The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-27


that IN time the South will accept it.
"Shall the South Gain by the RebeIIiOn!"
From the Wortd.
The head and front of the radical argument
for forcing the Constitutional amendment on
the South is comprised III this question. If the
Constitution remains unaltered the radicals
say, the South, since emancipation, will have
representatives for fve-ffths instead of three
6fths OF its Colored population The four mil
lions OF slaves counted, before the war, for only
two million four hundred thousand in the repre-
sentative basis; and if they now count for four
millions, the South will have gained what is
equivalent to a representative population OF one
million six hundred thousand By tbeir treason
against the Government. 1t is Contended by
the radicals that this gain in Southern repre-
sentation would be reward conferred, where
punishment ought to be inflicted on the enemies
OF the Union. 1t is on this ground chiefly that
the RADICALS demand a surrender by the South,
OF portion OF its constitutional representation.
This reasoning, which is the main argumenta-
tive reliance OF the radicals, seems plausible
only Whlle 1t is not examined. 1t is like arguing
that if you enter farmers orchard and cut
down his fruit trees, you have conferred on him
benefit because he viii then have less trouble
In gathering his fruit. The Southern gam, about
which the radicals make such an outcry, could
easily be prevented by restoring to the South its
former property in its slaves. Ii balance were
shnck between their prodlgious loss of pro.
perty and their slight increase III representation,
the South would say that this advantage had
been purchased at an eXorbitant price. To
represent the South as having gained by its
altered relation to the black race, in consequence
! OF the war, Is gross atiront TO common sense.
| effect OF political fanatlcism in unsettling
| mems judgments, than the pretense that, if
the Constitution remains unamended the
! Southern people are gamers by the Rebellion.
| TO say nothing of the terrible sufierings of
those tour bloody years OF the lives lost, the
! property destroy ed, the business interrupted,
| the banks, savings institutions, and insurance
! companies ruined, the towns sacked and
! burned, the cotton crops reduced more than
! one half the homes made desolate the mortld
cation OF deieat-to say nothing on these heads,
which alone suffice to show that the South
made terrible, a calamitous bunder, we can
prove that the Rebellion brought ITS own pun
! ishment, il we confne our view merely to the
! changes effected by the war in the relative con-
dition OF the black and white races. If the
gain in presentation is so great an advantage
TO the South il is q gain which could have been
purchasCd at any time within the last seventy
years by the simple emancipation of their
slaves. The slaves were not emanclpated, be-
cause, in southern estimation, a few more
representatives in Compress would have been
thus purchased at infinitely too dear price.
lt is a curious commentary on the boasted
philanthropy OF the radicals that they grudee
the boon which has been conferred upon the
negroes, if il is to be attended with any Incl
\ dental advantage to the white population OF the
South While the South has been compelled to
sacrifice an amount ,of property equal to our
whole national debt these wonderful phllan-
thrCpists can look with no complacency on the
freedom of the negroes, ii that freedom costs
the North the dlmlnution OF dozen votes from
their majority in Congress, although the North
ern majority is SO great that the loss makes no
practical difference. What better is the South
for its gan so long as, with its additional repre-
sentatyes, it still remains in hopeless minority
But the benevolent and philanthropic radicals
are sore at seeing freedom bestowed upOn tour
millions of human beings, If we. are to pay SO
unsubstantlal price as a slight dlminution o
the superhuously large Northern majority in
Congress. A marvellous exhibition of disinte
rested love of the blacksl a1-.
BY the equitable arrangements of the Consti
| tuition taxation and repre-, ,entatlon are djusteC
by the same rule The Constitution deducti
| tWo-hfths from the slave population as basis O
representation, and 1t at the same time deducts
two-htths from the slave population as basis o
direct taxation. The tax deduction was regarded
| as an equitable offset TO the representative de-
| ducton II the whole slave population haC
been excluded from the basis OF representation
| il would likewise have been excluded from the
basis of taxation. But II IL mao all Deen lncludeo
in one, it would have been equally included il
the other in pursuance of the great princpl
for which our foretathers fought ip the Revolu
| tion, that taxation and representation must g
| hand in hand. . I't.. =. ..
r This equitable principle will continue to pre-
( vail IN the unamended Constitution. All tina
/ the South gains by emancipation on the repre-
/ | sentative side OF the account, is balanced by a.
: equivalent loss on the taxation side. Fiye-tfth
n | instead of three hfths of the negroes will
i. counted in the representative basis; but
Q balance this there will be a corresponding II
n crease in the burdens imposed on the South b
direct taxation. This view alone sufices to el
n nose the deCeittul holo Wness of the radical ou
v CRY about the Southern gam by the Rebellion
,e The proposed amendment violates a tundamel
e tai principle of the Constitution, by increasin
Ia the basis of taxation TO the foil limit OF th
,JI whole population, while reducing represents