Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-02-07

resentatlon on Voters-unless Congress
should be empowered to define their
qualifcations-would tend to cheaper
suffrage everywhere. There would be an
unseemly scramble in all the States dur
ing each decade to increase by every
means the number of voters, and all con-
servative restrictions, such as the require
ment of reading aad writing now en-
forced in some of the States, would be
be stricken down in a rash and
reckless effort to procure an enlarged
representation in the national councils.
Foreigners would be invited to vote on a
mere preliminary " declaration of inten-
ton, "and the ballot, which cannot be too
sacredly guarded, and which is the great
and inestimable privilege of the Ameri-
ican citizen, would be disgraced and de-
moralized everywhere.
And the worst feature of all is that
there is no need whatever of precipita-
ting the evils l have referred to. The
great end of depriving the South of the
representation which IS based on the col
ored population until that population is
enfranchised, can be very readily secured
without accompanying it with these of
fensiVe inequalities of representation
among the loyal States. The Constitu-
ton may be amended so as to prevent
the one evil without involving others of
greater magnitude, and venture to ex-
press the belief that the proposition sub
mitted by me this morning, and on my
motion referred to the Committee on Re
construction, will, if adopted, secure the
desired result. Let me briefly explain
that proposition.
The Constitution of the United States,
article one, section two, clause three,
reads as follows to the first period:
Representatives and direct taxes shall
be apportioned among the several States
which may be included within this Un-
ion, according to their respective mum
bers, which shall be determined by lad
ding to the whole number of free persons, IN
elnding those bound TO service for term Of
years. and srelNding Indians not tarsd, three
J1ths Of all other psrs0ns."
The portion which 1 have included in
parentheses has become meaningless and
nugatory by the adoption of the consti-
tutional amendment, which abolishes the
distinction between " free persons " and
" all other persons" and being thus a
dead letter might as well be formally
struck out and in its stead 1 propose to
insert the words following, included in
parentheses, so that the clause as amend
ed will read thus:
Representative and direct taxes shall
be apportioned among the several States
which may be included within this Uui-
on according to their respective numbers,
which shall be determined by taking the
'0hOls tzambsr Of persons, except those to t0hons
civil rights or privileges are denied or abridged
By the constitution or Lal0s of any State on zc-
count of race or color.
This is very simple and direct way, it
seems to me, of reaching the result aimed
at without embarrassment to any other
question or interest. 1t leaves popula-
ton as heretofore the basis of represen-
tation, does not disturb in any manner
the harmonious relations of the loyal
States, and it conclusiVely depriVes the
Southern States of all representation in
Congress on account of the colored pop
ulation, so long as those States may
choose to abridge or deny to that popula-
ton the political rights and privileges &C
corded to others. The adoption Of this
as part Of the Federal Con-
would, venture to predict, Sc
cure the right of suffrage to the colored
population throughout the South in a
very few years. And 1 doubt if in any
other mode that right can be secured so
speedily, so certainly, and so enduringly.