The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-01-10
The Constitutional Amendment---ihe
action of Congress in relation-to the
Southern States.

Southern States.
Extracts from, the last Message Of G0c. CURTIN,
of Pennsylvania, to tie Legislature Of that
State.
present for your consideration the amend
ments to the Constitution of the United
States. proposed to the Legislatures of the
several States by a resolution of both Houses
of Congress passed on the 10th day OF June
last. was glad that it was possible, with
out delaying the final adoption of these
amendments, to ascertain the opinion of our
people upon them at the general election III
October last. BY the election of large ma
iorty of members openly favoring and adj
yocatine the amendments, that opinion
seems to me to have been abundantly en-
dressed. Indeed, the amendments are SO
moderate and reasonable in their character
that it would have been astonishing II the
people had failed to approve them. 1haG
every person born in the United States ana
free, whether by birth or manumlsslon, Is a
citizen of the United States, and that no
State has right to abrldge the privileges
of citizens of the United States-thcse are
principles which were never seriously doubt
ed anywhere, until after the insane crusade
in favor of slavery had been for some time
in progress. What is called the decision of
the Supreme Court of the United States in
the bred Scott case has made it eXpedienJ
and proper to re-assert these vital principles
in an authoritative manner, and this Is done
in the first clause of the proposed amend
ments.
The right of prescribing the qualifications
of voters is exercised by the respective
States under the Constitution of 1888;
three-fifths of the slaves were counted in as
certaining the representative population OF
70 tIl
Constitution abolished slavery in all the
States and territories. Though it was for
merly otherwise in most, if not all, of the
old Southern States, yet for many years past
free negroes have not, in any of these, been
permitted to vote. At present, therefore, the
late slave States would be entitled to count
the whole of their former slave population
as a basis for representation, instead of three
fifths thereof. That is to say, they would
have in the existing ratio about twenty more
members of Congress than they had before
slavery was abolished, and the free States
would lose the same number, making diff
ference of about forty members of Congress,
or. saw, one-sixth of the whole body. In
other words, the treason of the rebellious
States the suppression of which has cost US
so many hundreds of thousands of precious
lives and so many thousands of millions of
treasure, would be rewarded by giving them
a vast increase of political power This
absurdity, the second clause of the proposed
amendments, designs to prevent, by the just,
equal and moderate provision, that III future
the representative population OF each State
shall be ascertained by making proportion
ate deduction from the whole population
thereof, if the laws exclude from the privil
eye of voting, any male citizens, not Grimm
ais, of the age of twenty-one years. have
yet to learn that any plausible objection can
be offered to such provision.
The third clause of the proposed amend
ments excludes from Congress, and from the
College of Electors, and from all offices, civil
and military, of the United States, or of any
State. persons who. as functionaries of the
United States, or as Executive or Judicial
officers of any State, have heretofore sworn
to support the Constitution of the United
States and afterwards violated their oath by
engaging in rebellion against the same, I'M
less Congress, by a vote of two-thirds, shall
have removed the disability of any such
persons.
The fourth clause affirms the validity of
the debt Of the United States, and prohibits
the assumption or payment of the Rebel
debt, or any claims for the loss emancipa-
ton of any slave.
The fifth clause provides that Congress
shall have power to enforce the provisions
of the other clauses by appropriate legis-
lation.
That these wise and moderate provisions
will meet the hearty appreciation of the Leg
islature 1 cannot doubt. If proposed by
twothirds of each House of Congress and
ratified by three fourths of the Legislatures
of the States, the Constitution provides that
they should stand as adopted amendments of
that instrument.
A question has been raised whether the
States lately in rebellion, and not yet restor
ed to their privileges by Congress, are to be
counted on this vote-in other words wheth-
er those who have rebeled and been subdued
shall be entitled to potential voice in the
question OF the guarantees to he required of
them for future obedience to the laws. So
monstrous a proposition is, it appears to me,
not supported by the words or spirit Of the
Constitution. The power to suppress insur-
rection includes the power of making pro-
vision against its breaking out afresh. These
States have made all UNI ust war upon our
government and their sister States, and the
power given by the Constitution to make war
on our part, includes the power to dictate, |
after our success, the terms of peace and re-
stOratiOn.
The power of Congress to guarantee to !
every State a republican form of govern
ment, would cover much more cogent action |
than has yet been had.
The duty imposed upon Congress, to pro-
vide and maintain republican governments |
for the States, is to be accepted in the broad I
est meaning of the term. 1t is not mere |
formal or unnecessary provision. The power !
was conferred, and the duty enjoined to pre-
serve free institutions against all encroach-
ments, or the more violent elements of des-
potisn and anarchy. And now that treason
has, by reisellon, subverted the governments
of number of States, FORGETTING for the
people all the rights guaranteed by the Con-
stitutlon, including even those of property
and lfe the work of restoration for these
States rest with the National government,
and it should be faithfully and fearlessly per-
formed
By their passage by Congress, and the
declaration ct the people at the late elections,
the faith Of the nation is pledged to the
amendments, and they will be fairly carried
out, and their benefits given to the rebellious
States But when the amendments shall
have passed into the organic law, should the
people lately rebellion persist in their re-
lection, and in continued disobedience and
the obstruction of the execution of the ma
tonal laws, it will be an admonition to the
nation that the animus and force of treason
still exist among people who enjoy none of
the riyileoeS of the Government of itS | .