American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-06-06
EquaIizing Representation.

.%he /" iabc poHttcdI meeting IN Ghi,-
adelphia Senator Cowan. of Pennsyl-
vania, is reported to have declared
that he was opposed to any amend
ment OF tire Constitution at this time.
Fhe Importance Of any opinion of Mr..
Cowan' s is due entirely to the public
impression that he speaks for the
President. Bat that he does SO upon
this subject We can not believe. For
can it be seriously supposed, even by
Senator Cowan,a that Che loyal people,
OF this country intend that the late
rebel States shall have gained politi-
cal power by their rebellion Are
the States which conspired against,
the Union not only to have caused the
countless sacrifices of life, the cnor-
nous debt of the country, and the
universal arrangement Of all com
mercial and social relations, but also
to have increased their weight in the
National Government Yet such
will be the result if no amendment is
made to the Constitution equalizing
| representation. i
Mr.. Owen, in his admirable letter,
shows that in the eleven States lot ely
ia insurrection the population is in
the proportion of three-ffths white to
two-ftha colored Ifthe three ffths,
to which belongs the dangerous eIe-
ment in those States, exclude the
two-titths from voting, and the Con-
stltuuon remains unchanged, epery
three whlte ooters in those States will
have as much political power in Com
gress and in all Presidential elections
as eeery fOe whtte voters in the other
States. Is it for this result that
Shiloh was fought and the fiery bat
ties of the Wilderness E? Is It for
this that Sherman marched to the
sea, that our brothers were tortured
to idioey and death at Andersonville
and Belle Isle, and that. untold thou
sands of them are buried in unknown
graves Z Mr.. Alexander II. Steph-
ems tells us that the opinions of those
who led the rebellion IRE unchanged.
Do "e, then, propose to give them an
unjust advantage in the political are
ma to which the debate s now ad-
lj9urned? Senator Cowan says yes.
We trust he may live long enough to
hear the loyal country, the citizens
who have been the soldiers and sail,
ors, and their brethren and friends,
answer the question. .s
The. eleven late insurreetionary
States are entitled under the present
apportionment, reckoning the whole
population white and colored as the
basis, to .fJty-eight representatives;
under purely white basis they would
be entitled to fortytwo. Even then
they would have an unchanged rep
resentation in the Senate, and conse-
quently in Presidential election the
white voters of those States would
have an advantage over the white vo-
ters of the other States. This should
be remedied by the election of Pres
ident directly by the people.
The question is simple. Shall we,
by leaving the Constitutionunamend-
.eds upon this point, say to the chief
insurrectionary States that so long
as their white population which sup
ported the rebellion chooses to dis
franchise the colored populatienwhich
was loyal, every white voter shall
have twice or twice and third as
much political power in the Goyerpx
meat as the white voter of the States
that did not rebel? This is the.
question which should be put to the.
o,untry .unembarrassed by any other.
proposition. This is the amendment
suggested by the Committee of Con-
gress, which we hope will be freed
from the four years disfranchisement
of those who adhered to the rebellion
and then offered to the Legislatures
of the States. y.
The result, We imagine, will teach
Senator Cowan that victorious peo-
pie can be magnanimous without fol-
ly, and coneiliatory without forget
ting common sense and justice.
-e<->~.-<A-- sgs
RSs- See the advertisemant of Uncfnn.