or no negro representation, when there
are 50 many other considerations OF
greater Importance demanding the
earliest possible restoration OF said
Nj. Shellaberger, a republican mem
Der of the Houie from Ohio, will per-
haps serve to answer this question:
a speech following Mr.. Blaine, on
Monday last, but upon the general
question of reconstruction, in a radical
speech on the powers of Congress over
the rebel States, which seemed TO win
enthusiastic appreciation from his
party, Mr.. ~Shellaberger said, If 1t
were asked how long viii you keep
them (the States now excluded from
Congress) out If you cannot secure
these conditions OF return, he would
sorroWfully but i~nexorably answer, for
ever If such is the sentiment of the
dominant party of the House, as 1t
would appear to be from the applause
and congratulations which followed
this speech, we may fairly conclude
that the leading purpose OF the repub-
licans is not Il expedite but to delay
the readmission of the Southern States
lliO AOEklEA5 I'D AOAE 80 H1se%1%o
Under the reconstTuction policy OF
President Johnson the States concern
ed have been required, among other
things, to ratify the constitutional
amendment abolishing slavery. By
their action as States that amendment
has been ratified and become part OF
the supreme law of the land. Their
action, accepted by the Executive, is
also accepted by Congress as that of
States legitimately acting as members
of the Union. Why are they, then,
still excluded from Congress- Tie
Constitution declares that each house
shall be the Judge of the election re
turns and qualifications Of its own
members, but can this authority ex-
tend TO the exclusion of any respecta-
bic representative, elected according
TO the laws of this State, admitted to
be a member of the Union 70 far as TO
be qualified to assist in amending the
Constitution of the United Statesl 1t
strikes as that Congress has not the
power to 80 behind this record, but
that each house is now limited TO the
qualifications, &c, OF members from
South Carolina only so far as 1t may go
in regard to members from Massachu-
sets.
We know, however, that our political
parties conslrue the constitution to suit
their party purposes nor can We doubt
that the ascendency of their party is
the paramount object of the republi-
cans in their game Of Southern recon
struction. We can only therefore,
warn them against the danger Of puI-
suing this policy too far. Let them
delay the readmission of the excluded
States until the elections Of l866 for
the next Congress, and they will be apt
to learn that in disregarding the pre-
vailing public sentiment OF the country
they have, as a party, committed a ia
tai mistake-N y. Herald
In Chancery at Livingston, Tennessee.
pECEMBER RULE3 lS65.
2 r thoWnrnE. ]