Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-10-08

lature specially constructed TO brin,
about the adoption of an amendmon
of the Federal Constitution, and wheI
the State has been told that until I
ratities that amendment it shall mo-
beqepresented in Congress, specie,
Of force has been used, in fraud of ia,
fivcdom Of the State and of the right,
Of other States, and the proceeding
@pnot be valid. If this proposition
wtre not true, what is to prevent Con
gfees having the power Of proposing
ataendments from setting up In any
State new Legislature specially con,
stfncted to carry an amendment, OF
from saying to any existing Legisla
ttze that it must adopt the amend
meat orretire from the Union2 Moth.
inabnt prctext for "reconatruoting,
the State would be needful, and il
recent precedents are to govern, such
pretexts could be easily found,
MICRO SUFFRAGE THE OBJECT OF RECON
sTRUcTIoN.
The process by which these "newly
constituted bodies," as Mr.. Seward
calls them, have become Legislatures
Of the several Southern States, has
been through forcible interference
by Congress, for the purpose of pack
ing Legislature that would ralify a
certain proposed amendment to the
Constitution of the United States. In
support of this assertion let il be re.
mcmbered that the fourteenth amend
ment was proposed by Congress in
Juac, 1866, nine months before the
passage Of the first "reconstruction"
act. Before the end of February,
1867, il was rejected by tho Legisla-
lures of all the Southern States whose
ratifcations are now claimed for it /:
and as only twenty of the remaining
States had ratified it, and public opin.
ion respecting it had begun to change,
the prospect OF its establishment, with
out coercive measures, was very slim.
Thereupon, March 23, 1867, Congress
passed the first reconstruction act.
What was the object of this act 2
Plainly and on its face, its great lead.
ing object was to compel the adoption
of an amendment Of the Federal Con.
stitution, whereby universal negro suf
frage should be brought about, or those
Of the Southern States that refused to
establish it should be kept out of Con-
gress. Accordingly, the act proceed
ed 70 declare that there then was no
legal State governments in those
States; thereby in effect declaring
that their rejection of the proposed
aineIdments was nullity. The act
thendenominated them "rebel" States,
although the rebellion had been ended
for moro than a year, and the States
and people were doing all they could
do 10 resume their normal Federal
relations. The act further declared
those States "subject to the military
Of the United States" and
put them absolutely under military
control. II then required as condi.
tions precedent to the enjoyment of
any representation in Congress that
a State constitution should be framed
by a Convention elected by the adult
males of "whatever race, color, or pre-.
vious conditions" that this Constitu.
tion should provide for universal suf.
frage; that it should be submitted for
TO the same body of voters
of "whatever race, color, or previous
!" that the Legislature cstab-
lished under it should ratify the pro-
posed fourteenth amendment of the
Of tho United States
and that when, and not before, that
had become adopted by q
number Of States TO make it
q part Of the Constitution, the partic-
ular "rebeP State which had duly
complied with the above conditions
might be declared entitled TO repre-
in Congress. In order to
prostrato any civil power that might
be supposed to stand in the way of the
execution Of this scheme, the civil
governments then existing in those
States were declared by the act TO be
provisional" only, and were subjected
to "the paramount authority of the
United States at any time to abolish,
control, or supersede the
same y
THE INIoUITY OF IT.
The stupendous assumption of pow.
Or, and the several features of tho
scheme, disclose manifest purpose 10
force an alteration Of tho Constitution
1f the United States which it had be.
como plain could not be brought about
{ the States were left 10 their consti.
.utional freedom of will. On the one
hand, the Radical leaders in Congress
iaw that negro suffrage, even If by
my contrivanco il could be got into
.he Constitution ofany Southern State,
would have n precarious existence
hat the Constitution Of the United
States must be brought 10 bear upon
he subject; that this could be done
,nly by such plan as that embodied
n the fourteenth ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
y, 20 put tho States under the con-
itraint of a reduction of :heir repre-
basis, in case they should
withhold suffrage from the blacks.
An amendment OF the Federal Consti-
.ution directly prescribing universal
outrage could not be ventured upon |
or il was plain that il could not be !
,arried. But an indirect mode Of for
ling the same result had some chance |
If success; for the States accounted |
rebel could eput under the restraint
IF the military authority OF the Uni |
ed States" and the remaining States
which had not yet ratified the amend
nent could be operated upon through |
heir earnest desire TO see the Union |
nlly restored and to have the South
an States again present in Congress. |
Hence we can account for the other
wise unaccountable part of this extra
ordinary scheme, which absolutely |
the full restoration of the |
Union upon the fnal adoption Of the |
amendment by sufficient number OF
states to make it part Of the Consti-
.uli6n.