The Portland daily press., 1868-12-05
The impending Constitutional Reform.
LET PEACE BE EMBODIED IN THE ORGANIC


LAW.
Even before the regulation of the finances
remedy for a specific disorder of the body
politic-comes the consideration of a constitu-
tonal reform tha' is designed a. a medicine
for the general public health. The Declara-
lation of independence and the Constitution
have been printed side by side .ong enough to
warrent the erasure OF the black rule that has
separated them, so that they may become gone
in spirit
When Congress assemblies Monday, one of
the first movements will be in favor of an i'm
partial suffrage amendment to the constitu-
ton. Sumner and others of our most able
and sagacious statesmen have long been of the
opinion that it is competent for the national
legislature to regulate suffrage in the States;
but they have been overruied and by general
consent equal political rights are to be formal
ly incorporated into the constitution by an
amendment
Conservatism, observing that this attack
upon its stronghold is inevitable, has taken
the field early and will endeavor to give the
amendment a shape that shall make it as little
efficient for the purpose intended as possible
Conservatism proposes, for instance, that
the amendment shall merely give Con-
gress power to regulate suffrage, so that in
case of the election of a Democratic Congress
hereafter, there may be a chance to reverse
the action of the present Radical Congress
This will not do. The amendment must forbid
the States to limit the franchise on invidious
grounds, and not leave equal rights subject to
temporary and partial lamentations of public
opinion on at the mercy of accident or
fraud.
Again, Conservatism proposes that the
amendment shall provide for impartial suffrage
in the election of members of Congress and
Presidential electors only, leaving the States
to regulate as they will the franchise for State
and municipal officers. This is clearly wrong.
1t is even more important that all good cti-
zens should have voice in the management
of the affairs of their State than it is that they
should have their due weight in the general
government. The State makes the laws that
relate to property and to the security of per-
son and reputation The State imposes the
taxes, and the only taxes, that the majority of
citizens pay. 1t is of paramount importance
that all who have not forfeited their rights by
crime should be represented in the State
Besides, if the amendment is to stop short
when it reaches the States, the restriction of
the franchise will have its effect upon the gen.
eral government, after all. The legislatures OF
the States elect United States Senators, and it
would give rise to curious and useless an
omaly if universal suffrage were to be the rule
for one branch of Congress and restricted suf-
frage for the other-if the House is to be elect
ed by universal suffrage and the Senate elect
ed at second hand, as it now is, by men who
are themselves elected by part of the people,
Conservatism talks of property of education
al qualifications-or coupling universal am
nesty with impartial suffrage, and of any thing
that will prove an obstacle to the establish
ment on firm basis of the equal rights OF all
men. Fortunately Congress is Radical. We
have an abiding confidence that matter of SO
much Importance will be managed in such
a wav as to set the txeSSiesone matter of the
franchise forever at rest. Anything short of
this can only result in further commotion and
the periodical breaking out in one form and
another of f"the war for the Union"