The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-09-21
The Constitutional Amendment.

AS LILO CONSTITUTIONAL amendment,
adopted at the last session of the rump Con-
gress, will undoubtedly be tie condition of
the admission of the Southern States: and
as the New York Herald, and some other
seml-eonservative and neutrality-suspicious.
papers, earnestly urge the ratification of
this amendment on the Legislatures and
people OF the South, we take from an
article in tho HerdM its explanation and
comments on its various sections. Will
the South swallow such dose?
The first section of this amendment de-
clares the equality in their civil rights of
all persona3f all colors, born or naturalizcd
IN the Unlted States and subject to their
jurisdiction. 1t strikes us that as the in
stltutlon OF African slavery and all it's
collateral securities have been wiped ont
OF The Constitution by the amendment
abolishinS slavery this new amendment. in
its first section, is only Il re-aflir,nation of
the instrument as it now stands for in
taking ont slavery no distinction in rcla-
ton to the African race remains in the
ConStltltlon-nOnc whatever. The second
section of the new amendment provides
that suffrage and representation shall go
together, and that rs the respective States
shall abridSc the suffrage to males of
twcnty-one years in reference TO the cleo
tionS of Federal and state officers the enum-
Grafton Of their people for representation
III Congress shall be corrcspondingly re-
duccd This Is Il pretty severe test as we
have shown, to South Carolina but, on
the other hand, If she can exclude her four
hundred thousand blacks from suffrage.
and give to her three hundred thousand
whites representation i'll Congress OF
seven hundred thousand people, it will be
pleaded that seven white men in New York
or any other Northern State are reduced
To bal I..H.,,I ! 1.
III South Carolina 4; and tlus this distnc-
ton, while 1t lasts, will be made i theme
of mlschievous sectional citation Under
the Constitution, before the rebellion. only
thrcc-tittls of the slaves OF the South were
allowed i'll counting the people for repre-
sentation IN Congress, but this was among
the concessions to slavery which has
strenSthcI the hands of the Northern
AboltiOnists.
Section three of the new amendment cN-
cludes from any Federal office hereafter
until relieved by two-tlnrds vote of cacl,
House OF Congress. certain parties wlo
III the service of the United States. had
sworn to support the Constitution and
afterwards joined the rebellion. This NAV
seem to many generous minds too sweep
ing i'll its exclusions but as it is apparent
that It meets the prevailing tone and
temper OF the Union war party Of the
North the best the South can do is to ac-
ccpt it, and trust to the healing influences
Of rc-uuon to obltcrate in Il general law
of Congress, by Il two-thirds vote, all dis
tinctions between rebels and Unionists of
the late war. We dare say it will Very soon
come to this With the adoption Of this
amendment by the Southern States.
But section four, in regard to the ra-
tional war debt, all rebel debts and "bilYA-
tons, and to compcnsa. ion for cmanci-
patel slaves as L measure Of security for
the future, cmbodics the great secret of
the strength Of this Constitutional amend
mcnt in the Northern States. Herein lies
tue great power Of the Republican prrty in
the North, though cut off from the Adm-
nlstration. 1t is the power of three thou
sand millions Of dollars t!itfuscd in the
national currency and securities broad
cast over the land. Hence we say that
sound policy and wisdom call upon the
Administration and the South to accept
and aid in the ratification of this Constitu-
tl"nal amendment without further loss Of
time.