Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-03-16

THs CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT coNcEsS-
ING REPRIsESTArIoN.-The Amendment to
the Constitution, basing representation IN
Congress on the entire population, deduct
ing any class or race to whom the right Of
suffrage lie denied, which passed the House
and has been lying in the Senate for num-
Der of days came upon tbe7th .SenatorSumner
opposed the amendment. saying that while
1t was the most important PROPOSITION ever
brought into Congress, unless, perhaps. we
may except the amendment abollshing slavery
to his mind it was the most utterly repre-
hensible and objectionable one. lie could
consider 1t only ga device to crystalline INTO
organic law the disfranchisement ofa race
Mr.. Sumner summed up his objections to
the amendment as follows:
Following 1t up to the beginning this propo-
sition carries into the Constitution itself the idea
ofinequslity Of rights, thus defling that unspot-
ted text secondly, 1t is sn express sanction Of 1
the acknowledged tyranny Of taxation without 1
representation thirdly It is a concession to |
ing from terrible war waged against US 10 the
name Of State rights T; fourthly, it is the Con-
stitutional recognition Of an oligsrchy. aristoc-
racy. caste and monopoly, founded on color
hnhly, II embodies the wretched pretension Of
White Mans Government /; si1thly, il ASSUMES
what Is false IN constitutional law-that color
can be qualification for an elector seyenthly,
II positively ties the hands OF Congress in fixing
the meaning Of Republican Government, so
that under the guarantee clause it will be con-
strained TO recognize an oligarchy, aristocracy,
caste and monopoly, together with the tyranny
OF taxation without representation as not incon-
sistent with such q Govsrnmen eighthly. il
positively ties the hands Of Congress In complet-
ing and consummsting the abolition Of slavery
IN pursuance Of the second clause Of the Con
stituional Amendment, 50 that il caunot for ;
thus purpose interfere with the DENIAL Of the I
elective franchise on account Of color ninthly. {
1t installs recent rebels into permanent power a
over loyal eiiiIens,-snd tenthly, it shows forth
IN an unmistakable character compromise Of
human rights, the most immoral, indecent and
utterly shameful ofsny in our history q
The Amendment was defeated in the Senate t
IN Friday, the two thirds majority necessary t
10 pass it not being secured. We believe n
his is the first Of the forty odd constitution
Il amendments proposed. that has reached 4
final vote in both houses. The result is Il
lailed by the democratic papers as great a
adical defeat although it was secured BY j
he oppcsing voices and votes of some Of the y
nos, radical Senators. The Massachusetts, a
enators for once voted on opposite sides. 'o
he vote stood Ayes, Messrs. Anthony, IL
handler, Clark, COnness, Cragin, Creswell, p
essendeB, Foster, Grimes, Harris, Howe, a.
.irkwood, Lane Of Indiana, McDougall, "a
iOrgan, Morrill,, Nye, Poland, Ramsey, r
herman, Sprague, Trumbull, Wade. Will
ans and Wilson's. NAYS, Messr-
rown, Buekalew, Covan, Davis, Dixon, NJ
OOlittle, Guthrie, Henderson, Hendricks, ru
ohnson, Lane Of Kansas, Nesmith, Norton, ST
omerOy, Riddle, Salisbury. Stewart Stock un
m, Sumner, Van winkle, Wiley and tr'
ates-22. I'm
The appearance Of the name Of the de Ire
ocrstic Senator from California, Ne fro
ougall, In the otherwise clean list Of eai
MON men who voted for the amendment, 10
explained by the fact that he was drunk, by
usual. His vote, from "Perley's" ac-
unit OF it, made some amusement CIR
Mr.. McDougall. who hAd been retained in the
nate by bis Democratic friends when he should CIT
we been permitted TO 60 home, was asleep in
chair when his name wss called, and on p
ing aroused voted "sys'' to the surprise Of his
litical associates and the amusement Of the int
lion men on the eoor and in the galleries. He Gee
ubtless believed that he was voting on an
lendment Of his own which he had previously oi
roduced, and it was not deemed judicious TO Cas-
empt to undeceive him. rrl
The proposition being killed, it was re- b..
ved by motion to reconsider, to enable ava
r. Doolittle TO offer a substitute basing
litical power on the numbcr of legal al
ters in the States respective. And then .,
G subject was postponed to next Thursday. no