The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-05-15
How the Third Section of the Constitutional
Amendment was Adopted.

Amendment was Adopted.
Correspondence of the Boston Adver.iser.l
1t got noised about on Tuesday that Mr..
stevens would demand the previous question
on the proposed constitutional amendment
during the afternoon of Thursday, and during
the evening OF that day few of the democrat
lc leaders met for consultation at the room Of
one OF their number. They concluded that
there was but one chance by which they
could worry the union majority. That requir-
ed nerve and bOldnesS, and some of the lead
ing men deemed the risk greater than any
possible advantages might be. The meeting
was not unanimous in its judgment, but sew
eral OF the gentlemen announced their puI-
pose to force the Republicans to vote for the
third section, viz: that disfranchising rebels
till1S70. r. (E =
Mr. Stevens, having been instructed by the
joint committee of fifteen to carly the while
report through il possible, was entirely iusti-
fled in resorting to every advantage Of parlia-
mentary law andscastom OF which his long ev-
per1ence has made him master. 1t happened,
. therefore, that no opportunity was given to
vote on the motion for striking out this third
section-in fact, no opportunity was given for
making such motion. Five votes were had
before the Speaker could announce the pas
sage of the amendment. The first of these
was viua uoce, and the whole volume of Dem
ocratic voice was rounded into sonorous
"aye" with Mr.. Stevens, The second vote
was by standing to be counted. This unmask-
ed the Democratic batteries. Not q man on
that side rose when the negative was called
but some thirty OF them stood and were count
ed in the affirmative with Mr.. Stevens. The
third vote was by passing between the teers
Th game was getting little desperate. A
quasi endorsement of this third section has
an ugly look in modern Democratic eyes: and
this vote by tellers showed that the rank and
tile, lambs OF peace that they are, were not
disposed to lie down with the lion Stevens
Enough OF them, however, were brought up to
the point to give him the victory on this vote
also. Then came the real test vote-by yeas
and nays.
The scene during the call of the roll was
rich in the extreme. The point was, shall the
main question be now put? Union members
who wanted to strike out the third section of
course voted "no." Mr.. Stevens and the sup
porters of the section OF course voted 'aye"
1t was apparent that the balance OF power
rested in the hands of the democrats. If they
generally voted in accordance with their con-
victioDs or their speeches the section would be
stricken out. The call of the first half of the
roll showed that only three or four of the lead
ing democrats were bold enough to 90 into
the journal on the affirmative of the propo-
sition, and when sixty or seventy gentlemen
had answered to their names it was seen that
the democratic coup Petat would prove fail
ure if something was not Immediately done to
save the day. Rogers, Eldridge, Niblack, LIE
Blond, Chanler, and ore or two others at once
developed a remarkable state of activity-run-
ming here and there, arguing, expostulat;ng,
possibly swearing, at any rate dragooning.
The roll was finished, the check handed up to
the Speaker, the vote announced, 81 yeas to
70 nays-the day was saved.
An analysis OF the vote shows that of the Re
publicans SO voted yea, and Sc nay; while of
the Democrats Is voted yea, and 22 nay. The
names of this fifteen are worth noting, and
they are as follows: Chanler, Eldridge, Grider,
Harding, Harris, Kerr, LeBlond, Mccullough,
Niblack, Ritter, Rogers, Ross, Rosseau, Shank
lin and Thornton. They stand on the record
rs favoring the third section. Mr.. Stevens
carried his point by only five majority-if on
ly three of these Democratic votes had been
cast against him he would have lost, and the
grand opposition game would have failed
"Give the devil his due" and so give the DEM
ocratic leaders the credit OF presenting the
third section of this proposed Constitutional
amendment for the acceptance of their South
ern friends and allies. ..~....