Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-09-26
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
Its Adoption Again Urged BY the New
York Herald.
"No Other Settlement for the South"

entire article
IMMEDIATE RESTORATION OF THE SOUTH
UNDER THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
OF CONGRESS.
The fogs and clouds in which the great
question of Southern restoration have been
covered up since the adjournment OF Con
gress are at length breaking away. We
now know what to do. We have been
taught by the famous mariner Daniel " eo-
ster, after drifting about many days IN thick
weather and in an unknown sea to avail
ourselves of the first glimpse OF the sun tor
an observation and reckoning, III order to
ascertain how far the winds and the waves
have driven us from our true course. We
thus find from the bearings of the Maine
election that the true course for the South
ern States and the Administration is laid
down in the Constitutional Amendment
of Congress. In other words, we are con-
vlnced from the significant results OF the
Maine election that this amendment Will
carry all the Northern States yet to come,
and that against she solid North any fur
ther resistance from the Administration or
the Southern States will be waste of time,
foolish and suicidal to all concerned.
We would therefore urge upon Presl-
dent johnson the statesmanlike policy OF
truce with Congress, and an active co oper-
alton with the fixed aud predominant pub
lie opinion of the North in behalf of the
immediate restoration Of the South on the
basis of this constitutional amendment. We
have shown that there is nothing in IL which
the President has not himself at one time
or another recommended as essential to the
security of the Union. 1t is not the radi-
cal plan it Is not so near, In fact, TO the
rebel disabling and confiscation plan of Thad-
deus Stevens as the propositions put forth
from time to time by Andrew johnson. 1t
is compromise which the President ought
to have adopted IN cooperation with Con
gress, and which he ought now to adopt at
all events, because his conflict with Congress,
if persisted in, will be most emphatically
| decided against him. 1t cannot be other
wise. The inevitable result is as clear to
the searcher tor the true situation OF things
| as the light of the sun through the break
| ing clouds. Not one of the States which
voted for Lincoln and johnson will fail to
adopt this constitutional amendment, since
New Jersey, the only Northern State whose
vote was against them, has led off tor the
North for the ratification.
The policy and the duty of President
Johnson, therefore, are as clear as mathe-
lnatical demonstration, and equally clear is
the policy OF the still excluded Southern
| States. We have earnestly advocated the
| President $ policy but after the verdict of
| the jury the argument is at an end. The
example OF Tennessee in the ratification of
the amendment is now the only alternative
for the other Southern States Tennessee,
in ratifying the amendment opened the
| door to the admission of her members IN
both Houses of Congress. by the sim
pie act, is reconstructed and restored. Ger
tain individuals of her people who violated
their oaths to support the Federal Constitu-
ton in going over to the rebellion are disa-
bled from holding any Federal office hereaf
| ter, until absolved by two-thirds vote of
each House of Congress but by that vote
they can be reinstated even in Congress IL
self, if duly elected by their people.
Next in regard to the rights of suffrage
to the blacks the amendment simply pro
vides that when in any State the right of
suffrage lis denied to any of the male in
habtants OF such State, being twenty one
years of age and citizens of the United
States, or when this right is in any way
abridged except for participation in rebel
lion or other crime, the basis Of representa-
tion therein shall be reduced In the proper
ton which the number OF such male ctI-
zens shall bear to the whole number of male
citizens above the age of twenty one years
in such State In other words, if you
above the age of twenty one years the right
to vote, you shall count them all in counting
your people for Congress, but neither they
nor the families to which they belong shall
be counted If you deny them the right t.
vote, whether because of their particular
Color, or because they do not own a certain
amount of property, or because they cannot
read and write. An abridgement of the
suffrage on any OF these grounds entails
corresponding reduction in counting the peo
pie for representation in Congress
Universal suffrage and universal repre-
sentation, or limited suffrage and partial rep
resentation in proportion. just as each State
from Maine to Texas, may for itself elect
is the condition of this constitutional amend
ment. South Carolina, for instance, has
population OF 700, ,000-of which 400, 00(
are blacks. Taking 100000 as the numbe
required for each member of Congress- she
will have seven members if she grants uni
blacks she loses four members. and proper
tionately as the suffrage is restricted by
qualification of color, property, or education
to whites or blacks. This may seem prett,
severe upon the South, but it applies also
, more or less, to every Northern State, in
; Guiding New York-which has negro
property qualification 1.-TWO hundred and IF
ty dollars, and Massachusetts,, where they
have reading and writing qualification
: All the States will have to modify thei
!. laws to universal suffrage under this Consti
tutional amendment or be cut down to
greater or less extent in their numeration.
for Congress.
This amendment is going through There
is no other settlement for the South. The
, Governors of the Southern States ought
Al II L
at once and ratify this amendment, SO thai
| with the meeting of ConureSs in emha,