Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-04-18

s"e AW0IR8E A0-CDm3lEoCNAOA
A Washington special to a western
paper that Mr.. Robert Dale
Owen has submitted to the ReconstI uction
COMMITTEES s proposition for an amend
msnt to the Constitution IS 3 basis of re-
construction. The amendment consists of
four sections. The first provides that on
and after the 4th Of July, 1876, there
shall be no discrimination in the United
States on sccount of color, but that all
male citizens of the age of twenty-one
shall be legal voters at all elections, Fed
ersl and State. Section two provides that
for the period of ten years from the 4th of
July next, representation in Congress, and
electoral votes for President and Vice
President shall be apportiOned according
10 the number Of legal voters in the re-
spective States, and after that period by
population, IS at present Section three
declares that there shall be no discrimina-
ton Of civil rights from and after the
passage Of this amendment, affirming IN
effect the constitutionality of the Civil
Rights bill. Section four provides that
no obligations or liabilities incurred in aid
of the rebellion, or compensation for slaves
smancipsted by the military authorities,
shan be paid by the United States or any
State. Attached to this amendment is an
enabling act which provides that when
any one Of the lately rebellious states shall
hsve ratified the foregoing, and changed
its constitution and laws to correspond
Herewith, 1t shall be allowed TO p%artici-
pate in legislation, and its representatives
be authorized to take their seats in Con-
gress, without any other terms or provis-
ions
Should this amendment be proposed by
Congress, and ratified by the several states,
it would do sway at once with the neces-
aity for further legislation on the
vexed subject Of reconstruction. And
we do not see why the proposition
il not one upon which sl parties,
from the EXTREMIST radical to the
most confirmed Conservative, cannot
agree without any sacriAce either of prin-
cipls or interest. Ten years may perhaps
be thought long to wait for an equal suf-
frags; but 1t will be seen thst the amend
ment also contains the principle of the
echenck amendment to the Constitution,
and offers . premium 10 the Southern
States by providing that from now until
lSfe the superintendent for Congressional
Representation shall be based IN the num-
Der Of electors. At the same time it avoids
the objection urged against the PROPOSE
zion Of Mr.. schenck-thst it tends to
cheaper the privilege Of the elective fran
shise and offers 3 reward to states for ad-
hitting to it the ignorant idiots, and
crininals-by providing that after 1879,
when suffrage is made equal, representa-
tion shall again be based on population.
And while this proposition ultimately
gives all that the radicals ask for, it con-
fains . concession to the conservatives, in
granting them ZEN years to soften their
prejudices against this new class Of cleo
tors Il answers the objection TO negro
suffrage hat the negroes are ignorant and
degraded, by givingthe directors a decade
in which 10 instruct and elevate them. Il
answers the objection to negro suffrage
that it would be resisted by violence in
the South, by making its adoption condi-
tiOnal upon the consent of the South itself. !
It solves all the question of reconstrnc-
ton, and brushes away the cObweb of the
cries policies resolutions, bills, and Con-
stitutional Amendments, which our legis-
lstora have spun around ii, by making the
resdmission OF the Southern States depend
solely upon their acceptance of a simple,
moderate, Just and, at the same time, ade-
quate guaranty.
Would the amendment be accepted and
ratified at the South2 There is not q
doubt OF IT, If 1t is held cut to them as
ar indispensable condition to readmission
they will aocept it as readily IS they did
the abolition Of slavery. Some of them
might rebel and refuse at first; but if so,
. few years out in the cold, under mill
tary rule, viii convince them Of their
folly, and they will be glad to get back
these moderate and merciful terms.
South Carolina would ratify the proposed
amendment more quickly than Indiana,
But If there were any delay in ratification,
and consequently in reconstruction, the
fault Of that delay would be palpably
with the Southern States, and could no
longer be charged to the Republicans.
The party cry that the Democrats are
basily raising that the Republicans are
preventing the restoration of the Onion,
would be exposed and made ridiculous.
W. have seen no proposition as yet
which afforded all sides such an oppor-
tunity for compromise and at the same
lime provided for making the work of
reconstruction 50 complete and thorough,
~ thia.