The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-09-19
D., WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER l9, 1866

vote was against them, has led off for
the North in the ratification.
The policy and the, duty of Presl-
dent johnson, therefore, are as clear
as mathematical demonstration, and
equally clear is the policy of the still
/ excluded Southern States. We have
earnestly. advocated the Presidents
policy; but after the verdict Of the
jury the argument is at an end. The
Example Of Tennessee. in the ratifca-
ton of the Amendment is now the
only alternative, for the other South
ern States. Tennessee, in ratifying
the Amendment, opened the door to
the admission of her members into
both Houses of Congress- She, by
that simple act, is reconstructed, and
restored. Certain individuals of. her
people who violated their oaths to
support the Federal Constitution in
going over to the rebellion are dis
abled from holding any Federal Office
hereafter, until absolyed, by two
thirds vote of each House of Con-
gress; but by that vote they can be
reinstated even in Congress itself, if
! duly elected by their people. n sdt h1
Next in regard to the right of suf-
! frage to the blacks this amendment
simply provides that when in any
State the right Of suffrage tits denied
to any of the male inhabitants ofsuch
State, being twenty-one years of age
! and citizens of the United States, or
when this right is in . any way abridg-
ed except for participation in rebel
lion BROTHER crime, the basis of rep
! resentation therein shall be reduced
In proportion which the number of
such male citizens shall bear to the
whole of male citizens above
! the age of twenty zone years in such
State" In other words, if you give all
your males, whites and blacks, above
the age of twenty-one years the right
/ to vote, you shall count them all in
counting your people for Congress,
but neither they nor the families to
which they belong shall be, counted if
you deny them the right to vote,
whether because of their particular
color, or because they do not own a
certain amount of property, or because
they can not read and write, An
abridgment Of the suffrage on any of
these grounds entails a corresponding
reduction Ia counting the people for
/ representation In Congress. .insmbasH
Universal suffrage and universal
representation, or limited suffrage and
partial representation in proportion,
just as each State, from Maine to
Texas, may for. itself elect is the con-
dition of this constitutional amend
ment. South Carolina, for instance,
has population of 700,000-of, which
| 100000 are whites, and 100000 are
blacks. Taking 100000 as the num-
| Der required for. each member Of
| Congress, she will. have seven mem
bers if she grants universal suffrage
but if she cuts off all her blacks she
loses four, members, and proportions
ately as the suffrage is restricted by a
qualification of color, property, or edu.
!, cation to whites or blacks. This may
seem pretty severe upon the South,
but it applies, more or less, to every
Northern State, including New York
which has a negro property qualif
cation 1.-TWO hundred and fifty dollars)
and Massachusetts, where they have a
reading and writing qualification. All
the States will have to modify thei1
laws to universal suffrage under this
constitutional amendment, or be cut
down to greater or less extent in their
numeration for Congress. =" i'i "
9 This amendment is going through
i There is no other settlement for the
iSouth The Governors of the South
1 ern States ought, therefore, to call
their legislatures together at once
and ratify this amendment, so that
| with the meeting of Congress in De-
scember they may be all restored tc
both houses. In this way they can al
once secure the balance Of power in
| Congress and put an end to any fur
/ ther attempt of the radicals to apply
| new restrictions of State restoration
The Southern States, too, will thus
be put in a position to take theil
ground and shape their course tc
i some purpose in view of the Presi-
Dental election. What has been
i done in the case of Tennessee amounts
to the adoption of a rule of admis
sion. The way is plain, the door is
| open, and in this simple act'of ratif
cation the South will be restored tC
its balance of power. 1t is the ulti
matum of the victorious North, anC
i the South will lose much and gair
! nothing by delay iniits adoption. ei7
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