The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-01-16
Tbat It as the absolute duty of Con.

press to take the control of
the reconstruction of the rebel
lious States after the war was over,
it seems to me, must be apparent to
every unbiased mind. Had it not done
so. it would have been recreant to the
trust imposed in it by q patriotic and
confidinr constituency. And, when We
consider the circumstances under which
this amendment is proposed asthe basis
of n restoration of these States TO their
former relations to the government we
are astonished at the moderation OF the
loyal representatives of the loyal peo-
pie of the country. As we read 1T, from
the beginning to the end, we find moth
ing in it that is vindictive, or even
unkind, much less anything that is un-
inst. / venture that few in the South
expected: milder conditions; many ex-
pected much greater exactions. Great
er magnanimity was never shown, nor
more conciliatory terms ever proposed,
to any people under kindred circum-
stances than Congress has proposed TO
the rebellious States. They spent four
long years in waging the most bloody,
desperate and ruinOus war known 10
history, for the purpose of destroying
the freest and best government on the
face of the earth. All that Is now re-
1uired is, restoration that will guar
antee the supremacy of the lawful au-
thority and the prosperity and happi-
ness of the whole country for the time
to come. -
If Congress had done less it would
have failed of its duty; had it gone, far
ther its action would, no doubt, have
been approved by the loyal millions
who sustained the government with
men and money to suppress the rebel
lion and who have SO recently endorsed
this proposition.
| This amendment contains all the terms
proposed by Congress as basis OF the
restoration of the rebellious States to
their proper relations to the govern
ment: for, while this does not appear
on its face-and it was not proper that
il should-yet that it was so intended
Iby n large majority of Congress, and by
| tho loyal people of the country, will
not. l apprehend, be doubted by any
candid mind-especially when we take
into consideration the fact that the only
State that accepted it was immediately
admitted to representation IN both
Houses of the same Congress that pro-
posed it.
So far as am aware. there is serious
objection to the subject matter of only
two of the provisions of this amend,
ment the one equalizing the basis OF
Representation of the government; the
other declaring ineligible to Office such
participants in rebellion rs had pre-
viously sworn to support the constitu'
ton of the United States. Some OF the
other provisions are not objected to at
all and the rest-except, perhaps, the
clause regulating citizcnship-are OBJ
iected to only on the ground that they
are proposed to be incorporated into
the constitution of the United States
it being claimed that they appertain tc
matters that should be left to State reg
ulation.
| 1t is claimed by the South and those
who support their pretensions, that the
second section of this amendment Vlo'
latcs one of the compromises OF the con
stitution, without which the Union
could not have been formed; and that II
unjustly reduces their representation II
mcnt. To this it may be answered that
all governments are founded i'll compro'
mise: that the provision of the cOnstltu
ton referred to is no more comPro'
misc than the rest of that instrument
that the South rejected and threw of
this provision with all the others, and
entered into rebellion against and made
war on the government; but, instead OF
succeeding, they were defeated and con
Guered, and thereby forfeited all their
rights Hereunder, and that this section
is now proposed rs one OF the terms OF
their restorotion. that by the act of re,
belliOn and war by the South, theil
slaves were made free people; and il
this section is not adopted, the South
will not only not have lost strength in
the government by the rebellion, but
will have gained by having the whole
number of the colored population count.
ed in the basis of representation, and
represented in Congress, instead OF
tlree-fitths, as when they were slaves
Indeed, one-third of the power welded
bv the South in the national govern
meat will be based OH this population;
and that, too, while the latter have no
voice in either the State or national gov
ernments.
1t is also contended that the purpose
of this section is to force the South to
confer suffrage on the negroes. The
truth is that it leaves this question OF
suffrage, as Mt present, to the States. No
State is required to confer or refuse 1t,
but each is left free to decide the ques-
tion for itself. But, as is declared on, its
face, it simply provides that, where the
right to vote is denied Except for crime)
to any of the male inhabitants OF q
State, of proper age, the basis of repre-
sentation in such State shall be proper
tionately reduced. 1t is intended there
by to equalize the representation in
Congress from all the States, North and
South, by basing it very nearly, though
not precisely, on those whom the States
recognize as entitled to o voice in their
governments.
But it is said that the operation of
this section will be much more seriously
felt in the South than in the North, be-
cause there are at present so many more
of such excluded persons in the former.
This may be true, but it does not affect
| the prlnclple or tne Justice VI tne Pro-
vision. The South decide for them
selves that these persons are not fit to
exercise political power, and they
should not expect to avail themselves
of power as against others which they
ignore among themselves. The princi-
pie is eminently just in itself, and
should be accepted as such everywhere
throughout the land. ro.
The third section renders ineligible to
Office any person who, having as an Off
Ger previously taken the oath to sup
port the constitution of the United
States, shall have engaged in rebellion
against the same. But this disability
may be removed,by vote Of two-thirds
of each House of Congress.
The ruling spirits of the South de-
termined no longer to submit to the
government, and defied its authority,
and set up for themselves, within its
jurisdiction, a separate and alien organ
ization. Some claimed the right to do
so under the constitution. Others-and
il is believed large majority-as may
do