The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-08

such power as TO undo all that has been done to
prevent a repetition of the late disastersn
But General Schenck, who is more at home in
the field Of politics than in the field OF battle
says he SSnows that the President is in favor OF
this amendment, and believes that q majority of
Congress Is. He says, furthermore, that the com
mittee 10 whom this subject was referred will
soon report: and that, If the measure is adopted
the South, before the end of the year, will be
prepared TO come into the arrangement. Such
declarations, from such source, are entitled to
respect, and though we NAV not share In the ap-
prehensions expressed bv General Schenck con-
ceining the South unless bound TO this condi-
tton, that condition, and the other, in advance,
we may safely conclude that the Constitutional
Amendment suggested Is to become leading
measure OF the present session. To snow how
fur its agitation has already extended in the Re-
publican camp, 1t is only necessary to refer to the
recent message of Governor Cony to the Maine
Legislature, in which he says that ''as a measure
OF security to the nation the Constitution of the
Union should be so amended as to limit the right
of national representation to the legal number
Of voters in each State" etc.
This, then, may be considered the leading
feature of the Congressional programme of
Southern restoratlon-a constitutional amend
ment settling the negro suffrage question by
making the basis of Federal representation the
legal voters of each State. Under this rule, if
the blacks are not allowed to vote they will not
be counted and thus the Southern States will
be lett to determine ON the suffrage question
whether by excluding the blacks they viii agree
TO sacrifice twenty or thirty members of Cou-
gress, or by giving the blacks the right to vote
they win accept the gam OF twenty or thirty
members. We think this alternative would
soon settle the question in favor of negro
suffrage, for the Southern States have always,
and very wisely too, put high valuation upon
member OF Congress. Thus by trained
minority they ruled the country for many years
AGAINST the undisciplined and constantly
changing representatives OF the North.
Under the proposed amendment the New
England States will lose half a dozen members
of Congress-unless they give the suffrage to
their wOman-while the West will gain consid-
erably, and the Southern States will lose or
gain as they may deny or give the right of vot-
ing to the blacks. The proposition seems to be
fair one for the settlement of the suffrage
question on a constitutional basis, and without
touching the reserved rights OF the States on
this subject But if the excluded Southern
States are to be still to be excluded from Con-
gress until this amendment shall have been de-
clared ratified, Congress should act at once,
while the State Legislatures are generally in
session, so that during this winter the question
may be settled We think the excluded States
entitled to admission upon the terms laid down
by the President; but if he IS in favor of this
proposed amendment as q compromise with
Congress, and as a new condition OF restoration,
we are sure that he is in favor of immediate ac-
ton. If the thing is TO be tried 1t ought to be
tried without loss of time