New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-10-20
1Yho shnn pe Represented in congress.


,enting the amendments proposed to the federal
Constitution is discussed at the South With an
ind many friends in that quarter. Both those who
soyor and those who oppose them argue the ques- /
tion not casualy,or specifically, but thoughtYy,
and we must say, more temperately than 1t Is ar
rued here at the North. :
The New Orleans CRESCENT of the 4th instant
has an article on the subject, in which the argo"
ment against the main feature of the amendment
that relating to representation and the rlght OF
plausible and somewhat elaborately
stated. We infer that the amendments are making
no small progress in favor at the South, When SO
much pains are taken and SO much talent are em-
ployed in opposing them. To an argument OF our
own in favor of the justice of not allowing the
colored population to be made basis of repre-
sentaton while it is not permitted 10 take part III
the elections, the New Orleans print replies thus
at is perfectly plain that, the principle OF
representation based on population bemg ADMIT
ted, it can make no possible difference to one
State or section to relative weight IN Congress,
what may be the extent OF the constituencies oy
which the representatives are elected IN other
States or sections. The only motive for insisting
that new class shall be added to the voting list
must be that of strengthening some particular
party, or some peculiar form OF opinion. IL Ills |
Just to make the Southern States conform TO
general rule of suffrage laid down for them by
majority section, why would it not be just at any |
time to deny to particular States or sections the
right of representation in Congress until they con-
sent to adopt some new programme of domestic
States of the center and the West to exclude the
New England members from Congress until the
six New England States should consent to adopt a
plan of senatorial representation based on popu-
iation? If the precedent be once established
that the power of the federal government may be
exercised to impose conditions of representation
| on one or more States, that power may and prob
ably will be exercised hereafter for very different
| purposes from those to which it may have been
| originally applied Any party acquiring control
| in Congress, and determined to perpetuate its
supremacy, might, by use Of the power to deter
mine the qualifications of members of Congress,
| in the way III which that power'is now construed,
| disfranchse any of the States, and compel them
| to ratify any conditions as the price OF readms-
| sion.
at is not too much to say that the complete
| suppression of the idea of State rights, which
| this method involves, would ultimately lead to an
agitation for the abolition of senatorial represent
| atiOn as at present constituted. In consequence
4 Of which the smaller States of New England
i would be sure to lose their relative weight and
Importance in the Union, and, finally, their state
identity. The attempt to coerce the people of the
South into the ratification of the proposed amend
ment whether by offering it rs the price of repre-
i sentation, or as means by which they may aid in
overthrowing the existing system OF protection
and taxation, is long step III the process OF CON
solidation.
done to the other States by limiting the right Of
suffrage to white persons in the South, is entirely
baseless No additional weight is gained, and no
additional influence Of any kind. Does the Eve
} ming Post think, for instance that if New York
| were tomorrow to exclude a portion Of her
2 inhabitants from exercising the right OF voting
she would be guilty Of injustice towards The Other
+ States?
.eSuch proceeding might be unjust towards
the excluded class; but clearly not towards the
| other members Of the Union.'
In this passage the CRESCENT fails to make a
IdisGnGtion which, when once perceived and ad
t mitted ,,overthrows its entire argument. The ex
| pf thp hon III nf euFfr oye
is not like the case of narrowing the right Of
f voting by property qualification, or any othel
Z like limitation. In requiring the possession OF
+ property or the payment Of taxes as qualifica
1 ton, you lay down rule which excludes nobody
t permanently. He who pays no tax to-day may
g pay one tomorrow; he who has no property this
year, may acquire it the next, and they both will
! be allowed their vote. The father has freehold
: the son has not, but there is voter in the family
In all these cases, although the number of voters
n may be far less than the adult male population
5 the public opinion of the State may be expressed
with pretty good degree of fairness in the elec
ton of representatives of Congress, as long as ne
! distinction is made in regard to color or race.
g4 But when you come to exclude a whole race
( and numerous one, on account OF color, you in
q flict upon those who compose it permanent dis
s ability, which they cannot by any exertioR o
: good fortune throw off. You rigidiy exclude tn
it opinions and wishes of this race from all inuenc
g on the elections. Their interests may be as i'm
1t pprtant as those of the race which is privileged
e government and the consideration of the legsla
d tors; their views of public measures may be a
just and as enlightened; yet can they never &C
r quire the qualifications which allow them to vote
There will exist, therefore, under these cireum
II stances, branch Of public opinion, and a mos
i important one, which is never allowed to exert it
! share of influence. upon legislation.
Make any other distinction between those VIII
vote and those who % not, which the usage in on
country has ever allowed and it is not exposed t.
! this objection All the classes of the white popu
If lation run into each other men are CONSTANT
lRassng from one to the other; so that when yO
exclude from voting those who do not posses
: certain prescribed qualifications, you still leav
y them at liberty to acquire those qualifications, an
= you cannot obstruet the influence which they e.
= ercise on those with whom they are immedatel
= connected.
!, we can assure the CRESCENT and its reader
! that, however they may look upon the matter tn
view of the subjecthas notncorpo itself wit
the public mind that 1T forms, at this moment IL
D great difficulty in the way of admitting the at
rebel States to their place in the federal gover
's ment. More than any dstrust of Southern loyalt
lie more than any desire to punish the South for IL
lie part it has taken, this conviction, that the Sou
ern States, if admitted to the right of represent
lie ton in Congress without change OF the Constt
tion, will have disproportionate influence in th
n body possesses and governs the public mind at Il
in North.
ge We hear on every side men saying that no vo
of of theirs shall countenance any step towards +
NJ construction which allows one white manin Sou
Oh carolina as large share IN Shaping the eglslatt
i'm OF Congress as is possessed by two white men
he the State of New York. When the case is put
tn that apothegmatc way, it is not easy to frame
answer which shall be satisfactory. In vain mi
we say, that the amendment to the Constitute
d. which reetifes this disproportion is su
ne ere long to be accepted, and that {
s =. the sake ofreconciling the South and North, al
as az for the sake Of avoiding a dangerous departu
. from the forms which, under our Constitute
secure the public liberties, it better to adm
now the loyal representatives of the South Al
II then proceed with the reform Of the Constitute
lr- which cannot be long delayed. The great ma
L. Of our population, excited almost to the sar
degree as when the rebel guns bombarded Fc
Sumter, will listen to no project of reconstruct
tn short of the acceptance of the amendments to t
rs Constitution.
he How strong and overmastering this feeling
m. and how widely it prevails in all the Northe
mt quarter Of the Union, the late elections sho
ds Maine followed Vermont, in an expression of
of adherence to tile couse of Congress against t
he administration, so emphatic as to astonish ev
ne those who expected a victory. Pennsylvan
es Ohio, Indiana and Iowa, are now swept by t
er same irresistible tide of public opinion, viii
he bears down all opposition like barriers of straw.
Fl -S-----
ODDFELLowsHIP IN THE UNITED STATES. At t
he Grand Lodge Of the Independent Order Of Odd F
lows in the United States, which recently met
Baltimore, some very interesting statistics We
he made public, which show the present strength