Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-01-18

The OsnsresssonsI AppOFfIOnment.
We referred in q recent article to the
proposition of General Schenck for an
amendment to the Constitution preventing
the DISTINGUISHED black population Of the
South from being counted iatke sumner
:ion TO determine the a-ppOrtiOnment of
representative. T-heprOposition has been
submitted in several different forms, il
9th houses Of Congress, and it is impos-
sible to say in exactly which Of theseit
i'll be adopted. But this is of compara-
lively little consequence, SO long as the
p great object is secdred-an equality Of
representation North and South, SO that
four millions Of disfranchised blacks may
not be used By the Southern aristoeracy to
give them thirty-four additional represen-
tatiyes. And We have reason to believe
that this object will be effected, whether
by an amendment basing the apportion-
ment fer Representatives upon voters in
stead of population, or by an amendment
excluding from that superintendent all
no are DISTINGUISHED on account of race
, T color. The President is understood to
favor such a proposition, aud the two
thirds Republican majority in Congress is
a unit in favor of it. We have no doubt
Of its speedy passage and ratification.
Still, as it will be much debated and OPP
posed by the opposition party, we propose
to offer a few arguments in its favor:
I. II s0iU reaoUs the unjust inequality of
representation bstSOeen the South and tie
North. We have already shown how,
under the present working Of the Consti-
tuition, the South will actually gain power
in Congress as a result of the rebellion,
and the consequent Liberation of the slaves.
They will positively be rewarded for their
treason by a gain Of sixteen members of
the House of Representative, as the conse-
quenee of emancipation. The South will
claim 100 representative, of which thirty
four, or a little more than two-thirds, are
given her by the four millions of blacks
to which she steadily refuses all political
rights South Carolina will claim six
representatives, four of whom are given
her by her negroes. The voter in South
aCarolina, therefore, traitor and rebel
though be be, will have three times the
power in Congress possessed by the voter
in Ohio. And so of everyrebelliOus State
The enumeration of the disfranchised
blacks as part of the basis Of -aportionment
gives unjust advantage to the Southern
rebels. All this is removed by the work
ing Of this amendment.
II. II sOiH induce tie South to grant
political rights to all its citizens. When
the amendment passes, the recent slave
holding States will have to choose be-
tween sixty-siI representatives, without
negro suffrage, and one hundred represen-
t~atives, with negro suffrage. South Caro-
lima will see that by granting the ballot to
the negro she can treble her representa-
ton in Congress. So every other State
will be directly appealed to by that
strongest of motives, ~salfinterest, to in
crease its representation in Congress by
admitting its black population to suffrage.
And the result will be that sooner or later
every State in the South will enact equal
suffrage as a constitutional provision.
III. It ViA greatly simply and
Hasten the wOrb Of reconstruction.
While reconstruction without proper
guarantees is madness, no one can deny
that the delay of reconstruction one
moment longer than is necessary for the
its inhabitants would be wicked and hurt
full. The sooner the South can bessafely
restored to civil law and to representation
in the Federal government, the better for
herself and for Us. Any measure which
viii give US an opportunity to restore law
and order in the Southern statesshould, for
that reason alone, be regarded with favor.
And we are inclined to think that this
measure, together with the other guaran-
tees which will be enforced by Congress,
will be accepted by the President, by the
people and by the S auth, as forming the
proper basis for the re-admission of the
Southern states.