Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-02-23
pa sJoHHsoH AND THE DELEaA. Tpe
~ 5.SsSjs TIONs. 60 ..s
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES /.
.GRESsIONAL REPRESENTATION.

| amend the Constitution in relation to Congress
ional.represen tation, which is. now pending in
the Senate. and one of ths ablest speeches Of
the session in opposition to the measure is that
recently delivered by the Hon. Reverdy John
son, the distinguished Senator from Mar yland.
The speech presents SO foroibly the Southern
view of the question, states 80 clearly tho pre-
else character and necessary results of the
measure, aud urges 80 conclusively its uncon-
stitutionality; and impolicy. that We will
briefly give a synopsis of the leading positions.
! The resolution was originally reported to the
House from the. Reconstruction Commit ee by
MIR. Stevens. and as first reported, adopted the
provision of the Second Section of the First Ar.
ticle Of the Constitution, which make both
4 taxation and representation depend upon the
came basis-pcpulation. Upon the recommit.
ment Of the resolution, the provision which it
| originally contained in relation to direct AKA.
tion, wns annullej. and the resolution now
stands. as a Propos'tion to amend the Constitu
ton only as to the upportionment Of represen-
tation. BY tho provisions Of the Constitution.
representation is based upon numIers;with two
exceptions. The first exception was Indians
not taxed-the other was the case Of slaves,
three. fths Of whom were alone counted. The
provision which made an estimate of three
hfths instead Of the whole number of slaves,
as the basis of representation, was introduced
| to meet the case Of large class of persona at
the South, who were both persons and property.
In the Convention which framed the Consti-
tution there was O difficulty in determining
how far this class should he estimated as a ba.
koyk ae
result was q compromise in the provision which
now stands-that for the purpose of reprcscu.
tation, persons held in slavery or Involuntary
servitude, should be esteemed three. ifths men
and two. .fftls property; and establishing the
same rule as to taxation. With the abolition
of slavery however, this provision of the Con-
stitu'ion became inapplcable, as there no long.
er existed class sustaining tLis two.fold re-
lntion3to the Government Of persons and prep
.All stand upon the came platform, form.
iDg' equally the basis Of representation aud
taxation.
Tie amendment then so fac as it appertion.
ed representation to the actual population,
adopts the old Constitutional provision, and
extends equal justice to ALL But the amend
ment goes further, and provides That whenever
State in the exercise Of its i,nmenoria right
shall sec fit to exclude any portion Of its pop
ulaticn, on account Of race or color, that Lor-
ton shall be deducted from the estimate. and
its representation diminished accordingly. 1t
does even more than that. inasmuch as il pro-
vides that whenever a distinction is made on
account of color by the State laws in the ex-
srcise Of the elective franchise, not only those
actually excluded from the franchise shall be
excluded from the basis of enumeration. but
all belonging to the race or coming within The
sano denomination Of color. The Constitution
of New York for instance. requires of a COL
ored voter, the possession Of freehold. which
is not required of the white voter, aud this
provision, by the terms Of this amendment,
would exclude the whole rolored population of
New York from the basis Of representation
Although State may admit a colored man TO
vote. yet If it require of him q qualifc cation
which it does not require of the white man, the
entire colored population is to DO detuc,.d
! from the estimate. This would be matter of
email moment to the Northern States where
the negro population is SO small that Its exclu-
sion from the estimate would amount to moth.
ing, but in the South We would be reduced to
the alternative of granting suffrage 10 the en-
tire negro population or resigning our due
share of the congressional representation.
I Tofthe thirty.six stiteu which form tho Uniop,
'only ii. admit tho eolored man to The rigb. Of
suffrage, set undertake terms of thi. amend.
nsnt. Massachusetts. New York, Vermont,
New HamPshire aud Others might exclude The
blacks from the franchise, and yet lose nothing
In the way OF representation; on the contrary
would acquire increased power, inasmuoh %
they would be met by diminished reprssen.
tation from the late slaveholding ststea-
Wore the black population distributed equally
over the whole country, no representative of .
Northern constituency could Do found with 10.
trspility enough to support the amendment
1t was because tho proposed amendment did
not affect them as It would the South, that
gentlemen were 80 anxious for ito adoption. :.
Iho right to regulate the elective franchise
Is one belonging essentially to the States. Il
was 90 clearly defined In the Constitution, that
mono had ever held thss the General Govern
nent could como within the State iinaits and
.prssoribs tho qualification Of voters yet this
amendment proposes Indirectly to thrust this
interference upon the statsa II does not In
deed force psrsrdptorily negro suffrage UPON
the South but itpp6ses s. psnslty for TIA "a.
jeetion, in the exolusipn Of The South from ,ts
just participation ID The powers Of tho Govern.
mssn.' as the The same time that she is sstjsstsd.o
her full share Of iaxs.ion. i, s ss,.x.lss.. ' -.
GnIsLxrs tUlrntArpN: 4ars4isyts willing to
Y e9mpforaiss rather thsasfall eute With ihe PssE
l !. . r 81