The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-01-15

Amendment.
The House of Representatives, on motion Of
Mr.. Raymond, adopted the other day resolu-
ton calling upon the President for SCOPES OF
all messages, proclamations and other docu-
ments issued by the provisional governors Of
any States" lately in rebellion and for copies
"of all acts, ordinances, resolutions and pro-
ceedings of conventions or legislatures in such
States" under their provisional governors, and
for all returns Of elections and qualifications Of
voters, together with "all such other informa-
ton in his possession concerning the public
action Of said States tending to throw light
upon their political condition" &C.; and on the
same day the Senate adopted resolution CIV
ing the joint committee ON reconstruction the
power to send for persons and papers. In adj
dition to these movements for information 1t ID
reported that said joint committee contemplate
sending down South q subcommittee for the
purpose of closer inspection Of the doings,
sentiments, inclinations and purposes OF the
people Of the late rebellious States in reference
to the work Of restoration.
II thus appears that In Wow of further legis-
lstion on the subject tho two houses are snx-
ious to secure oil the facts and al the knowl-
edge to be obtained from the President, and
directly from the Southern people themselves.
Against such proceedings there can be no
reasonable objection, provided always that
they contemplate the great object of expediting
the restoration of the excluded States to Con-
gress. This we have no doubt, was the object
Of Mr.. Raymond in Offering his resolution for
upon several other resolutions of late he has
shown that the interests of the country, in his
estimation, are paramount, and that upon this
standard there is limit to the claims of his
party. 1t was the misfortune, perhaps, of Mr..
Raymond, new member, in the organization
of Congress to fall into the radical programme
of that experienced and cunning old cam
paigner, Thaddeus Stevens. The merit, how
ever, Of the New Yorker is none the less in
promptly cutting loose from the willy Pennsyl-
vanan on discovering his false position. It is
only the true statesman who will risk his
standing as partisan in bravely abandoning
to-day, on finding it to be really untenable,
upon patriotic grounds, the position which he
held yesterday on any great public question.
Mr. Raymond has done this and has so far es-
tablished himself already as supporter Of tho
administration that we infer that this aforesaid
is in exact accordance with the
wishes Of the President In other words, the
Presidents desire is that Congress may be pos
sessed of the facts Of all that he has done, of
all that his agents and the Southern people
have DONE. and Of all that he knows of the
work and progress Of Southern reconstruction,
and Mr.: Raymond is the medium for this vindi-
catieni0 che la1scdsivs. before Congress. ~ Z
! Thetobjses Of ne House majority, however,
b laqusatiJissly flsAfss$s and esaersf infor-
mS1Sa dssnsd necessary insview o. further re--
constructive lsgislation. Constitutional anend-
ments securing negro suffrage or negro exclu-
sion from Congressional representation, for
securing the recognition Of the national debt
and the Reputation Of rebel State debts, Co.,
and Congressional laws exaeting the civil rights
Of the blacks ana certain tests Of loyalty q
conditions precedent to Southern restoration
arc contemplated. BY these and various other
devices there is considerable faction In both
houses laboring to prolong indefinitely the ex-
clusion OF the late rebel States from tho national
councils and their balance Of power from our
national political elections. To defeat such
designs a. these the Presidents vindication
suggested in Mr.. Raymond's resolution will not
suffice, though desirable, in order to place him
right upon the record.
What, then, Is the true course of the republi-
can conservatives in Congress necessary and
sufficient TO secure the early and complete
success Of President Johnsons policy Of resto-
rationi II is the course which we recently
indicated in our exposition of the comprehen-
sive sweep of the great constitutional amend
mcnt abolishing slavery. They have only to take
the ground that this amendment, in abolishing
with slavery oil the constitutional distinctions
previously existing in regard to whites and
blacks places them, all over the country, upon
footing Of constitutional equality; for in pro-
claiming this fact they settle the whole bust
ness. The civil and political disabilities i'm
posed upon tho blacks heretofore by the several
States all depended upon the recognition and
protection given by the constitution to African
slavery as State institution. Abolished In
the supreme law Of the lsnd by the action Of
the States, oil the distinctions Of color depend
ing upon this institution go down with It.
Here are the specifications: In the first arti-
Gle Of the constitution we have the first recog-
milton Of slavery in the provision that the emu
mcration Of the people for Congressional rep
resentation shall comprehend "the whole num-
Der Of free persons, including those bound to
service for . term Of years, and excluding In
dams not taxed, three-ffths of all other per-
sons" meaning African slaves They are now
among the "free persons" above specified; for
neither the word white nor the word black Is TO
be found in the constitution Section 0, article
1, recognizes the African slave trade In for
bidding The prohibition, prior to the year 1908,