The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1866-02-09
PATCHING THE CONSTITUTION.

patriot fathers did to give peace and /
stability to the Republic. They have
determined to remodel our form of
government to suit their own fanatical |
notions, though, in doing SO, they leave
us not a shred of the work of Washing |
ton, Madison and their compeers. They |
have already stricken from the Consti- |
tuition, the recognition of the rights Of
those who held persons to service, but !
this great wrong is as nothing compa- |
red with the innovations which are in /
contemplation. Should the score, or
two, of amendments. which have been
proposed in the present Congress. be
tackled to the Constitution, that instru-
ment viii be no more like its former
self, than the patched coat of beggar
is like the garment which came new
and bright from the hands of the tail
or. Such a piece Of patchwork asst
would present. would be caution TO
all workers in mosaic. But il seems
that the black patch Of the Abolition
Amendment is too flimsy to stick well
TO the texture of the Constitution. 1t
Is not AT all of the same piece with the
article to when it is tackled, and does
not wear with 1t as it should. 1t is too
thin in the web and too loose in the
woof, and no thread, not even that of
an argument @y Thaddeus Stevens,
will hold it to its place. So that anoth
er patch of blacker color and tirmer
texture, is to be laid upon the top of it,
in the shape of an amendment 10 alter
the basis of representation in Congress.
This amendment, which was passed,
by the requisite two thirds vote, in the
House Of Representatives, one daylast
week, provides that representation
shall be based upon the number of in
habitants, but all inhabitants excluded
from the right of suffrage, on account
of race, or color, shall not be counted in
the apportionment of representatives.
This Is intended, first, as blow at the
political power Of the Southern States;
secondly, as a means whereby 10 cOerce
the people of those States into confer
ring the right of suffrage upon the ne
groes. Thepurposeof the conspirators
who are trying to fOist this iniquitous
scheme upon the people, is plain: il is
10 retain poIrer BY c,gtoVi0a Southern
representation IN Congress, o, 5y compel
Enq Negro Suffrage "a, the South, dq tchich
A1st then hope 10 orercoDqe the political
strength OF thelrhiteu0terS. Should this
amendment be adopted, the Southern
people would have mathematician to
submit to great loss, in representation,
or to give the right of suffrage to the
negroes. But this amendment cannot
be adopted as long as Andrew johnson
Is in the Presidential Office. The Pres
ident holds that the Southern States
are in the Union, and are, therefore,
competent to vote upon the question OF
the ratification OF amendments to the
Constitution. Now, il requires three
fourths of all the States to ratify an a.
mendment before it can become part
of the Constitution. There are thirteen
states which will not ratify this amend
ment, just three more than the number
required 10 defeat its adoption. But
suppose that this proposition became {
part of the law of theland, how would
1t affect the politics of the country
The census of 1850 gave the states late
ly In rebellion, the following represen
tation, viz: Virginia old 5; NORTH
Carolin8 7; South Carolina, 1; Geor
gia, Z; Florida, /; Alabama, s; Mis-
sissippi, 5; Louisiana, 5; Texas, /
Arkansas, 3; Tennessee, S; making il
all 58 representatives. Add to this the
representation of Maryland, 81 Della
ware, /; West Virginia, 3; Kentucky
8; and Missouri, Q; and we find the
full representation of the Southern
states, under the census of 1860, to bt
IS. Now, under the apportiOnment ba-
sed upon the census Of 1860, and under
which representatives in Congress art
at present chosen, al the inhabitants
of the free states, white and cOlOred
are represented; whilst in the South
the whites, free colOrad andthree fifth:
ofthose who wereslavesin in 1860, areen
titled to representation. If, therefore
the amendment referred to, We're to be a
dopted, it would strike from the rep
reeentation OF the Southern States a,