The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-03-05
The Constitutional Amendment I'm Massa-
chusetts.

The Constitutional Amendment I'm Massa-
chusetts.
The question of accepting the propos ed amend
me mt to the Federal Constitution was submitted,
at the opening of the session of the Massachusetts
Legislature, to special committee of that body.
The majority of this committee report against the
amendment. They say, at the outset, that 'it is
not enough for Massachusetts Legislature that
other States have ratified proposed amendment,
Massachusetts can afford to stand alone upon her
convictions, but she cannot afford to follow the
multitude to do evil" 49,
They say that the decision of the Supreme Court
as to what or who was citizen concludes the point
quite as authoritatively as an amendment could
do; indeed, probably more concluslvely; for tnere
is reason to fear that If this matter should come
before the present Supreme Court as q new qqes-
ton under this amendment, there would be dan
ger of an adverse decision. The definition, too, OF
Citizenship Hof the State wherein they reside" is
of no effect as none Of the provisions OF the amend
ment profess to apply to persons az esens q
there has been any decision, or that there ls any
agreement among legal authorities, as to what
constitutes citizenship Of State apart from cln-
zenship OF the United States.
They urge further, that conquered repes have
forfeited every right; not one has the right to Lie,
if his living would endanger the public SAFETY; SILL
less AL has he the right to property with the same
reservation; almost infinitely legs has ne the rght
to political power, when that power is the most
potential element Of danger. The madness OF
Slavery and the providence Of God have given to
our government the golden opportunity to elml-
nate this ogarchial feature from our lnstlt11ons,
and to mako this union Of homogeneous States;
this second section relnquishes this great power,
new life to this fruitful source Of all our woes.
The effect Of the amendment on Massachusetts
is also discussed. The majority say that the re-
presentation Of the State will be considerably re-
duced. As to the exclusion l. OF a,, tho prom:nene
Of tho war has shown that the bitterest haters OF
the North, the most brutal butchers Of prisoners
and Of Southern loyalists are the men who never
held Offices referred to, and these are the men,
without experience in affairs, without the educa.
ton which a. -ociation with citizens Of other Sec
tions of the c. ntry gives to public men, without
even The humanizing influences which war e1srts
upon the true soldier--the guerillas and bush.
whackers, with hands dripping With the blood OF
the amendment opens the ;loors Of Congress-"
The report concludes
eIet it be borne in mind that in considering the
operation Of this amendment we must throw out
ali the recent legislation Of Congress in Che direc-
ton of giving the elective franchise to colored cit
zens. This legislation is entirely independent Of
this amendment, and if held valid it will be so
held equally whether the amerd dment is ratified or
rejected It seems hardly possible to conceive q
greater act Of fatuty than this of placing it in the
power of rebels to exclude half million loyal
voters from all voice in the reconstruction OF those
States. We do not speak of it as partisans.
Viewed thus, itwould be simple madness and po-
litical suicide; but We speak as patriots, and as
such We have the right to demand that no plan OF
reconstruction shall be sanctioned which does not
secure the full exercise Of the only power which
can be expected to found commemorative truly
ioyal to a federal republican government In re-
viewing the whole subject the committee are
brought to the conclusion that no exigency exists
requiring immediate action upon. an amendment
open to the grave objections, we have presented
ferred to the next general court"