Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-05-10
RUTLAND HERALD.
TUESDAY, MAY 8, 1866.
What More IL Needed.


just in itself If the amendments to the
Constitution proposed by the Committee
shou pass Congress, their ratification
by IL, requisi,' number of States can
not b. procurcd Practically, then, the
propo, lions OF The Committee, taken to-
gether, amount 0 nothing except in the
way OF delay.
or course the public safety is para
mount 10 all other considerations. And
involved in the consideration of the
public safety is the question of due pro-
lection 30 all classes of the people. What
is necessary to the public safety and the
protection of all classes, must be in
sisted upon at all hazards, but the
further We go beyond this the less likely
are we not only to carry out our pro-
gramme but even to accomplish what is
essential and necessary. The plan of
Reconstruction" therefore must be
stripped Of all unnecessary provisions or
appendages; it must be as simple as
possible; 1t must demand .only what
the public security demands and an i'm
partial mind would acknowledge to be
Just, and it will then be likely to COM
mand the approval of the North, to be
acquiesCed in by the South and to be in
corporated into the fundamental law of
the land.
What mas already been accomplished
must not be lost sight Of in this con-
nection. We have the constitutional
amendment abolishing slavery and en-
powering Congress to pass all necessary
laws TO carry the amendment into full
effect. We have the Freedmen's Bureau
for the protection of the late slaves,
which g 70 continue for at least one
year more, and which will be subject to
the action OF Congress next year to con-
tinue i longer if such continuance be
deemed necessary. We have the Civil
Rights act under which any citizen,
white or JacE who is denied justice by
State courts, i empowered to appeal t,
the United States courts which are COM
manded 10 interfere for his protection
and to use the military power of the
Unite1 States, If necessary, to secure
him Justice We have the test oath,
which excludes from federal Office all
who have voluntarily engaged in the
rebellion.
What more is needed ? One thing, we
think, is ana that is a constitutional
amendment in regard to the basis of rep
resentatiOn When the constitution was
framed, vhere was a large class of per-
sons az The South who were held as
slaves. Through the late rebellion they
have become freedmen. An amendment
to the constitution, to accord with the
new condition of things in this particu-
lar, is a necessity, which all fair minded
persons will recognize. If the right of
suffrage is given to these eX-slaves let
them be counted in apportioning Con-
gressional representatives of the South
ern States. If those States on the other
hand choose to deny them the right of
suffrage, let them be excluded from COM
putation in the apportionment. Under
this rule the strongest inducement
would be offered to each Southern State to
extend the suffrage to her blacks, for the
purpose OF Increasing the number of her
representatives and consequently her
power in Congress. Without such an
amendment. the blacks while not voters
will be counted in the apportionment of
representatives, and thus give Southern
white mans vote double the value of a
Northern white mans. This could not
be submitted to long and would give rise
TO renewed sectional strife. 1t should |
therefore be settled now and forever. |
Universal suffrage would be the true rule |
theoretically, but we are speaking of |
what is best that could probably be car
ried into efect--of what is pyocticaJlc as
well as right.
If the Reconstruction Committee had !
confined themselves, in proposing con-
stitutiOnal amendments, to this single
one of re-establishing the basis of rep
resentation, it would not have been un-
likely to pass Congress and receive the
sanction of the necessary number of
States. In connection with what has
already been accomplished, this, too.
would probably satisfy the requirements
Of the public safety, so far as constitu-
sonal amendments are concerned.
In addition to this as the only pro-
posed amendment to the constitution,
he proposition of the Committee to
make ineligible to national offices, by
nactment Of Congress, the more promi-
tent rebels, is fitting and practicable.
'ut these two Just and practicable prop
sitions are encountered by sothers
Vhich are at least impossible of adop-
ion. Should all the proposed amend
,ents pass Congress, it is pretty certain '
hat all would fail alike, the needed as e
yell as the unnecessary, for want of rat