The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-12-22
Congrcss-Thc South and the Constitutional
Amendment.

ConSrcss-The South and the Constitutional
Amendment.
The majority Of our people South thought and
had reason to do SO, that the moro prominent
Radicals in Congress-and they are the ruling
members Of that body-did not desire us to &c
cept the Constitutional Amendment THAT they
wanted something more. Our people thought
therefore, that there no reason to believe that
if they did accept the Amendment they would get
! representation in Congress.
Merely as matter Of information wo trust
we viii not be again accused Of recommending the
Amendment merely because we publish news-we
publish extracts upon this subject from late
speeches Of prom nent Senator's.
In discussion with Mr.. SUaHER, Mr.. WADE
said:
Let me say that should consider myself bound
BY the Constitutional Amendment, if the Southern
States complied with it within reasonable time
and that reasonable time, in my judgment is near
~ elapsed BY q reasonable time mean as soon
as their Legislatures consider it. IF they ADOPT
! the Constitutional Amendment and comply with
the terms prescribed by the Reconstruction Com
nnnd "a ana Ta adoPtgd M BY Congress should feel
Constitutional Amendment on that hypothesis.
Mr.. WADE said again:
When the Committee on Reconstruction at the
last session, brought in their last proposition to
amend the Constitution and to provide for the
readn1lssion Of the secedod States the labors Of
that Committee, supposed, had been directed to
the inquiry II upon what conditions we should per-
NIT those States to come back into the Union.
supposed It was for that purpose the Committee
was raised supposed they had directed all their
down upon amendments to tho Constitution
which We're to be submitted to the seeded States
a. and upon being. adopted and complied with BY
them IN good faith and being ratified by three
fourths Of all the States, would enttle them to re-
presentation in the two Houses.
supposed it was on that very condition that
hoo1-
seem to be an inconsistency to say that if classes
Ct people we're excluded from the balot-box, they
representation-that is that political power should
be. based upon voters-if we did not mean to leave
IN tho power Of the States to exclude some class
+! g people from the ballot-box.
1 Yet again, by way of explanation and warming:
cannot understand it il any other way than
that when threefour of the States ratified that
Amendment Al and made it part and parcel Of the
6 a Gf th9 % United States the Southern
might apply here, and, all other things being
equal, they would be admitted. Or course, they
can take the oath; but all these conditions being
compiled with, they should be received. IF we did
not mean that, LIDO not know what we did mean.
Why provide Tor What should happen on the OK
cusion Of certain class from the ballot-box If We
did not intond to allow them to be excluded under
any circumstances? MI
/ T Will say in this connection as we have beonn
to define our positions here that think that pro-
position was perfectly fair, temperate, jldicious,
moderate beyond what the world had ever seen be.
fore under such circumstances, and if the Southern
people throw it back detiantly in our teeth and
Will not comply with it, I am willing to saw here
that I am for putting them under tho strong arm
it be necessary SO that they shall make NO dist1rb-
ance in this Government: f they will take the
rms we offer in reasonable time am b0und tn
stand up to my agreement.
/ The position assumed by Mr.. WADE is unrescry-
edly shared BY his colleague, Mr.. SHERMAN AL
1 luing to SU1INERs denial Of the s1fciency az HI,
amendment, SIBERIAN said
We mads proposition to the Southern States
at the last session Of Congress It was made after
the gravest and fullest consideration probably fiat
any measure ever received rom anv Connrnsa SO 81
the United States. No legislative act of CONGRESS-
since the foundation Of this Government was sur
we acted upon at the last session. After long de-
bate, after considering all the propositions that
were made a,5 on either side, the Congress Of tie
States deliberate proposition. We submitted to
them Constitutional Amendments. It seems to
ne n that no enc can avoid the irresistible logic
that il they accepted those Amendments W. were
bound to carry them out. I know I voted {. hose
Amendments q with that understanding. I felt that
J. would be bound by that action. felt that, Il
| they accepted those Amendments they were States
in the Union entitled to Senators and Representa-
tlyes precisely M Ike the State Of MASSACHUSETTS, and
any doubt about the matter And, sir let me gay to
You that if the Southern people had accepted or If
they 40 accept the Constitutional Amendments,
CAOSC HotaLeS JuSG as CerCa1E DC represented
here by Senators and members as tie state Of Ohio
| or the State of Massachusetts,.
7! know that my friend from Massachusetts. aud
1 perhaps some other Senators, were dissatisfied
with the Constitutional Amendments. They did
not meet their expectations; they did not impose
the terms and conditions that they hoped to in
pose on the Southern people; they did not proba-
biy meet their sense Of duty; but still the people
by those terms; and, il the Southern people would
now accept them the people of the United States
wo ID hail their acceptance as the most joyful
7, The Republicans Of Boston have tegone back on
the colored members Of their party, and as con
sequence the - negroes have treated them in the
4 same way. The Republican leaders, it is said,