The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-12-23
Wednesday Morning, December %, 1853

Since the passage of the 14th constitutions
amendment and the triumph of the reconstrue,
ton policy of Congress through the election Oh
General Grant by popular majority OF over
three hundred thousand votes, there mas oeeh
loo much disnosit;on manifested to regard the
troublesome onast;on of suffrage as practically
.ettlad pr,, anv unjust and irrational abridg-
mant of the most valuable of the rights Of
American citizenship is attended necessarily
nv 40 much disturbance and by so many dan
gers to the Republic that it will not do to stop
short of absolute completeness in the work.
1t should be remembered that the 18th amend
Inent does not put it out of the power of States
like Maryland and Kentucky to continue for
ever the exclusion of blacks from the polls
Furnishing them only by an inconsiderable loss
of representation in the lower branch of Con-
gress. 1t should be remembered that the re-
construction that was ratified by the Amer-
can people in the election of Grant mas no
efficiency in preventing Georgia and Louisiana
changing their constitutions to-morro" 80 as
to place the most odious restrictions upon the
right of suffrage
To supnlemept and complete the work OF the
last eight wears two plans are proposals. con-
by tbree-fourths of the States, shall forever
secure equality of political rights to all eiti-
zens, or laao of Congress for the attainment
OF the same end, based upon the hypothesis
that it is clothed with the constitutional power
to regulate suffrage in the States.
One Of the most compact and forcible argu-
ments for the course of proceeding last men
toned is from the pen Of Hon. Israel Wash
burn, Jr., who from the first has taken a very
advanced and radical position ON this question
and has from time to time contributed largely
10 the discussion of its constitutional bearings.
The pamphlet before us, entitled "The Power
of Congress in respect to Suffrage" is reprint
ed from paper published ia the Universalist
Quarterly for January. Mr.. Washburn iusti-
ies his advocacy eff impartial suffrage by la,g
instead of by constitutional amendment, by
the assumption that it win be ten or twenty
years before the requisite three-fourths Of the
States can be brought to ratii the amend
ment II this point be conceded, he will quick
ly find thousands hocking TO the support Of
his views who now prefer the sure, safe aud
practically reversible guaranty Of provision
Of the organic law, rather than law which
may b. repealed and the validity Of which,
however uhreasoRably, may b. and will b.
questioned from the first That Congress h
Dot - hopeless in regard 20 thu fats Of a c0n-
stltutional amendment l. evident from the tact
ghat while hamberless resolutions Tor an
amsndment have been introduced during the
leo days o. the preseat SESSION, Mr.. Summer
alsns has proposed sl Coz the regulation u
sanfags. II Cougressasen are wrong aud Mr.
4. A
suf impfolablliiy that such i ~ case-tbe
srgumenis 81 m pamPhlei may well receive
she elo-ssi altsniisa ias al flr frieads q lib
srty sni unisa ~lll agree with a. author that
iasfics and I.sacs cannoi wait" twenty YEAR,.
one point q made VERY cie.r-ifa law oi
80 kini suggested l. Psssei, and its validity l.
nai brought Into too much suspicion BY the
scrutiny q constitutional lawyers. Ia viii have
al 4dmirabls eject in quieting the southern
psopis, Coz they =ill no loager have occasion TO
eomplAia that Northern Radicals have one law
ior he North aud one Cor the South. Another
iorcible suggestion in its favor Is that IL IL goes
iHto operation and classes now excluded from
the polls acquire vested rights under IL and
enjoy them for four years during Grants add
ministration, Il will be a very delicate aud
hazardous matter for those brought into power
BY possible Conservative reaction TO strip the
newly enfranchised Of their rights. We will
not destroy the symmetry Of Mr.. washburn's
argument In support Of the constitutional
right Of Congress 10 enact the proposed law by
attempting synopsis, because it admits of no
abridgment. That some Of the positions taken
are questionable, may be true; but that the
main question is rightly decided by him we
hope, If we do not believe. There is one thing
however, that Mr.. Washburn attempts and
fails to establish. His theory is not the one
adopted by the Republican party at Chicago,
for the opposite one was there distinctly at
frmed. If the party even takes his ground it
will be as the result of future reflection and
new conclusions founded on further study and
research.