The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-05-15
TUESDAY, MAY IS. 1865.
what the Rndicnls Mean.

by the Central Directory" was adopted
by the House of Representatives on
the 10th inst, without alteration It
provides as follows:
sEcTIox !. That no State shall make or
enforce any law abridging the privileges or
immunities Of citizens Of the United States, /
or deny to any person within its limits the 1
equal protection OF the Laws.
SIC. 2. All the Inhabitants Of the several /
States, excluding Indians not taxed, shall |
be counted for representation in Congress; /
but in cases where the elective franchise j. /
denied 10 any race or class, except for re- /
beliiOn OF other crime, the enumeration shall /
be propoEtionaiely restricted.
SIC 3. Until the4th Of July, 1870, all per-
sons who voluntarily adhered 10 the late IN
surreetion, giving il aid and comfort, shall |
be excluded from the right to vote for mem
bers Of Congress and for electors for Presi- |
dent and Vice President Of the United
States.
sRo. 4 provides that neither the United
States nor any State shall assume orpay any
debt or obligations incurred in support Of
the late rebellion, OF any claim for compen-
sation for losses Of involuntary service OF
labor (slayes).
SIC. 5 gives to Congress the power to en-
force these provisions.
The Amendment, as it came from the
Directory, was accompanied by two
billA The first provides that when the
Amendment shall have been ratified
and become part of the Constitution,
and when any one Of the late rebel
States shall have ratified it, and shaped
its local laws accordingly, such State
shall be restored to Congress and shall
have two years extension of time for
the payment Of its share Of federal di.
rect taxes.
The second bill excludes from offices
under the government Of the United
States a long list Of rebel officers and
agents, civil and military, beginning
with jeff Davis, his associate Vice
President and his Cabinet, and ending
with those persons guilty of lawless
cruelties to Union soldiers and railors
as prisoners of war.
These bills will not be brought for
ward and acted upon in the House IN
til the Senate disposes of the amend
ment
There is considerable opposition
amongst radicals ofthe more moderate
type TO the third section, which would
have been stricken out or modified,
but for the action of some of the demo
cratic members forcing a vote upon the
amendment as reported. The Albany
Evening Journal presents forcibly the
objections of this class to the repulsive
section when it says they "cannot be
persuaded that it is wise or just to offer
the South reconstruction with one hand
and withhold it with the other-to say
in one breath that they may be admit
mitted of their own choice, and in the
next that they shall not be admitted,
until the voluntary rebels, who consti-
tute majority of their population,
have voted themselves outside all the
franchises of citizenship, by adopting
g cons titutional amendment to that eff.
feet 1t is at once apparent to every
reflective mind that there can be no re-
construction if this theory is insisted
upon; that it would be contradiction
ofterms TO call an act embodying it a
plan for the speedy restoration Of the
civil status.
Yet, Mr.. Stevens in a speech closing
the debate in the House, more appropri-
ate for a conclaye Of fiends, declared
the amendment nothing without the
third section-without it, he declared,
he would not give the snap of his fin
ger for the adoption of the amendment
Having got over the breakers in the
House, it is possible the opposition in
the Senate may be unable TO arrest its
progress, unchanged, through that body.
We expect nothing of the Senate, and
shall not be disappointed Without or
with modification, the amendment is
not such as we would support.
In its present shape the amendment
does rot satisfy the demands of the al
ira radicals. They take it because they
can do no better. If they should as
sent to its modification, it viii not be
from a willingness TO abandon their
mischievous purposes; but to 60 before
the people in the ensuing summer and
fall elections upon false issues. They
aim to keep the Southern States in
their present position until they can
enforce universal suffrage and the so
cial equality of all races in them If
they can succeed in deceiving the
Northern masses with false issues, and
retain their preponderance of members
in the next Congress, they viii not
scruple then to adopt the Of advice
Wendell Phillips, given in the speechwe
republish this morning. This is what
they mean ultimately. The constitu-
tionsl amendment is but tub thrown
to the whale. The serious part Of the
work is to follow:
Mr.. Phillips spesks boldly. Univer-
sal suffrage means, be says, not merely
the right TO vote, but to hold office, and
he expects to see negroes in the Legis-
latures in the Southern States, repre-
senting Southern States in Congress,
sitting on juries, and occupying prom
inent places in commercial and other
enterprises, side by side with white
men, sitting at the same tables, and in
every respect on an equality, political.
ly, morally, and socially.
This is what the radical leaders hs.ve
in contemplation; and they have ennis
sAries even here st the Capital of Ten.
nessee A bill to confer the right Of
suffrage was recently voted down in the
State Senate But yesterday the Gov
ernors organ, speaking relative to the
defeated bin, said:
We sssure the Tribune that those persons
in this State who believe that loyalty and
patriotism should be the only basis OF
citizenship and suffrage are By no means
dihheartensd at the result. We think that
majority Of the Senate, and at least a large
minority in the House favor that basis. TIE
Tribune is correct ia saying that its adap-
ton is only a question of time. and that
time, We rejoice 10 believe is close al hand.
IL Congress shall propose an amendment 10
the Federal Constitution, o that eject az
the basis Of testoratisn The TENNESSEE Lepis-
laiura viii be among the FIRST t. raiily ID.
In this paragraph of the organ we