Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-15
THE EFFECT OF THE COESTETs TI0NAL
AMENDMENT IN MARYLAND.

The proposed amendment OF the COnstltu-
ton reported by the Congressional Recon-
struction Committee, having passed the House
of Representative by more than the neces-
sary majority and its passage by the Senate
being almost equally certain, may be con
sidered so far as Congress is concerned, an
accomplished fact; its ratification by the
States. therefore, will Immediately become, as
it ought. a subject of engrossing Importance.
The Legislature to be elected next November
will have to pass upon this question, and it
becomes the people of our State to turn their
attention to the subject with as little delay as
possible We can well understand that the
advocates Of this amendment in MARYLAND
would be delighted if they could induce the
people to believe that the question of negro
suffrage is not involved in It's consideration.
but in view of the proposition it presents, and
the relative numbers of the white and black
races in Maryland, they must presume most
unreasonably on the ignorance or credulity of
her citizens, who openly proclaim-as did the
american in its issue of Saturday--that the
question of Negro Suffrage ':is not and never
has been an issue in this State
Let US turn to the principal proposition of
the amendment in question and what is it?
That "rhenerer IN day State the electric fran
'sschise shall be denied to any portion of its
''mG'e citizens not less than twenty one gears
''Qt age, or in GIy 2rGy abridged ercspt for
'participatjon IN rebellion or other crime, the
'6aSis Of representation an such State shall
"be reduced in the proportion lclich the NUN
''6cr Of male citizens shall bear to the ach0Ie
''numJer Of such male citizens not less than
''t'renty-0 one gears Of age" or in other words
and to state the proposition with greater
brevity, and apply it to the particular class of
''male citizens contemplated-if any State
shall deny the right of suffrage to males Of the
negro race over tweny-one years of age, her
representation in Congress shall be reduced in
the proportion that the number of such negroes
SO excluded bears to the whole number of
male citizens twenty-one years Of age in such
State. The alternative it thus unequiyocally
presents to the States,-you must each aVow
the negro to rOte, Or submit 10 reduction in
yoW Congressional representation equal to the
proportion that the negroes so crcladea bears
to you' lrbole mate adult population.
Does this present in Maryland no question
of negro suffrage? VIII it be pretended that
because the amendment is proposed in this
alternative shape, it ignores that question?
So far from it, it is this very alternative that is
the gist of the injustice which the proposition
itself involves.
1t Congress had proposed to the States an
amendment Of the Constitution to the effect
that in all elections for President or members
OF Congress, all male citizens in every State.
whether white or black, should be entitled TO
vote, there would have been, Notwithstanding
the vast disparity of the black race in the
several States, some little semblance of fair
ness-in the proposition; because if adopted.
each State would alike be compelled to allow
the black race the right of suffrage; but the
proposed alternative, whilst it compels every
State where slavery lately existed to suffer the
negro to vote. or incur the penalty of material
reduction IN It's representatives, allows, in
effect, to all the other States in view of the
tritiing proportion that the black race in each
OF them bears to the white, the option of suf
terlng the negro TO vote or not as they NAV
think proper, without the least possible dan
ger of abridging the number of their repre-
sentatives, if they prefer to exclude him.
Let the census speak upon this subject and il
lustrate our position.
We cannot give the precise number of males
l~enty-one years old and upwards, because
the census tables furnish us with no enumera-
ton Of those of that exact age; but they DO
enable lis to ascertain--what is sufficient an,
Proclamation for the present purpose--the
number of males white and black over t1reat,
gears Of age; and having made "a calculation
OF these adult males of each race, compiled
from the census Of 1860, they exhibit con-
trasts so remarkable, that we present our read
ers some of the figures: