The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-01-26

sre concerned; they may spur the ambitious
1mcnarchs who have ventured to invade the
American continent to give up their quixotic
'schsm 8 ON this side the Atlantic
Nfhe coUmittee of Safety and their Con.
stitational Amendment,
That the Congressional Committee of Safety,
otherwise known as the Committee of Fifteen,
and the Committee on Reconstruction, are not
iaisNI'ie in their wisdom, q single days debate
IN the House on tlfeir proposed constitutional
amen i'm mt has amply proved. Mr.. Thaddeus
Ssevcn, evidently thought he was perfect in
the scbcnc OF excluding from the basis OF
federal representation in any State all persons
Of s,Ey race or color in regard to which-the
black race, for instance-the right of suffrage
shall be denied or abridged; but in; conserving
10 lis discussion the whipper-in Of the House
very seon is shown that there is hole in his
fence through which we may drive coach
AMI four. What becomes, for example, of this
safeguard to the blacks in the matter of voting
under a property qualification which they
cannot meet? This shows that there are other
ways OF killing a dog besides choking him
with butter.
In the House debate on Wednesday last this
fact was made apparent to the dullest of radi-
cal constitution tinkers. Mr.. Lawrence, IRE
publican) OF Ohio, contended that the true
plan was to make the number of adult male
vosers in each State the basis Of Congressional
dfshs OF The slaves of the South having ceased,
thr old mode Itself of apportioning taxes and
reprcsen iaiion should pass away. Property,
and not labor, was the true basis OF taxation.
But Mr.. Shellabarger, (republican) of Ohio,
took still broader ground against the Com
mistec Of Fifteen. He opposed their amend
B,enf becars, /. authorized the States to dis
franchise any race, white, red Or black. 1t is
declaration that whole races of men may
be msdc mudslls, or hewers of wood and
drawers of water. 1t violates the fundamental
principles of our government This is getting
sentimentaliy into deep water, and we begin
to see that we are indeed in the midst Of a re-
violation the extent and scope Of which cannot
be grssped under the previous question.
Mr.. Miot, (republican) Of Massachusetts,, pro-
posed 10 supersede the Committee Of Fifteen, by
amendment expressly providing that the elect
i've franchise shall not be denied or abridged in
any Stale on account Of race or color. This Is
facing the music but how would Connecticut,
Wisconsin and other Northern States vote on
this question of ratification 7 This is the speci-
Gc diAsculty which the Committee ofFifteen were
careful to avoid. Mr.. Schcnck, (republican) Of
Ohio, proposed an amendment Of the PROPOSE
kies Of Mr. Lawrence. Mr.. Pike, (republican)
Of Maine, opposed that Of tho Committee Of
Safety. Il did not compass the purpose for
which il was intended, and they ought to be
srdecsd 10 try again. Mr. Kelley, (republican)
st Pennsylvania, made speech upon the side
Issue of constitutional abstraction, concern
nj which he thought the President had fallen
into . slight mistake. Mr.. Bromwell, (republi-
canl Of Illinois, thought the committee had
allowed its object TO be defeated by leaving
the door open 10 property or other quaiifca-
ton for African Acknowledgement.
AT This point in the debate Mr. Cook IRE
paslicsa), Of Illinois, came to the relief Of the
b Mscred Committee Of Safety, and insisted
that their amendment was just the thing, and
tn only Thing that could remedy the evils dis
cus,ed. Mr.. Marshall, (democraD Of Illinois,
s,A that he saw such indications after the
eiee,oa Of Mr.. Lincoln as to satisfy his mind
that the dominant party desired civil war for
sbe purpose OF bringing on revolution In our
political system. He thought, however, that
this was not the time for constitutional amend
rnenis Mr.. Schenck, taking this gen tleman in
haai, said tina. If the republican party were
revolutionary 1t was on the side Of freedom
and equality, and that Marshall had no right
90 object They had no sympathy with those
miserable wretches OF the South who, making
then elves tyrants, had deprived largo por-
,ioa ct The people of their rights. Now was
the opportunity TO remedy the evil, and they
Who opposed such efforts would do so only be-
causc. in sowing the difficulty, the negro would
be removed from the arena Of politics, and so
their occupation would be gone. Thus ended
the days debate, and the House adjourned.
From the evidence thus furnished we con-
clndc that the amendment OF the Committee Of
Fifteen is fiilure that to the sentimental
radicals IL Is an evasion of "human rights, and
is, therefore, intolerable. But what substitute
can D. made availablei or the two or three
dozen constitutional amendments so far sub
m,,ed in both houses we doubt whether there
Is hardly one that will touch bottom in either
house. Stevens, though apparently On unrea-
.op.ng and fanatical radical, has sufficient
sagaci.y not TO aim at impossible things. He
.ees tia the alternative between negro suffrage,
with the addition Of the negroes as basis OF
represen iatou, on the one hand, and the exclu-
-ioa, % the other, Of the negroes from repre-
-es..ion with their exclusion from the ballot
box, il fair proposition; but fthe sentimental