The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-07-21
aend ESTABLISHED , 1881.

0n tnef accOunJ-luSJ equal 10 Jne
united vote Of Indiana and Ohio In
other words, the white men of these
rebel States, nineteen -twentieths of
whom are rebels, and were engaged in
the late rebellion, can vote down Ohio
and Indiana, by representing the ne
groes, who are stripped, of all politi-
cal rights whatever.
s The negro for himself. amounts to
nothing, counts for nothing and his
existence is utterly ignored: but he
amounts to a man and counts for a
man, for the benefit of white rebels
by whom he is surrounded. The
white people of the rebel States have
forty-twol votes for themselves, and
then VIII have thirty votes more for
fh o. ieoroes ~ 20 s4l-A 4f3h ~
: Demdcratic politicians appeal to the
vulgar itprejudices of the people, by
claiming that this is a white mans
Government; but what kind of a
white man s Government is it that has
I thirty votes in Congress, and thirty in
the Electoral College based on negro
representation Thii .dvantage which
the rebel iStates now have is mon
| strous, and is not to be duietly en-
dlired.f % o No northern man who has
the least respect for himself can for a
moment consent that they shall re-
tam IT. Even if they were loyal, if
4 they had tried to sustain the Govern
mefit, Instead of destroy it they Gould
have no possible claim to it. gas 35
They have thirty votes in Congress
that have no constitueficy;4 thirty
votes'as from thirty rotten boroughs
under the English system. And these
thirty votes Just balance and set off
the thirty votes sent up by three mil
hon six hundred and forty tw6'fhou-
sahdlwhite people from Ohio and In
diana. f7fH8 As A9H9q4sh $50 "a
| These eleven rebel ( States have
other advantages IN the Government,
which it seems to me, ought to satisfy
the moss ,ayaricious Democratic. poll
| ticiaRs. They have, twenty-five. votes
| in the Senate, while Ohio, Indiana
and illinois with, a joint population
exceeding theirs by, a quarter off mil
|. hon,t have but six votes. - t-..~,
This is a grossinequality, and would
seem to have little foundation In rea-
son, yet it was a part of the original
| theory of the Government. that the
States without regard to their popu-
latiQn, should have equal representa-
ton in the. Senate, and we are not
seeking to change it, .ia,la;.f ngis.s''',
abuse and Injustice. / have been de-
.seribing, Congress has passed a. joint
| resolution amending the Constitution
of the United States, the second clause
Of which provides g that whenever
1 the right to vote is denied in any
State to any of the male inhabitants of
such State twenty one years Of age,
and citizen of the United States, or
is. in. any way abridged, exception par
ticipation in the rebellion, or other
crime. the basis. of representation
therein shall be reduced, In the pro-
portion such male citizens shall bear
to the whole number of male citizens
I twentYT7o|nnee t,s }Y;7|nee years of Of age in such
Ezc The effect of this amendment will
| be to exclude the negro population
from being counted IN making up the
basis of representation in any State in
which negroes are denied the right of
suffrage. 1T assumes that the male
| negroes over twenty-ene years of age
bear the same proportion to the
whole, negro population that white
males over twelty-one years of age
bear to the whole white population,
and deducts the negro population, by
that proportion from the. whole num-
| Der for which representation is to be
4 given. This will have the effect to
| deduct the whole negro population of
the rebel States from the aggregate
! humber for which REPRESENTATION is to
| be given, and viii deprive them of
Electoral College, It also deducts
the twelve thousand in Indiana from
| the aggregate population for which
she is entitled 20 representation, and
so In every other State This amend
ment in effect leaves the question of
negro suffrage with each State, to be
determined by and within itself. IF
| South Carolina want representation
\ for her negroes, she has but to confer
the right of suffrage upon her male
negroes over twenty-one years of age
and she will haveit. And the matter is
referred entirely to her own determina-
tien, and so with every other State.
The principle enunciated by the
amendment is this, that. wherever
there is race of people who are
deemed unworthy or unfit to receive
and enjoy political rights, they shall
not be made the basis for confer
ring political rights and powers upon
others.
Io Against this amendment the Demo-
cratic party has placed itself in direct
4 opposition Democratic members OF
Congress voted against it, and Demo
tcratic politicians are misrepresenting
! 1t all over the land. They demand
4 that no constitutional amendment
4 Shall be passed until the eleven rebel
States are fully represented in Con-
oress when they know full well no