Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1866-08-22


flee, or men who think more of party than
of their country, can find fault with them.
Here is the
EniOn Platform Of Reconstruct
tiOn.
Tennessee was Admitted on this Platform.
Joint Resolution proposing an Amend
ment to the Constitution of the United
States.
Resolved, By the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States of
America, in Congress assembled, two
thirds of both Houses concurring, that
the following article be proposed to the
Legislatures of the several States as an
amendment to the Constitution of the
United States, which, when ratified by
three-fourths Of said Legislatures, shall
be valid as part of the Constitution,
namely:
ARTICLE XIV.
SECTION l. All persons born or natu-
rallied in the United States, and subject
to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of
the United States and of the State where
in they reside. No State shall make or
enforce any law which shall abridge the
privileges or immunities of citizens of the
United States; nor shall any State de-
prive any person of life, liberty, or prop
erty, without due process of law, nor de-
/ ny to any person within it's jurisdiction
the equal protection of the laws.
SEC. :. Representatives shall be appor-
toned among the several States accord
ing to their respective numbers, counting
the whole number of persons in each
/ State, excluding Indians not taxed. But
when the right to vote at any election for
/ the choice of electors for President and
( Ni1n prasi1anf nf tha tod
/ resentatives in Congress, the executive
and judicial officers of Il State or the
+ members of the Legislature thereof is
! denied to any of the male inhabitants of
such State, being tWenty-One years of age
! and citizens of the United States, or in
/ any way abridged, except for participa-
/ ton in rebellion or other crime, the basis
/ of representation therein shall be reduced
! in the proportion which the number of
| such male citizens shall bear to the whole
number of male citizens twenty-one wears
/ of age in such State.
| SEC. No person shall be Senator or
! Representative in Congress, or elector of
| President and Vice President, or hold
any Office, civil or military, under the
! United States, or under any State, who
/ having previously taken an oath as
! member of Congress, or as an officer of
/ the United States, or as a member of any
! State Legislature, or as an executive or
/ judicial officer of any State, to support
! the Constitution Of the United States,
! shall have engaged in insurrectiOn or re-
! belliOn against the same, or given aid or
/ comfort to the enemies thereof. But
! Congress may, by vote of two-thirds of
! each House, remove such disability.
/ SEC. 4. The validity of the public debt
| of the United States, authorized by law,
! including debts incurred for payment of
pensions and bOunties for services in sup
! pressing insurrectiOn or rebellion, shall
| not be questioned But neither the Uni
/ ted States nor any State shall assume or
| pay any debt or obligation incurred i'll aid
| of instruction or rebellion against the
| United States, or any claim for the loss
! or emancipation of any slave; but all such
debts, obligations and claims shall be
! held illegal and void.
! SEC. 5. That Congress shall have pow
! er to enforce, by appropriate legislation,
! the provisions of this article.
In brief, the 1stmakes all persons equal
before the law, as is the case in all the
eastern, middle and western States-that
! is, crime is punished alike whether COM
mitted by white or black, which is not
! the case in the South. The second makes
Uoters the basis of representation if this
| is not adopted, the late slave States will
gain "A members of Congress in 1872, as
each late slave will then count the same
| as white man north, and thus make 60
white men south equal to 100 white men
north. The third disfranchises the periu-
rers and the fourth secures the National
public debt as inviolate, as well as pen
sions and bOunties, ana will forever pre-
vent any assumption of the rebel debt
There is no negro suffrage in them, as po-
litical knaves make out, as any one can
see by the second section that the States
regulate who shall vote.
That the rebel leaders should get up a
cry against the amendments is natural as
all power to organize another rebellion or
to hold a majority of the offices would be
effectually destroyed. This they well
know, and it is therefore nothing Won
derful in advising Andrew Johnson to
usurp the powers of government, and rec
ognize them as good citizens and law-ma-
kers nothing wonderful that they should
call those most instrumental in defeating
their rebellion disunionists, and them
| selves Union men; nothing wonderful
! that they should pander and cringe to
northern copperheads SO far that Massa-
chusetts and South Carolina delegates
should enter arm in arm into the mon
grel convention held at Philadelphia last