The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-05-01
Ihe Constitutional Amendment
SHAY it be Approved by the
People of OhiOi-The CincIn-
natl Commercial Saws No!

SION Of an Amendment TO the Constitution
striking out of it the word White; but it
cant so the Amendment as it was botched
and patched up by the Legislature. In its
issue OF Monday it devoted lengthy edit
orial to the question: "The Constitutional
Auiendment-Shall it be approved BY The
peol le of Oh;o?"
The following is the conclusion it come;
to:
Regarding that as inevitable, and as only
4 question of time, there has been during
some months formida. le popular move.
ment in favor OF the amendment of the
Constitution Of the State Of Ohio, by strik.
ing from il the clause restricting the ballot
20 the white citizens or to those having a
visible admixturc The time had arriy.
ed when the question should have been
fairly and sinTly submitted to the people
of the State for decision. There is nothing
more certain than that it vii, De a fruitful
source Of political irritation and agitation
till it is settled, and settled, too, in harmo.
ny with the doctrine Of the civil and p0
litical equality of all men
The Legislature, finding itimpossiblc any
longer to defer action, took up the question
1t was chaionged to do so, not only by those
who favor, but those who oppose impartial
suffrage? Its duty was very simple and
plain, gamely: 10 prepare and submit to a
vote Of the people of the State, an am end.
mcnt striking from the Constitution the
suffrage restriction That was all the leg
islature was called upon to do The people
would take care of the rest But this was
what the Legislature did not do. Possibly
some of tie members were apprehen i've
that the simple proposition to enfranchlse
the blacks in Ohio would be defeated; pos.
sibly others, apprchensive that it would be
approved, sought to couple with it some
other condition that would insure its defeat.
We have not been able to fathom the mo-
tives that finally induced the Legislature to
submit the constitutional amendment in its
present SHAPE tacking upon it a condition
which the people did not ask for, and which
they never will approve The amendment,
as it stands, will be repudiated Perhaps
this is what a majority Of those who voted
for it desired. If SO, they will have the
satisfaction of seeing it accomplished
The further Investigation is made the
more ohiectional the amen lment becomes.
Senator Kellogg of Ashtabula county, stat
ed, on the authority Of the Adiutant Gen.
eraL, that the names of between sixteen and
twenty thou-and Ohio soldiers were on the
muster rolls as deserters, and that most of
these men had faithfully remained in the
service up to the date OF the surrender OF
the armies of Lee and johnson. This has
been contradicted, hut investigation will
show that the Senator was correct in his
statement. Scmc time ago the Provost
Marshal General at Washington informed
Adjutant General Cowan that there we're
entered on his rolls 27,000 desertions against
Ohio troops during the whole war, and of
these 1t is not known that more than $500
or 5000 have been relieved of the charge.
The records at Columbus are incomplete. :
They only give the condition Of the rolls at
the date of the muster out and discharge,
and nc reports were ever returned Of those
dropped from TIE rolls of the regiments
during the war. But these rolls, imperfect
as they are, show an average Of from eight
to ten desertions charged to each company
at the date of muster out, making an aver
age Of eighty to one hundred per regiment.
The total of regiments exceeded 200, and
the rate Of desertions per company would
give an aggregate Of from $1,000, which
confirms the record of the Provost Mar
shal's Office at Washington
How many Of these DESERT ms occurred
| alter the surrender of the rebol armies, i
| is impossible to tell. That they were very
numerous, however, there is no room tC
doubt. Apprehensive that they were to be
sent to Texas and the Indian frontiers to
serve out the whole of the three years vet.
Gran enlistment, Of which nearly two years
remained, the troops deserted in such num-
hers, ard there was such dissatisfaction
among those who remained, that the War
Department changed its policy, and m IS.
tered the troops out as fast as possible. -
The soldiers felt that the spirit oftheir con
tract justified their discharge. They had
the promise of enlsting officers that they
should oe discharged at the end of the war,
and this was the general understanding,
but the Government manifesting disposi-
ton not to release them, but to send them
upon service net contemplated when they
entered the army, they deserted by scores
and hundreds The offense was technical.
They believed themselves to have frlflled
their contract with the Government, and
that 1t had no claim upon them for service,
other than in the war to put down the re-
belion. They did not leave the army while
an armed enemy remained under the Con
federate flag.
Without going into further details at
present, or making inquiry whether every
principle of sound policy is not violated by
going back now to visit military offenses
with punishmer is which were not threat
ened or contemplated at the time the offense
was committed this is point to be
seriously coDsiderGd-we inquire, what will
be the effect of the amendment if adopted
Are the people Of Ohio ready 10 disfran.
chise five white men for every black enfran.
chised? Taking the census table of 1866
we find that there was then black popula-
ton Of SO, 673 persons in Ohio Allowing
one-sixth as the population of voters we
have 6,l72, and deducting from this num-
ber one-third as taYipg a visible admixture
of African blood, and consequently voters
now, there remain 4Q74 who would be en-.
franchiscd. According to the Provost Mar
shal's books there are 1000 Ohio soldiers
still charged with descrtion, who will be
disfrancbifed under the amendment. This
then is the practical effect Of the amend !,
meDt tinkered and botched into its present
shape by Legislature Vther too tihiid to
meet the suffrage question squarely, or in
sincere in its professions Of desire to en-
franchise the few blacks in Ohio. d6s
z w hen the people come to understand the
bearing OF the amendment and the injustice
It will work TO thousands of men,who were
in the army, they win put it under their
feet The Republican Convention will, we
expect, have to rcpudiate the blotched lob
Of the Legislature. twill be a political ne
'cessity, as wellas sovnd expediency, to de.
clare IN favor of the principle of impartial
suffrage; and the speedy coming of the time
provided in the Constitution ior holding 4
constitutional Convention, will relieve tim
10 legislators Of their terrors, and the pco-
pie Ct adyentit GUS embarrassmcnts. ~
----==zMS- sasrs--------
Wisconsin Leading the van
The Radical Legislature Of Wisconsin and
IL L. Al. ~ 4 4 a.h