The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1867-10-04

States represented in Congress, and b.
most ifnot all the new state Govern
ments that had been rcorganized South
and it undoubtedly had become par
of the Constitution of the United States
But here at this session of 1866, anothe
amendment about the end of the sess
ion was submitted which it was allegc,
had some reference to the subject of re
construction. That amendment con
tanned II good deal of matter Of which
shall not speak. | will only allude {,
one point which it contained. II pro
vided that hereafter representation il
each Stateo ofthe American Union shoult
in certain way, be based upon tn,
electors of the State. The argumen
was that our old rule in the Consttu
ti0n that representation in Congress.
should be based upon population wa,
incorrect or improper, and that it woulo
be much better to bascit upon the voter,
of the several States; that the true Re
publican idea Is that the people shall
rule themselves, that they shall all hav,
an equal voice, but as they cannot all
meet together they choose representa-.
tiveS to act for them; consequently, in
distributing representatives in great
country like ours, the representatives
ouShb w pt u
the number of voters in each State.
There Is plausibifity in that rea-
soning; and that was the ground upon
which the argument was conducted in
favor of that amendment both in and
out of Congress. But that amendment,
although it profcssed to be founded up
on that argument, departed from it en-
tirely in its terms. II was adroitly
worded and fixed up, and had sinister
object. 1t provided that whenever in
any State the right of suffrage should
be withheld from any portion of the
male inhabitants over twenty-one years
of age on account of race or color, there
should be II loss of represent alton for
that State in proportion to the extent of
the population of such race or color the
males of which should be so disfran-
chised. The practical result was this:
The people of the South, and the people
of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky
and Missouri along with them, were re-
CURED to allow the negroes within their
borders to become electors Just like
white people or to lose Il share of their
power in the Government Of the United
States. For instance, if Pennsylvania
continued to refuse the negroes within
her borders the right of voting on ac-
count of color, there might be dock
age Of one Member of Congress from
this state when the next appointment
came to be made; the next distribution
of Members of Congress to the States
by law. That was the idea; and it was
applied throughout the country. Now,
observe the adroit manner in which that
amendment was constructed. 1t twas to
force negro suffrage upon all the States
under penalty of losing portion of
their political power; but at the same
time all the foreigners, all the females,
all the minors that constituted part OF
the population in n State, for instance,
in New York or Massachusetts, were
still to be counted for purposes of rep
rescntation in Congress. That Constitu-
tional Amendment would only cut, and
cut home, in the South and in the Cen
trail States, whereas New England
would have all her non-voting popula-
ton counted; she would retain her rep
resentatives; nay, upon an eXamina-
was found that New England would
gain two members by it while other
sections Of the country would lose.
have delayed you thus long in explain.
ing that amendment simply because ii
has not been much debated, and perhaps
is not very generally understood.
| say, the only thing in connection
with reconstruction done at the first or
long session of the Both Congress was
the submission of that Constitutional
Amendment which is yet pending,
which is not adopted, and perhaps new
er will be by the States, unless our new
-citizens OF African descent
down South choose to take ii after they
have rcOrganizcd State Governments
there.
Congress adjourned in the summer OF
1866, and we had an election last year ut
which the Republican party was gcncr-
ally triumphant in the North. Their
speakers went upon the stump and talk
ed about "Coppcrhcads," and about
'rebels," and about "not giving up the
fruits and glory of the war;" and about
"traitors," and many other things
equally interesting and equally import
ant to the formation of popular judg-
ment. These topics were the burden of
their song. They appealed to the pas
sions of the war year and n half af-
ter it was closed, endeavoring. to keep
them alive, and to keep men voting IN
old issues instead OF the new ones, the
present ones, the pressing questions of
public policy and Of public administra-
anh a MINT ~,
aiia l i'ha'. ,at hoan H. WI ',unt9
tar thn U,r ri, in,otas D.N ~ ,i W, i
@ u,i -, thn' 'mu ,o wa, It Uho,
n'u my VIZ suoftla'Hi ~ oa' vi" Wi,oic t
~ ~ iiio9. pi poitioha u ,iG Nul''i i'nu ~.
tho H. ma 'Sctueu T,rthon 10y "y We lVop.c W M Mmu
ntainad thnr, ae"Ht VI n,ia ,,rr
iu'a,,, ~; .,,''Itoiu, .nvir ptrpoi,'i,"'Is, ~ ~
~ - ci9 ny. "s"', II, wy
iiioii'i, W beiioti i"s. nut ti,e n,ot'
Sahio', Wh uno'is VI, ,,,o ioG,'' VI -iI"'vii
w., tat m"S NY, uGlio ps u, va ', t'tiS SUI
JiJt Jidarnd u II nmd nv Iahoto en M '" ny .", omd
'',;I - 49, '', nrd .v mt ,,nrh ho U m''
All biiI "ti, ',,a nd rno 9Ju aiIai u Mo; "
III; "1' "IIuu i o,''eu i, :, ~
ni,,. si,", H''nM y, ~ ~ q i,iVn,ui' a.
vUIV,,on hiai @ G Ia. TG"stutpp,v,,,I.''''s "'''
"iISn "Thn ;oth VII th7 S,nns., 80 S.ol ,,
a.. ~ t .Vt'iy IL, , 1oi ioi ou,iop ant va
eiso iouitii VI .nniom u,iIel epeoi"l "u,
oi ,onsress nhu tc,nnillGu III ~ sos''oi' W.
IL