Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-10-31
The Constitutional Amendment.

The probable or improbable adoption of tho
C. Institutional Amendm NJ by ,be Southern States
is i question wLiShsis Row bcingeycry diligently
mootel both in the North and South, And.vhether
Gov. oTasRa,of South. Carolina would recommend
or oppose its aloption, been, of late very
considerably discussed The latter question, at
least, iscniircylail upon the table by the fol-
lowing tcsgrA phicdespateh from Mr.. DEFoSrAISE
OF the CulumLil South ICarolinian. We clip it
from the Augusta Const'tutiomaiist of the 2Sta
instant:
COLUMBIA, S. c., October 81.
Governor Orr has authorized the South Caroli-
nian to say that he is utterly and unequiyocally
opposed 10 the Constitutional Amendment, and
will not recommend its adoption by the Lcgisla-
ture of South Carolina.
..s,y. F.G.DEFoNTAIHE.
This Constitutional Amendment, which must
be ratified and adopted by the Legislatures OF
of ,two-thirds of the States OF the Union before
it eau become law of the land, consists of a
single article divided into different ions. We
enumeratc its objects as briefly as may be. The
Object of the first section is to incorporate into
the organic law that al parsons born or natural
ICED in this country, without distinction of race
or.color, are heuceforin citizens of the United
States, aud shall epj"y ail the rights Of citizens
evermo-e, and that, no State shall have the power
to deny or impair this conferred right.
The second section lays down the basis of rep
resontation. 1t excludes as an element of repre-
sentation, all males over 81 years of age, who
are not under the laws OF any S'ate entitled t.
suffrage BY the laws Of all the Southern States
negroes are not entitled to suffrage. The adop
ton Of this Constitutional Amendment will there
fore strip the South Of u majority of its coloret
Inhabitants as any elenert Of. representation, ant
this will be essentially based upon its white popu
lation alone. The effect will be the -oss of SOM
twenty five menlh.rs of Congress to the South
and the addition of that number to the alreud.
overwhelming POWER of tie North.
The thirl section, and The vilest, may be bes
stated in is own words:
No person shall be y Senator or Rcpresenmtiv
in Congress- or eectur Of President and Vice
President, ar hold any oHicc civil cr military
| uader the United Stnes, or under any State, whu
lavng p evi"us!y tak.n oath, as member O
| Congress, ar il fficer Of The United Sta .es, o
as a mHmh;r of any State Legislature, or as al
executive or judicil cflicer If Any State to sup
per; ti.: C.rsti uion ''f the United States shall
aavs engaged in iilsucrec,i"n or rebellion agains
the sauiu, 6r given aid or comfort to tho epemie
thereof. Bat Congress NAV. by vote of two
thirds OF. each Hoase. remove such disability.
This then is the ign"be entertainment to whic
the passionate and unprncplcd zealots of tn
Radical party invite us. They ask the South t
dig its social nnl ol;tc,l grave. This grave mn
be dug Gr US. Bat by al: means lit US ondors
aud uphold Gov. 0na in bis publicly declared oi
position to this unjust, iniqaitous and uncons:i
tutional amendment, and take no hand in tn
digging. Is,here any genuine Southern, ma
who wants to sit-and l0iltinyly-at such grir
| G.us,2 Tr en- rnnrp for tho Innate