Des Arc citizen., 1866-11-24
November, 1865.
Fate of the Constitutional Amend

|} The Republican press have consistently Represented that many able and influential IISouthern papers are in favor of the con Institutional amendment. The list quoted tas evidence of this assertion is the follow Hing: 1.-The Tribune and the Homer lliad, lin Louisiana; in Georgia the Savannah N Republican and the Loyalst; in South II Carolina the Charleston News and the fJournal; in Tennessee the Memphis Post | the Nashville Press and Times; in North 1Carolina the Newborn Times the Raleigh kStandard and the Charlotte Democrat; in |5Texas Flakes Galveston Bulletin, the 3 Austin Southern Intclligencer and the I San Antonio Express; in Virginia the \ New Nation"
 | From the representatives of Louisiana opinion above quoted, VIC may judge par tially of the rest. There is not an "able | or inauential" paper among them. Al t most all are conducted either avowedly in \ the special interest of the negroes, or they are owned and edited by Northern men, ' and sustained by Northern capital. The | Savannah Republican has greatly modified its support of the amendment and the Charleston News has completely recanted. The Loyalist is edited by man who has been arrested for swindling negroes; the Raleigh Standard (Holden's paper) repre- scents an inconsiderable faction, and so of the rest Some of the radical journals perceive the absurdity of assuming such papers to be in any sense representatives 1 of Southern opinion, and admit the fact that the people of the South are unani- mously hostile to the amendment Such indeed, is the truth. There never has been more unanimity of sentiment in any community than there is in the South on this point, The amendment will not be ratified by a single Southern State. Mis- s;ssippi has already pronounced against it --so has Texas; Holden admits that in the North Carolina Legislature there are not twenty members in favor of it; Gov, Perry, of South Carolina, has decided against 1t; in the Louisiana Legislature it cannot get ten votes.
 As an element of future political con- tests, the amendment may, therefore, be considered dead and buried. It will nev- CT be heard of again after the meeting of Congress. Issues far more important will then come up for consideration. The question will be, not ''on what terms shall the South be represented?" but ''in what manner can the identity and individuality of the Southern States be most promptly and effectively destroyed?" Let no one suppose that the question comes to this simply in default of the ratification of the amendment. It would come to that point in any event. Nothing that the Southern people might do could avert it. This is now so plain that 1t is almost needless to produce evidence in support of the propo- sition. The New York Times, in the course of an article commenting the amendment to Southern support, says, with great simplicity, that the radicals would not be pleased to see the amendment ratified; that Stevens, Sumner, Butler, ct d, want it to be rejected. This is doubt less true; and, being true, it confirms all that we have said concerning the insincer- ity of the Republican party in urging the amendment with so much seeming zeal and passion. If the radicals would be displeased to see the amendment ratified, they would be sure to seek some method of compensation; and such compensation
 would be found in the denial that any guarantee of admission had been given to the Southern States on condition that they should ratify the amendment The bare suggestion of such guarantee is repudia- ted, even now, with much warmth aud in
 dignation.
 Tie Times gets oyer this difficulty by saying that the conservative Republicans
 would force the radicals into terms, which
 is all moonshine of course. The radicals
 rule the Republican party. Without them
 1t would not be party. The influence of . the ...conservatiyesa within that organiza-
 ten is precisely zero, They are regarded
 by their comrades rather as an incum
 thatshe editor of the Times, who spoke
 against aud voted for every radical meas .ure that passed the last Congress; who set
 himself up as leader in the Philadelphia
 convention and then went over to the op-
 ponents of the convention; who wrote an
 address recommending the Southern peo-
 pie never to adopt the amendment, and
 now urges the Southern people to adopt
 the amendment-the idea that such mar
 can govern menof purpose and will, ik' Stevens and Butler, or influence th'
 course 6 a revolutionary party like tn
 Republicans, Is too ridiculous for criticism
 When that gentleman learns how to talk
 bis own advice, he may become qualifie
 to give counsel to others--E New 0rlean
 Crescent.
 f1-virtua naintes sits bIoo,p 1lpon th