The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-29
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER %, 1867.
=. ,,..,.,. or s,,tes in the Union.


against the peace and welfare of the whole
country. It is safe to say that the Rebellion
eould never have achieved the magnitude 1t
did achieve, nor have so long held out against
4he efforts of the Government to subdue it, had
Il not been for the consistency, directness, and
mower which it derived from its acting through
the regular State organizations under which
the people had been accustomed to live. The
State governments were the vital nuclei of the
Rebellion. These facts are important to be
kept in mind in the settlement of the great
problem of reconstruction; for reconstruction
Implies restoration to the Union, and the reSump-
ton by he Rebel communities Of all the poCers and
functions of States in the Union. 1t is vastly
more than mere question of philanthropy
or prejudice, or consistency in the Destowment
or Withholding of the right of suffrage. 1t is
a question of neutralizng the powers of great
States like Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and
Massachusetts, in the National Senate by such
Ommunities as South Carolina, Florida,
pexas, and Mississippi. 1t is question of
submitting the rights and interests of the mil
ions Of those great States, with their wealth,
,,opulation, culture, and refinement, to the
negative of mere handful of people, COM
paratively destitute of all these, and yet
clothed with equal powers in many Of the most
Important functions Of the Government.
To put this subject in a more vivid light
before our readers, let us devote little space
to the consideration of the powers of States
in the Union as States. And, first, as to the
constitution of the Senate. Our scheme of
government provides for the absolute equality
of the different States in the Senate. In that
body States, not the people, are represented.
Delaware, with its population of 112, 2l6 is
the peer of New York with its $3.50, ,735. The
consequence is to give to the smaller States
perpetual negative check upon the legislation
of the country. The more populous States
may initiate legislation, but they cannot per-
feet it without the aid of the smaller. New
York's preponderance in the House of Repre-
sentstives is reduced to nullity by Delawares
Two votes in the Senate 1t is true, when
laws have once been passed, the element of
popular representation in the House then
comes into play in preventing repeal, but
not in securing it. But as the true object of
legislative bodies is to pass laws, the aristo-
cratic constitution of the Senate gives to the
people of the States having small population
very great and dangerous power in the Gov
ernment. Were it now an original PROPOSE
tion to make this feature part of the Consti-
tuition, it would be secuted. There are other
functions of the Senate in which the House
does not participate, and in which the States,
therefore, stand upon an unrelieved equality.
No officer of the Unite d States can be appointed
without the advice and consent of the Senate.
This involves the equal voice of all the States
In the constitution Of the Judiciary, that great
department of the Government which wlelds
such tremendous powers over the property,
liberty, -aaa-lives OF the people. 1t is easy to
conceive of circumstances in which sectional
combination of States representing but small
portion of the people of the whole country,
might, in conjunction with the President, i'm
pose upon the nation very distasteful judge.
Again, the Senate, in conjunction with the
President, is the treatY-making power. 1t is
hardly possible to overestimate the import
ance of this power; and yet here again the
States are on an equality. Indeed, since it
REQUIRES tsoO- thirds of the Senate to ratify a
treaty. one.third of the Senate, representing
perhaps not twentieth part of the people,
may defeat the contamination of treaty that
would be of the highest Importance to the
whole country.
Again, the Senate tries all impeaohments;
and here, too, State with one hundred thou
sand inhabitants has as much power as ohe
With million.
Again, in the choice of electors for Presi-
TENT and Vice President, the States are repre-
tented in the Electoral College according to
their representation in both Houses of Con-
Eress, thus carrying the State equality feature
into the choice of the two chief officers of the
country. As an illustration of the practical
workings Of this plan, let us take the follow
ing example:-rhe ten unreconstructed States
cast total vote, according to the returns OF
1890 somewhat less than that of the State oi
New York. According to fair distribution Of
power, therefore, these States, il in the Union.
would be allowed to choose the same number
o1 residential electors as New York Instead
OF that however, New York has thirty-three
electors, while these ten Rebel States would
have, according TO the present apportiopnoaDt
NO less than seoentyl twenty Of thsaa A.,
gained by that feature Of the CONSTITUTES,
which allows to each State two electors Tor (,
Senators. This is a somewhat startling resul,
and IA worthy the thoughtful attention OF ma