The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-02-15

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n way to parliament. Without this amend
ment. he contended that the States al
ways had tAegightl to regulate the selec,
tive franchise, and he held that the pend
ling amendment did not take away this
right when it became Incorporated in the
CONSTITUTION: It said, 'however,Sto these
States, that if they abused the elective
franchise, the Constitution would hold a
penalty over them. 30. -
/ All knew of the aspiration and ambi-
tien Of f.;the Southern States to rule this
5nation-for having failed to ruin the coun-
try they would now try to rule it; but
the constitutional amendment would say
to those States, just SO far as you abuse
the elective franchise by refusing a vote
to the most loyal partof your population,
Just SO in proportion shall you lose your
power in the Government by losing your
representation in the. halls of Congress.
The South would lose, by this amend
ment, thirty-fve representatives. Their
representation would be reduced. from
eighty to forty-6ve; and then we could
add, he said, the whole nest of Copper
heads, and freedom would still be trium-
phant in this hall Mr.. Stevens then pro-
ceeded to favor tho education-civilSan
religious-of the freedmen for four or five
years to come, and when they became
qualified he would give them suffrage,
But he did not want them to vote till
they were qualified, and then he would
give them representation. Ho would
frankly say that he did not want their
representation until that time.
I Fri afsw- years he would not be here to
see those on the other side Of the house
draw daggers on him when he made such
"a speech as be now was making, as was
the case many years ago, but freemen
would occupy their places. He opposed
Mr.: schencks proposition to apportion
representation among male voters. 1t
was, he said, in one respect Objectionable.
1t seemed to indicate a fear Of rivalry
with the women as much as the Demo
'crats had feared the rivalry of the negro.
While he could not get all he wanted, he
would take what could be carried through
the States and through two-thirds of both
houses. While he had respect for the re-
.cent.opinion Of the President, ,,it was well
known that this amendment did not go
to him for his signature, and it was, there
|: fore, all the more kind for the President
to send his opinion to this House.
Mr.. Smith, of Kentucky, called for the
reading of the Presidents views, to
which Mr.. Stevens. had alluded. [The
Clerk then read the Associated Press tel
egram in Mondays papers, giving con-
iyersatione of a Senator with the Presi-
Edent.l -
Mr. Ingersoll, of Illinois, asked Mr..
Stevens how ne knew those to be the
Presidents views ?g-F =
Mr.. Stevens said he was satisfied in his
own mind with his authority that those
were the views of the President. ~ y
Mr.. Ingersoll asked for the authority.
Mr. Stevens. o, cannot reveal to
the gentleman all of the secrets between
the. President and myself. [Great laugh
tsr.l But. the President had nothing to
- -
do with the amendment. The House,
it was true, had sent the other constitn-
tional amendment to President Lincoln.
who had signed it, aud modestly returned
it to the House, stating that he did not
think that the Constitution required his
signature. .< s,,s.tssg,z
But while he sent it, said Mr. Stevens
to Mr.. Lincoln, we should send no consti,
tutienal amendment to Andrew Johnson
! He then alluded to Mr.. Raymond's speech
and. declared that the Southern States
were beIligerent during the warbeyond a
doubt, the gentleman's opinion to the
contrary. He admired Mr.. Raymond
who was powerful in assault and cunning
in defence, and commended his amiabili
ty of temper, but the softcning of the
brain was sometimes taken for tenderness
tof the, heart. He quoted the conclusion
of Raymond's speech, where he spoke o.
the rebel dead lying with our own, and
being the nations forevermorc. Mr.. Ste
yens said the gentleman had spoken o.
the rebel dead with our own dead, who
gave up their lives at Gettysburg and the
kindred fields of the war; Instead O.
leaving them to rot in their dishonored
! graves, unwept and unsung, they are te