The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1868-12-12
Constitutional amendments.

The eNpcdicncy Of adopting new Cons,itu.
'innal ncudment Tor securing and regulating
impartial suffrage in all the States seems to b.
generally assumed, aud drafts to that effect are
undergoing discussion in the prrss as well as By
poliiiriaus everywhere. The subject has been
uuayudahly forced upon the attention Of the
l'upl" The solemn pledges Of the government.
aud the success OF any system Of reconstruction
oa'cd upon equal rights. required that dis,inc.
uons o. color should be abolished among the
electors OF the States lately in rebellion, leaving
loyal States 20 regulate the matter for themseves
subicc, To the penalties recorded IN the late Con.
'iiin'ionn. amendment. This is all that eau be
lone now under our organic law. II is plain,
however, that the time is rapidly coming, il i,
has not already arrived, when the anamoly will
ue inioerabc Of denying a larg" class Of the cit.
izens OF Maryland and kentucky the RICH, OF
iuiirage, which the same class enjoys in Virginia
aud Tennesec. even though the former States
.hould desire To continue ii. 10 short, univer.
al outrage ~ evidently to he the rule Of the ~.
iufe let. To accomplish il, new amendment
mns' he framed, which shall nudity tina, clause
of the last one adopted which leaves il to the
option oi any State 10 exclude qualified c,izrns
ron the Franchise, hy submitting to a CORES.
poncng reduction IN the basis ~ it, reprrsen-
alton
This probable rlnshing, ~ well ~ 10. diilc:.l.
~ alnady had IN harmohiEng our reconsiruc.
Top legislation, admoni-les against any undue
haste 81 imprudcncr ia the disposal of this grea,
subject. Having passed through national or.
heal which was never contemplated by the fra.
mers Of the Constitution, and about 10 enter upon
IN ia % new conditions, aud, We trust, Of un-
disturbed permnnence, IL seems right and proper
that We sioulil avail ourselves Of the present
innciure 10 make those rcvisons Of the Consii-
iu,ion which eAPorirIce has demonstrated to be
necessary. The work should be- entered upon
Deliberately, and should la participated in by
The peopc OF all the States of ilie restored Union
iirsds this question OF impartial suffrage Is that
~ reforming the method Of clcciing the Prc.i.
.l,t, ami Iicc ~, iideni. II 10 evident, also,
that the time within which States ratification
~ Constitutional amendment Va TO be valid
ought in br Specified aad the rf,ci Of repeal OF
urh ratification -eitrl Il u possible that 9th
~ point. may require Ia be- disposed Of In this
way
Instead, 'l'sn. II hurrying through Congress
any one of these questions ia the shapr Of n
constitutional amendment, ,o he voted upon be.
ioro the Union Il fully restored, thus securing
ia adoption, il al all, m a manner which cannot
h. ai'iifaciory To the nation a, large, Il would
cen 10 h. better 10 wait for deliberate consid.
ration Of 81 these subjects and their simul,a-
noous embodiment in a series Of amendments for
che action Of the several states OF the entire
Union. II the way should be LEI, open for Pres.
.irni Gran, 10 iui,iate the proportions, by re-
concentrations ia biz frat message Ia Congress,
'uch an origin would carry immense weigh, 10
their favor, nnd could no, but be attended By the
haVVieat results.