Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-06-22
THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

this was done, was the case of the anti-sla-
very amendment, cited in this paper last
week. This was sent to Mr.. LINCOLN
through a blunder, and signed by him ca
gratjo. 1t may then be accepted as a fact
that the amendment proposed last week will
escape the ordeal Of Presidential scrutiny,
and be at once transmitted 10 the States.
In order to make valid an amendment to
fourths of the States is necessary. There
are thiny-six States, and it therefore re-
quires the concurrence Of twenty-seven. The
amendment now pending will certainly re
ceive the ratification of twenty-two-viz:
California, Connecticut Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michi-
gan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire,
New York, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Penn
sylvana, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Yer
mont, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Five
additional notifications are to be obtained
from the States Of Alabama, Arkansas, Della
ware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisi-
ana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and
Virginia A sufficient number Of the four
teen last named may refuse TO ratify, and
thus cause its rejection, but this step will
insure the indefinite exclusion of eleven
States from Congress, unless by enabling
acts, each State now excluded be admitted
when it shall ratify.
1t is difficult TO prognosticate with GER
tainty the fate Of this proposition, but it is
not difficult to divine the wishes and objects
Of the insidious conspirators against an early
and permanent restoration of the Govern
ment in all its parts, who have contrived
and presented it. They neither desire that
it shall receive the ratification of three
fOurths Of the States, nor intend that, if
ratified, il shall effect the readmission of the
Southern States 1t was gotten up to be
used as Radical Republican party plat
form in the coming fall elections in the
Northern States, and is adroitly adapted for
that purpose. The ultra-Radicals scarcely
disguise even now their opposition to it,
though they are offering it for acceptance.
Its radical malice and vengeance is not suf-
ficiently pronounced. Its decorously covert
terms do not satisfy THADDEUs STEVENS
who, in the act of voting for it, made lugu-
brious speech over its inefiiciency to accom-
plish the full measure of his desires. The
Radical organ of this city also says:
1--WE shall not regret its defeat very
deeply, for while we acquiesce in it, it APP
pears to us, to fall short Of the requirements
and necessities Of the Union minority Ct the
South
And the Gubenatorial proclamation assem-
bling the Legislature of this State for its
ratification urges that anything it may con-
tain "repugnant to the sentiments of the
loyal, and "a!l objections" to it should "be
yielded on the altar of our common coun-
try" As anti-republican and violative Of
Justice as it is, this amendment is to be used
for party objects, and for nothing else.
The Radicals will go before the Northern
people claiming that they have offered lib-
eral terms to the Southern States and that
they could not do more consistently with
the security Of the life Of the nation" and
yet they secretly hope that the Southern peo-
pie may reject their proposition. In the
event Of lis rejection they will claim that they
did all that could be required, and that the
South having refused the tender of terms
should be longer excluded, and in this mode
they propose to retain the absolute power
they now WELD. Even should it be adopted,
they will refuse the admission of the South
ern States until the passage of an enabling
act which will require from each State the
conditions of 4 State Constitutional amend
ment, or Legislative act guaranteeing
in express language negro suffrage
This is the end and aim of all their re-
construction strategy. The adoption of
this amendment will not facilitate re-
construction, and was not intended to do SO.
But either its adoption or rejection is to be
turned to radical account if possible.
The body called the Legislature, assuming
to represent the people of Tennessee, will be
as themanagers see proper. We
presume from present indications, that the
plan is to adopt it, and we add brief analy- |
sis of its provisions in order that the people !
may see what is proposed to be done for |
them.
Section first declares that all persons with
out distinction OF color, born or naturalized |
in the United States and subject to its laws, |
are citizens Of the United States and Of the !
States wherein they reside; and that no State |
shall make or enforce any law which shall |
abridge the privileges or immunities of citi- |
zens Of the United States" and that all |
persons without distinction of color or sex,
shall be protected in life, liberty and pro-
perry, and stand equally under the laws of |
both the general and State Governments.
The term privileges and immunities' COM
prehends the right to vote, to hold Office, to |
hold property, to sit as jurors,in fact to do |
any and every thing which citizen may |
do. Laws now on the statute book of any !
State, prohibiting any class from any of |
these privileges are forbidden from enforce
ment, and therefore this section endows the
black man with equal civic rights in every |
particular with the white manor in other !
words the full immunitics Of citizenship.
Section second is special amendment to
clause third, Second >, Art. l, Of the Con-
,tittion as it now reads, making the whole
number Of persons in each State, except In
dams not taxed, the basis Of representative |
and apportioning the number
Of representatives for each State according |
.otheir numbers Of such population, but pro-
yiding that ifany State by law shall abridge
he right 10 vote, except for participation
in rebellion or other crime the number of
It's representatives in Congress shall be reduc
"a in "the proportion which the number
IF male citizens thus abridged of the right
10 vote shall bear 10 the whole number of
male citizens twenty-ono wears of age in
such State" The effect of this section will |
be, that if any State persists in refusing TO
grant the suffrage to negroes it will lose a
portion of It's representation, and in the
eleven States now excluded from Congress,
Il all should do 50, the representatives will