The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-02-07
Tsi- atseklwSta
THURsDAY.zFEBRUARY T, 1se7.ssS
NThe Plan.,,

II - ssThe Plan.g
The whole country, awith theErest of man.
kind. will be under inexpressible obiga-
tons, now, henceforth, and for several months
to come, to those 90 true Southern men " and
those best friends of. the South at Washing
ton," who have given their valuable time
and jealous labors to the perfecting of the
plan 81 for restoring the Southern States to
the Union We publish !" the plan !" else
where, from the Richmond Enquirer. The
Sentinel, the organ of all true Southern
men," publishes I" the plan " in its last issue
with a very equiyocal endorsement. That
paper, however, will submit to any plan of
restoration which provides that its friends
may hold the offices.
We have stated elsewhere that "the plan" "
and the Howard amendment are the same,
with this difference, that "he plan" does
not provide, as the amendment does, that the
leaders of the rebellion shall be disqualified
from holding office, and that "the plan F"
provides, as the amendment does not, for
negro suffrage. But we find, on examina-
ton, that there is another very important
difference as will be seen by a comparison
of the plan " with the Howard amendment,
which we re-publish as follows for informa-
ton:
SECTION l. All persons born or naturalized in
the United States and subject to the jurisdiction
thereof, are citizens of the United States and of
the State wherein they reside. No State shall
make enforce any law which shall abridge the
privileges ilnmunities of citizens of the United
States; nor shall any State deprive any person of
life, liberty, or property without due process of
law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdic-
ton the equal protection ofthe laws.
SEC. Representatives shall be apportioned
among the several States according to their re-
spective numbers, counting the whole number Of
persons in each State, excluding Indians not tax
ed. But when the right to vote at any election
for the choice of electors for President and Vice
President of the United States, representatives
in Congress, the executive and judicial officers of
State, or the members ofthe legislature thereof
denied to any of the male inhabitants of such
State, being twenty-one years of age and citizens
OF the United States, or in any way abridged,
except for participation in rebellion or other
crime, the basis of representation therein shall be
reduced in the proportion which the number of
such male citizens shall bear to the whole num-
Der of male citizens twenty-one years of age in
such State.
SEC. 8. No person shall be Senator or Repre-
sentative in Congress- or elector of President
and Vice President, or hold any Office, civil
military, under Tie UnlteQ States, or uuQer any
State, who, having previously taken an oath as
member of Congress, or an officer of the Uni
ted States, or rs 4 member of any State legisla-
ture, or executive or judicial officer of any
State, to support the Constitution OF the United
StaSes, shall have engaged in Instruction or
bellion against the same, or given aid comfort
to the enemies thereof But Congress may by
vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such
disability.
SEC. 4 The validity of the public debt of the
United States, authorized by law, including debts
for services in suppressing instruction or rebel
lion, shall not be questioned. But neither the
United States nor any State shall assume or pay
any debt or obligation incurred in aid of nsur-
rcction rebellion against the United States or
any claim for the loss or emancipation of any
slave; but all such debts obligations, and claims
shall be held illegal and void
SEC. 5. The Congress shall have power to en-
force, by appropriate legislation, the provisions
of this article.
The Howard amendment provides that
Congress shall never pay any claim for the
loss or emancipation of any slave" The pro-
posed plan omits the precision. The amend
ment also provides that the faith of the ma
ton shall be pledged to pay bounties and
pensions to federal soldiers. This is also
omitted in tile plan"
1t is scarcely worth while, however, to dis
cuss this new proposition, as there is not the
ghost of Il chance that it will be adopted
The Howard amendment now lacks the rati-
fic alton of but four States to make it a part
of the Constitution; and it would be absurd
to suppose that this amendment will be
withdrawn or suspended to give place to
new proposition, which has little to recon-
mend it save the fact that it is the produc-
ton of few Il" true Southern men,"
But behold the change! The Howard
amendment was opposed by these very poll
ticians, because they declared it contained
negro suffrage; and now they themselves
propose negro suffrage, if the Congress will
only consent that they may hold the Offices
Verify, their motto is every thing for office,
md nothing for the country. They invol-
yea the country in war on account Of office,
md they are determined that the troubles of
he country shall not be settled, if they can
prevent it, unless they are allowed to con-
;inue in office The measure of their patri-
otism is office. Beyond office, office, office, they
never have a hope, thought, or an emotion.
The Truth of the Matter.
We make the following extract from let
er just received by a gentleman in this City,