The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-02-02
The Proposed Amendment to the CON
stitution.

stitution.
Our kilograms of yesterday morning. h
already informed the readers Oh '''' 80
that n resolution proposing Fao''". 80.
IN the Constitution OF the ohi'e"
passed the House Of Representatives, Oh
nesaay The amendment thus propose" W
soror,, States. considered In conhec'1o" Wv"
Oh. declarations of Mr. STEVENS, ana receiving
HE Vows "a those Of the dominant parry III
The country, 4. nothing Ike 80 N'u'h " o'
ao,,-o.,,ed or dreaded rs we had had too much
rna.on 10 fear. The resolution is III the words
following, 10 VII:
Resolcst Jy tn, Senate and House II E,pTssen-
tofir,s etc, jtico-MirIs II both Houses c9acnr.
rin0l That the following article be proposed
TO The Legislatures OF the several States ~ an
amendment; 10 the Constitution OF the United
States. which when ratified by three tourths
of said Legislatures shall be valid - part oi
said Consultation, viz Arttcts -. ifFitc
sentatives shall be apportioned aniohS 'nc
several States which may nc Included WITHIN
this Union according 10 their RESPECTIVE nun
bers counting the whole number OF persons
in each State, excluding Indians hot tnA ,
Proriiei, That whenever the eiecu'e !L"n.h.S'
shall he denied or abridged III any STATE on
account OF race or color all persons thCreli OF
such race or color shall b. excluded from the
basis of representation.
Now, in the first place, II Is by no means
certain that this amendment can secure the
necessary support from the States OF the
Union TO insure its incorporation into the toh-
stitution: for if rs President JOHNSON holds
the Southern States are now in, anu nave
never been out of. the Union, then IL "oui"
seem highly improbable that the Amendment
should ever he ratified by legislatures
of three. fourths Of the States Bu' ADMIT
ting tina, il should he 40 ratified, we con
tend that it will not bear th" construc'
ton which so many persons put upon
it-and among them the intelligent Washing
ton CORES pondent OF the Baltimore SIN, whose
letter we give III another columh-lhRl 10
restrict the right OF suffrage TO property-hold'
ers and men Of some education would Dc
10 deprive of representation upon III
the persons OF the same race or color Win
those thus deprived of that right. Tn the
con trary, the amendment merely provides that
whenever the elective franchise shall he
denied or abridged III any state, or 0rr''"' ="
Grace or coi,., all persons therein Oh s"ch
trace or color shall be excluded IRON tue
basis OF representation. Now, 10 uisirah'
chise 4 man because he - ignorant or because
ne is not worth property OF Inc value oI '"o
hundred dollars, would not be TO deny HIM the
right Of voting either on account OF MS race
or his color. Such Il qualification upon voting
would exclude good many white men as well
as negroes: and if such exclusion can be justly
held TO be on account OF race or color, then all
persons Of both the white and black races
would, under such construction Of the
amendment be excluded from the basis of
representation. The idea is too pr"post"rous
10 call for rcfutatiOn.
The circumstances under which the rcsolu-
ton was passed render its adoption by the
Radicals yerr acceptable III one view OF the
case. We had feared that they would claim
the right - regulate suffrage Iii the States
by act of Congress. This amendment not only
excludes that theory, bat Mr.. STEVENS, Ill
proposing and advocating il, expressly and in
plain terms denied III" power of Congress over
the subject. He said:
without this amendment tho States always
had the right 10 regulate the elective FRANCHISE,
and he held that the pending amendment did
not take away Ihis right when u b'caln" IN
corpor"ted III ia" Consti;uiloh lfsalo, nov
ever, to these States, that If they abused the
elective iranchi>. the Constitution would
hold penalty over them. All knew Of The
aspiration and ambition of the southern
States 10 rule this nation, for having failed
10 ruin the country, they would now try TO
rule IL /; but this constitutional amendment
would say 10 those States. Just so far as
vote TO the most loyal part Of your population.
just so in proportion shall! you lose your power
in the Government, by losing your representa-
ton in the halls of Congress. The South
would lose by this amendment thirty-hNe
representatives. Their representation would
be- reduced from eighty 10 forty-iSr, and then
We could add H. said, the Who'll" nest OF
cnpperhetds, and freedom would still be- rl-
unphant i'll this hall.
Perhaps Mr.. STEVENS may be mis- taken i'll his
hopes that the South will lose so many repre-
sentatives. If she lose them, the loss Will be
because OF her refusal 10 require simply pro
perty and educational qualifications ii her
voters.
PcrhapS TOO, Mr.. S7fvE>a may also b" mis-
taken in suppo>ing--as IL declared Ill his
speech-that the ratification Of only nineteen
states will make his amendment 4 part OF the
Constitution. President Johnson may have
word 10 say Oh that question, since he does
not agree with Mr.. SrFvFSs in The opinion
that the Southern State Legislatures ere not
10 vote upon its ratification.
Let us hope on. There i a future for Us yet