New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-18
THR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT,


THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT,
The so.called U, S. House of Representatives
has passed the Constitutional amendment Joint res
olution as 1t came from the committee OF fifteen
There was an exciting time during the final pro
eeedings: and at one moment there were indIca-
tons of serious rupture in the Republican party.
But, after ALL il came to naught. The reealeitrant
Republicans finally subsidized into an exquisite DO
ciity. and quietly took their places with the lock
of radical sheen, which followed the tnkling OF
stevens's bell. Tkeprineipal opposition was made
to the third section of the amendment-that which
excludes all rebels from voting in Federal cleo
lions until after the 4th of July, 1870. But Stevens
would listen to no remonstrance. He was deter
mined that the whole plan should go through just
as it came from the hands of the Reconstruction
Committee He told the hating and doubling
members around him that he would not give
snap Of his finger for the whole scheme if the third
section were stricken out. Perhaps a brief ex-
tract from his remarks on the occasion will exhibit
Eore fully than any description of ours the spirit
and objects of this truculent and yindetve radical
leader:
Mr.. Stevens resuming, said he should be sorry if
the third section were struck out, because then,
before any portion of the amendment could be put
into operation, the other side of the House would
be filed with yelling secessionsts and approving
| copperheads. Give us, therefore, he continued,
the third section or give us nothing, Do not mock
US with the pretenee of an amendment which
| throws the Union into the hands of its enemies
| Gentlemen say we are striving for party, 90
seek to sustain my party when that party is neces
sary to save the Union l say, rally to your party
| and save that party, or you lose the Union. do
not hesitate to say thatthat section there TO save
destroy the Union, Gentlemen tell us that IT IS
E,,,,. ,nf9
their stomachs but not for the people. Some say
IL is too lenient. II is teo lenient for my hard
: heart Would to God that the exclusion OF rebels
might not only run to the year 1876, but to the
year nineteen Thousand and seventy-six. 1t would
be then but too mild punishment. But hear 1t
! said you must not humble these people. Humble
J them why not? Do they not deserve humiliation?
Do they not deserve degradation? If they do not,
who does? What criminal or telon deserved it
more They have not yet confessed theirsins, why
5 should they be forgiven He, who administers
Justice and mercy, never forgives until the sinner
eonfesses his sin aud humbles himself at the foot
stool Of power. Why should we forgive any more
than He? If they are to come back, let them come
II hack in saekcloth and ashes. Let them come
back ana usk forgiveness, and then let US consider
4 whom we shall forgive ana whom shall exclude
That is my principle. All I regret is, that this is
not sufficiently stringent.
: notwithstanding this invective, the recusan1
Republicans were not quite ready to surrender
On the vote TO second the motion for the previous
question the result was, yeas 80, nays 50, many o
Z the Democrats voting with the radicals, in ordel
to prevent amendments. They wanted the issut
! to be broadly and distinctly made, and the who'll
plan to go before the country in all its naket
: deformity. On the question, Shall the man
question be now put?' the vote was very close
9 there being, before the result was announced
Y majority of one against it. But now some 0
the Democrats changed their votes, in order tt
9 force the so-ealled conservative Republicans t,
u come up to the mark on this third section, which
n many Of them had 50 vigorously denounced. Il
. the end the main question was ordered to be pu
y Thy 81 to 49, Here the Republican opposition
q cayed in. The crack of Stevenss whip drove al
the refractory members into the Traces and on the
( final vote which embraced the whole Of the join
+ resolution, every Republican member recorded
his name in the affirmative. So the resolution
! passed by l2s to 81.
4 The most amusing and suggestive case was tina
: of Mr.. Raymond. This gentemans paper-tht
New York Times-had maintained bitter opposi
ton to the scheme Of amendment. It had ever
gone so far as to say that the people would NO
submit to the evident attempt Of the radical direc
\ tory to usurp power by excluding the Southern
States from participation in the next presidential
SANSNASAAf
short duration, Mr.. Raymond could not stand tn
! pressure. He surrendered ingloriousy to the ter
rble and memorable Stevens, and on the final vot
recorded his name in favor Of the Joint resolution
third section and all.
The course of the Democrats was eminently
proper, Opposed as they are to the whole scheme
Of amendment they wished it to be made as OBJ
jeotionable al possible in order that there might
be no room to doubt the designs Of the Republican
Eparty. That party 4 snow thoroughly committed
to the idea Of excluding the Southern States nom
representation in ttis Congress and the next, and
likewise from participation in the presidential cleo
ton ofl866. The intention to retain political
/ power by the continued severance Of the Union is
now made SO clear that the whole country can see
throughit The Republican party henceforth loses
that prestige which gave il so much power as the
peculiar champion Of The Union, and goes before
the people as the great supporter of disunion.
The elections Of this summer and next autumn
will probably show that the numerical relations of
parties in the North have undergone a sensible
and importantchange, and that the preponderance
has passed to the side Of the Democracy and the
supporters Of President Johnsons administration.
1