Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-10-25
The Constitutional Amendment.


end of slavery, by enacting that ''all per-
sons born or naturalized in the United
States, and subject to the jurisdiction
thereof, are citizens of the United States,
and Of the state wherein they reside" !"
This is seen to be necessary when we re-
member that slaves never were considered
citizens, but all white free men, women,
and children born here have always been
citizens, and some courts have decided that
free negroes were citizens, while others
denied it. This amendment is therefore
seen to be necessary to end the dispute,
and settle the matter A citizen is not
necessarily voter women and children
are citizens, but not voters. A citizen is
a person who is bound to serve the Gov
ernment, and the Government in return is
bound to protect. What objection is there
to giving the Government the power to
protect all persons, black as well as white,
and if needed, to call upon them for aid !?
we are unable to see plausible objection.
Again, the amendment says, mo state
shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of
citizens of the United States, nor shall any
state deprive any person of life, liberty, or
property. without due process Of law, nor
deny to any person within its jurisdiction
the equal protection Of the laws The
privileges and immunities which men, wo-
men and children enjoy by virtue of being
citizens of the United States are all sum-
med up in the words, protection at home
and abroad" If a state shall declare that
one portion of its citizens may make con-
tracts, but another shall not that one
portion may own land, and another shall
not; that one portion, but not another,
may carry arms; that one portion may
enjoy free speech, but not another, this is
an abridgment of that freedom which be-
longs to all citizens of the United States,
and should not be allowed. The last clause
of the section is provision which is con-
tanned IN the constitutions Of most States,
as it is essential to the peace and prosperity
OF the natiofs that it should be, it is
thought safest to embody it in The consti-
tuition. The necessity of such a clause is
seen, to prevent the southern people from
expressing the freedmen.
Section two proposes to SO amend the
constitution in regard to representation in
Congress, and voice in the choice Of Presi
dent, that a white mans vote in the South
shall count no more than a white mans vote
in the North. Before the rebellion, slave
counted as threefifths Of a man in apportion
ing representatives. The abolition Of fslave
ry renders the continuation of this arrange
ment impossible. The negro being free
must either count one or nothing. This
being so, Congress decided that he shoule
count as one where he was permitted tt
vote as one, and that he should not bt
counted where he was deprived of hi
vote. This leaves to each state the entire
question, whether colored citizens shall
vote or not, and also whether they shoult
be represented or not Can anything b'
fairer than this?
| The third section of the amendment pro
vides that all who have perjured themselves
by first swearing to support the Govern
ment, and then supporting the rebellion
shall never hold any Federal or State of
flee again, unless Congress shall, by
two thirds vote, permit them to do So
Surely no more liberal terms could b,
asked by rebels whose treason has cost Vi
three hundred thousand lives, and in all
100000, 900.
The fourth section of the proposed
& nendment guarantees that the validity 0
the national debt shall not be questioned
and also provides that neither the Unitet
States nor any state shall assume or pa,
any part of the rebel debt, or any claim
for the loss or emancipation of any slaves
These provisions would be very necessar,
in case the rebels, combining with tn
copper heads. should obtain temporar,
majority in one or both branches of Con
gress. In the former event, they coul,
block the Government, and in the latter
they could repudiate the national debt,an,
provide for the payment Of the rebel debt
Therefore, for the protection of the sacre,
pledge of the Government, and to do ava,
with the possibility of ever having to pa,
the obligations of the rebels, the constitu
tional amendment is absolutely necessary
| However unreasonable it may seem, it i
claimed by the politicians and forme
Shareholders OF the South, that owner
should at some future time be compensa
ted for the loss of their slaves, and nothinl
but clause in the constitution will en-,
their delusion on this subject.
Such are the guarantees which.Ccngres
demands before admitting the rebel state
to representation in the Government. Th
demands are reasonable, and we see moth
ing that the south should object to, or b
loath to accept The voters of Maine, Yer
mont, Pennsylvania. Ohio, Indiana, Iowa
decide that they are reasonable, and a
easy terms as will ever be granted Con
gress has been fully sustained by thes
states. and strange to say. the most raflica