The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1866-08-14
TERMS $3.50 PER ANNUM.

of citizenship and gives to all citizens, ,.irre7
| spectve of race and color, the right 70 testify
! in the courts, sue, make contracts, &c: pro-
! hibits Illegal punishment, and in brief, raises
| the freedmen from an anomalous and unjust
condition of serfdom. The question Of SUIT
trage is not touched by this bill, Congress
having attempted to reach it by other means
The third measure of reconstruction was
reported By the Committee on Reconstruction
January o. 1t was joint resolution pro-
posing an amendment to the Constitution,
basng representation and taxes upon popu-
ton, except that where the elective franchise
is denied or abridged, on account Of race or
color, all persons of such race or color should
be excluded from the computation 1t was
referred back to the Committee by the House
January 80, and next day was reported back,
with the clause concerning taxation eXcinded.
The House then passed it by a two-thirds
vote of l20 10 As. In the Senate it met with
a different fate. Mr.. Sumner, whose policy
we have already stated, February ), offered q
substitute declaring that in all States lately
declared to be in rebellion there should be
no denial Of rights, civil or political on ac-
count of color or race He supported this
measure in speech of remarkable earnest
ness. Mr.. Summers substitute was never
passed but the original resolution was de-
I ttdlGu III Tue SSutlS hhTCu ~ Dy - cas- 10
% Nays, on the motion to adopt. The sub.
ject then rested with the Reconstruction Com
mittee until April 80, when Messrs Fessenden
and Stevens presented a report upon which
it was thought the Union party in Congress
would agree. 1t offered another amendment
! to the Constitution, forbidding States t.
abridge the rights of citizens, etc, apportiou-
/ ing repl eSentation according to population.
/ but reducing the basis of representation wheH
the elective franchise was denied TO male Cit
| izens not less than Il years Of age. 1t cy-
cluded until July a. 1870, all persons Who
voluntarily aided the Rebellion, from otug
for President, Vice President or Members Of
Congress !; it prohibited the payment of the
Rebel debt, either by the United States or by
the States which contracted it. Ia this shape
. it passed the House, May 10, by a vote Of l28
to 81. The Senate continued TO debate it tur
several weeks, Mr. Stewart powerfully urging
for a time his policy of universal amnesty aud
universal suffrage, but, there beiuguo change
for the adoption of this plan, the resolution,
in an amended form, was passed, JuNe 3, l'y
33 Yeas TO II Nays. On the 18th it was
adopted in the House, by 100 10 80. The
First Section was amended to define citlZeu-
ship more clearly, and the Third received an
important change. The clause DISTINGUISHING
all Rebels till 1870 was stricken opt and il
was declared instead, that any Natonal or
State officer who had given the Rebellion aid
should not become Senator Or Representa-
tive, an Elector for President or Vice Pre5i-
dent, or hold civil or militrry Office under the
United States. Congress was given power to
remove this disability by two thirds vote
The President was requested 70 send the
amendment to the several States for ratifca-
ton, Mr.. Johnson, jane %, sent Congress
] mo ayn thaf ba1 b,o
mitted to the States by Mr. Seward, purely as
a ministerial duty. The President disapproyed
the amendment in positive language, chiefly
upon the old ground--if quicksands can be
so termed-that the Rebel States were not
represented in Congress when the amend
ment WAS passed. Thus, this great measure,
after Congressional consideration of Ave
months, was matured, and is now before tie
people Few of the States haYe tLus far rat
ifed it, owing to the non-session of the Leg
islature, but Connecticut, Ncw-Hampshire
and Tennessee are already upon the record
In this plan of reconstruction Congress met
the determined opposition of the President, a
misfortune which neutralized much of IFS
effect. Mr.. johnson made no secret of his
hostility TO the Union party, very early in the
session, and in his celebrated speech of Feb.
ruary 22d, in which he addressed large
Sumner, Thaddeus Stevens, aud the Union
majority generally in Congress, as traitors
equally criminal as the Southern Rebels. On
this occasion he also introduced anew polit-
ical term, by calling John W Forney Secre-
tary of the Senate, Dead Duck. Not con-
tent with this, the President, after condemn
ing the whole policy Of Congress as disuni0n,
accused its Radical leaders of an attempt t.
procure his assassination. 1t must be remem-
bered however, that he had previously made
similar charge against jeff Davis, and if
that precedent is of value, Congress may hope
that Mr. johnson will finally become its best
friend. Under this Presidential opposition,
the policy of Congress at last triumphed in
the case of Tennessee. The attempt to force
its members into Congress having failed after
the passage Of the joint resolution, proposing
an amendment TO the Constitution, the Union
men OF Tennessee resolved to adopt it, ana
though the Presidents influence in his own
State was thrown against the amendment. it
was passed by the Legislature, Juiy ~ hy a
vote of A3 to I3. The question Of the admIs-
sion of her representatives came up at once
in Congress, and bill for the restoration Of
the State TO her former ace in the Union
was finally passed, July %. The next dav
the President returned the bill with his sigma
ture but protested against the radical terms
in which it was framed. 1t is important TO
note that bin from the Reconstruction ym-
mi:tee, providing that any State ratjfying the
Constitutional Amendment might send repre-
sentatives to Congress was defeated in the
House, by rs to 48, Congress thus refusipgtp
pledge itselfn advance, and make the Amend
ment the sole test of re-adnissior Of Reh,l
States. The restoration of Tennessee is Il
decisive proof that the Congressional plan of
Reconstruction, ifsustaiued by the President,
would speedily lead to the admission If every
Southern State. To suit the case of IA. Pat
teIson, one Of the Senators from Tcnnersfe
the son-in-law of the President, who had nrld
an office under the Rebel Goverument, the
Senate voted to modify the test oa h. tut lne
House by large vote refused to ncur. Nr
Dn.tnr-nr. Ennllt. nhtatnnh Lis E.ith 81.