, 1866-10-20

~
The New Orleans Crescent is entitled to the
credit OF the most plausible argument
against the Constitutional Amendment; md
the copperhcad organs that are repeating II
RS their OWL, are robbing their rebel ally of
IFS Just fame. The argument Of the Crescent
I is
at is perfectly plain that, The principle os ron.
!esenta1i9n based On population, being admitted.
Il can uaahe no possible difference 10 one Stare ~
a s9et1n as to relative weight in Congress, what
nc heptcsentatsves arc elected In other States or
nsSnohs. a.n ihe only motive for Insisting thal
be tat Of strength. ming eoms parifcnja7 nsrtw nr
come peculiar form of opinion. Ii it Is fasi Ia
male 7a G. the Southern States conform to general
scction, why should Il no, be inst at n1y If,ne Ia
deny to particular States or sections The rj~ht ~
IGprss eutation III Congress until they consent 10
aoop1 sonc Ne" programme Of domestic polfcy.'
1t is true that the principle Of representa-.
tioa based upon population is conceded, or.
TO speak more properly, is retained in the
proposed Constitutional Amendment. The
great value Of that principle consists In the
fact TINT 1t contcmplatcs an cntrancbiscj non.
ulation. The provision as it now stands in the
Constitution Is an unwarrauted Limitation
or pcrvcrsion Of that principle. The reprc
scntatfou Of thrcc-1lfths of the blacks IL
wholly 1ndcfcnsiblc. Either the blnrks
should have been free, and then represented
IN full, or beng slaves, should have no rcnrc.
sentation ut all. The principle of having
population as the basis OF representation re-.
4ulres that that population should be an en-
lranchiscd population. It rests upon
the assumption tlat the population
to be represented have directly or Indirectly
lnG means IF nr$
representative. Representation itself Implies
responsibility to the constituency. and i'm
pales that TINT constituency, when dissatis-
neo win the representative, may dismiss
hin and choose another. It is plausible as
serted that when population is made t1c ba,
SIS ot representation it can in no way affect
tho relative political weight of the States In
congress If the representatives in some
s1atcs are chosen under q system
ol suffrage less extended than In the
othcr States. That would be OF
some 1orce IT the restrictions were gene
ai- as Tor instance If The right of suffrage
WIS confined TO persons over thirty years of
~ oF 70 owners OF real estate Of given
sa!ue, or TO persons who could read and
write, these restrictions would not destrov
thc constituent character Of the population.
The male adults of thirty years would rrnrc.
sent their families just as the male adults or
t"enty-onc years do the owners of real -
tate would represent their tenants and their
families, and the non.owpcr of to-day ,oiobt
oeeoine IN owner Tomorrow F; the father's
ssta.e would soon be distributed In the
nahos OF his heirs; there would be no
1hsufmonntable exclusion because thirty
Years would In time be reached, and
the rcal estate might be obtained,
and knowledge Of reading and writing
can easily be procured. These Limitations
being general apply TO all classes alike and
DO not necessarily exclude any man from
sunsage; that Is to say, they arc not insur-
mouptallc prohibitions. The principle of
representation is not destroyed, any more
taau it Is by allowing male adults only 10
vote. But when the restriction ceases 10 be
general; wheu it excludes All entire race
numbering in many instances q majority of
the whole people; when It places clnss OF
the people outside Of all political rccor-
milton and reduces them 10 the level
ofthc animals Of the field, then that popu-
lation which thus dcgrades ard excludes one
nall Of Its number has no right to be repre-
sentcd except In proportion to their own
number, certainly not the right to choose
the representatives for the people who arc
utterly and forever excluded from reaching
the car Of their representative. 1t is no
answer 10 say that at the North there are
persons of foreign birth WHO are not ci;izcus,
and who arc represented. Their alien char.
acter is not permanent one. AT the long
est they may become citizens In i've years,
ard during that probation, they represent
families some Of vh0se members nrc ynfcrz
and u1l Of whom will be made citizens BY the
naturalization of the husband and father.
There can be no application Of the principle
Of representation based upon population
which, will be honest, fair, just or wisc, which
excludes from the suffrage any class or race
because 1t Is Of that class or race. We can
understand the argument which would limit
the right of suffrage to very high standard