Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-01-31

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Correspoudence Rev York News.
TFEE NEW COLO8ED CONsTTTUTIOE,
WAsHnSGr0S. Jan. o.
Caucus and Congress have been seme
ixweeks endeavoring 10 find out whether
Sc would be well to enlarge the powers OF
the Freedmen's Bureau, while, in the
meantime, the Joint Committee on Re
construction has quietly enlarged its
own pOwers-withOut the consent OF
caucus or COngress-aud so enormously
that il would be considered the most
comprehensive committee ever created,
II IL were not a committee altogether
beyond comprehension. It was char
tered as a committee 10 inquire into the
condition Of the lately rebellious States-
an embodied conundUmn which was
10 be put" at semi-0ccasionRl meetings
for general guessing, while the answer Is
10 be kepl back till next year, or such
choose uOrep5vt. The return of SchUrz
with special luformation) induced the
committee to extend its inquiries from
the condition 10 the "dyliHiUSh Of the
South, and it now proposes to find out,
not only how the South Is, and what II
does, but what it thinks.
1t was general gag, bag and basket
committee, 20 gag, debate and bagpapers,
and 70 ask for information for tie sake
of suppressing it. From its supposed
connection with the "condition" Of the
South, il gradually came TO be called and
considered, by its friends, q committee
On reconstruction, y which mems ac-
c0rding to DR.. johnson, a ''remakmg,'
or "remanufacture, but the word does
not appear once in Andrew Johnson's.
publications since the day he took the
oath 81 President. Indeed, there are
grave objections 20 committing the re-
manufacture Of the Southern States to
Pennsylvanians and New Euglanders,
for they will certainly be crying for pro-
lection to this new branch Of manulaC-
turing industry, and will thus grievously
increase the grievOus burdens Of our pres
ent tariff
But "A self-eonstituted Committee on
Reconstruction il is, for, forgetting its
special mission TO inquire into the eondi-
ton Of the South, and 70 ill It's basket
with such papers as may be picked un, IL
now gravely proposes 70 reconstruct the
Constitution, the organic law of the land,
and the whole basis Of representation
throughout the Northern AS well as the
Southern States. OF the Joint Commit
Tee. Fesseuden in the Senate, and Sic
vens ia the House, simultaneously pre-
sentei amendment number seventy-une;
following the seventy, or therea0Outs,
constitutional amendments already o.
fered, or 70 be presented, thus early tins
session. and of the whole seventy, at
least sixty-eigbt refer TO the negro.
Unless these amendments are pre-
scented for action 10 the states IN a batch, J
several wears must elapse before they
can become part of the fundamental
law Of the land. IL would be best, per
haps, 20 batch them, calling them the
"colored constitution Of the Radical
partv,r and allowing this new lower law
10 control public affairs for the coming
two years, or during the life Of the Radi-
cal PARTY, IT, indeed, it should live so
long. 1t Is only necessary to lay aside
the old, original Constitution few
months longer. and il has been so little
ia use 10 the past four years that 1t will
scarcely be missed.
The scene in the House tbs morning,
when the latest " amendment came up
for action, was extraordinary. The gag
game, enforced 50 successfully IN the
case Of the Joint Committee, was st-
tempted Yesterday when the amendment
wss first read. with manifest reluctance
Old Thad. Stevens finally consented, or
rather was forced, u permit action 70 be
DELAYED till the amendment could te
printed, and perused, and considered 10y
those who were expected 70 vote upon H.
This noon, when the House dsE1e to-
getheT, q general tutering OF papers IN
dicated that the mem UeTs were Ieadihg
the proposed amendment, many 81 them
finding out for the first time what IL Wti7
and what il meant j was curious TO
see some Of them turning the paper over
and looking at il as if an amendment 10
the Constitution in these days was ca.
riositv. 4 curiosity when the flood Of
frivolous amendments now lying on the
table, or ready for presentation, are 50
many proofs that the present Constitu-
tion Is utterly unfit for the conduct or
preservation Of the Radical party, and
that il Is 70 be reconstructed, y by the
substitution Of 3 new calored Constitu-
-iau. which is 10 be conceived, brought
forth, and presented 70 the American
people in the shape of an African amend
ment.
The newer members-many of whom
are slow and had readers-had hardly
had time b peruse the latest manuiaG-
tures of the recOuStructignists, when old
Thad. Stevens rose. full charged with gag
which was 10 suppress all ''gab''- the
gab Of the members who hoped for this
opportunity 70 use their Old pieces on ne
.-r6 suffrage, and the nO-debate gag Of
The Basket Committee, which would
prevent protest even from the Demo
cratic side, against an amendment
which proposes 20 enlarge the privileges
of the blacks, by restricting the repre-
septation OF the whites. He moved the
previous question, thus cutting of all de-
late. The Democrats mildly protested,
and the disunionists pathetically i'm
pIored him TO allow a debate, limiting
each speech 20 ten minutes, five minutes,
even two minutes. But 30 these Cheap
Jack bids, offered one after the other IN
a descending series, Old Thad. whined
out through his nose, 81 c-a-a-a-n't
do it.n
But the combined pressure Of protest
aud path0s was too much for that "bul-
wark Of black liberty" cid Stevens
even, and he finally gave way. He was
nast0nished.n - he said, Sat the conduct Of
deed. new thing for the well-whipped-
in Radicals and the leash-held Conserva-
tives, to rebel against the gag Of caucus
or committee. II Stevens was astOnished
at this rebellion, he must have been
amazed az the audacity with which
amendments TO his amendment or
substitutes therefor, were offered as soon
as he gave way Opening the door
Tor discussion let in, rs Stevens feared,
dissensiou among the Radicals them
selves. For stevens new chapter in the
c6l0red constitution dozen Radicals
presented substitutes. They differed
from the original in form only, not in
principle. Every amendment offered
was for the benefit Of the blacks and for
Stevens new weapon in a war against
the North, as well a. the South, the Rad
icals, true % their instincts in the last
four years, only offered cOl0red "sIbsti-
tutes"
These substitute, as they were read,
seemed open % all sorts Of construction,
or mlEcOnstTucuon-Only il was clear
that whatever amendment might he
adopted, it would secure 20 all NEGROES
the right 10 vote, and would possibly al
low 10 q few whites, in some Of the States
the right Of representation.
Notthe least astonishing incident at
tending the debate was the enthusiastic
applause Of the audience in the galleries,
wien James Brooks put in ples sor the
white women of the country, who had,
he thought, as good claim 20 represen-
taiion as the blacks had 10 the right of
suffrage. The galleries have been per-
fectiy black with colored gentlemen Of
leisure for a month past; ana II was
really wonderful thai whites enough
could crowd in 10 get up Respectable
demonstration Of applause. Of course II
was promptly suppressed.
And after the Radicals, one after the
other, had risen and read and said then
old negro suffrage pieces-ezhsttstin G
themselves, the subject, and the whole
House, by saying al that could be said
on their side Of the question-one Of them
cOOliy proposed that the House should 70
intoiCommittee ofsthe Whole under the
i've minn e rule, thus partially gagging
the Democratic side There must have
been one or two Radical pieces prepared,
but unspoken, for even the Radicals nlur.
INJURED at this. So the debate went on
wearily, mOnOtOnOusly, relieved only by