Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-23
of the I-nitnl Stntn in tLn nrnl Sa.a.4 - =

the organic law, as decided by the Supreme Court of
OF the United States in the Dred Scott case.
Ihere Is now no representation but for free per-
sons lie declared that this amendment infringed
upon the reserved right of State to regulate the
qualification OF voters, and especially offensive to
the Southern States, where there is a large popu-
latlon of colored people-in this, that it tends to
coerce the States to adopt the perncious, wicked
qualified negro suffrage, and visited upon States as
penalty for their refusal and deprivation of repre-
Sentation for portion of their population of repre-
sentation For instance, in the four Southern States
where the colored population predominates over the
white. in numbers, would be deprived of half of
the present representation to which they are now
entitled. In all the States all persons of color are
under present organic law, entitled to
all the States OF representation for the cOored pnpu-
lation, unless they allow that population unqualified
suffrage.
Massachusetts extends to the negroes unqualified
suffrage and under this amendment would be entitled
to representation for all her coored population
while the Empire State of New York, that allows
negroes to vote who have $3.50 worth of propeTtv,
would be deprived OF all representation for the col
orei population, even for those who allowed
qualified suffrage. Mr. K. proceeded to elaborate
these views and to show that the proposed amend
mcnt was radically. wrong. In concluding his re-
marks he said that he endorsed the policy of Prcsi-
dent johnson and would welcome the return to these
halls of all of the Southern members elect; the south
them to JOIN the gallant band of the Union army and
drive the Mexican Emperor from his throne. LAp-
plause IN the galleries.
Mr.. Conkling said that the amendment under con-
Sideration established the prncirle that those who
nave no political existence not entitled politi
cal representation. The slaves of the South did not
belong to the political society by whom our COnstitu-
tion was framed; being destitute of any acknowl
Poltral rights. The slaves States could not ac-
knowledge that slaves enti led to representa-
on or the free States that they were proper persons
to be taxed The provision of the Constitution
winch provides that the free people of all the States
shall be counted, and three titths of all other per
sons as basis of representation and direct taxes to
follow the same rule, was compromise that is no
longer operative. 1t is impotent and in its place we
nave the vendue OF the second section Of the first ar
tc!e, which, owing to the adjustment of slavery
would work out results that would have been con
demned by all when the Constitution was made
-Four millions of slaves have become free, but with
out any political status and what is to become of the
power they represented? If, as has been contended
they are unfit to exercise political privileges there
an end of it. The idea of there being four millions
OF persons in the country unfit to have political ex-
1stence occurred to our forefathers They con-
templated gradual emancipation and education The
slaveholdng States had before 1860 more than their
Just representation. and the state of affairs will
give them still more. The same number of white
people in South Carolina cast two votes in the cleo
toral college that in New Y York cast but one This
giving one white man, where the blacks out number
them, as much power as two or three Others is ars
tocracy in its worst form 1t is not true government
at ALL
The amendment left every State unfettered to
enumerate all ofits people for representation or not
just as it pleased. If suffrage was confined as at
present taking the census Of 1860 as the basis and
consln, Indiana. Illinois Michigan, Ohio. Pennsyl-
vania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Maine would
gain one representative and New York would gain
three; Alabama. Kentucky, North Carolina, South
Carolina, and Tennessee would each lose one
and Georgia, Mississippi and Virginia would each
lose three. IL voters alone should be made the
basis OF representation, the actual ratio would
vary infinitely. One State might let women minors
etc, vote; another might require only days resi-
dence, II voter were otherwise qualified; another
might extend suffrage to aliens and this would lead
to a strife of unlimited suffrage. Every State by
this amend dment will be left free to withhold or ex
tend franchise impartally to all and wthuut losing
any representation. Without action, adjourned.