The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-01-25
Tho Constitutional Amendment-The RaeiG

| three-fourths Of the whole number) now repre-
scented in the general government having
ratified the proposed amen ment Of the consti-
tuition designated as article fourteen, and Mr..
Sumner in the Senate aud Mr.. Bingham in tho
House having each introduced q bill for the
declaration of the ratification Of said amend
| ment, the question as to what tbs two houses
of Congress will do with it becomes q very
important one.
We have so often presented the provisions
OF this amendment that we deem at present
mere suggestion touching them sufficien! to
recall them to the minds of our readers. The
amendment, then, first, declares the equality
of all citizens Of all races and colors in The
matter Of their civil rights; secondly, that
representation and suffrage, enlarged or
abridged, shall 60 together, us each State for
itself may elect thirdly, that certain leading
rebels in tho late Southern rebellion shall be
DISTINGUISHED and excluded from Office until
absolved by a two-thirds vote Of each house
Of Congress !; fourthly, that the obligations of
the national debt shall be held sacred, and
that neither the debts of the rebellion nor any
claims for emancipated slaves shall anywhere
be recognized; filthy, that Congress shall
have power to enforce these sevcra provisions.
Now, if the States represented in the general
government constitute in law the United States,
three-iourlhs OF them are sufficient to ra,ify
constitutional amendment In this view this
proposed amendment has been ratified by
the required three-fourths Of the States and
as the constitution leaves the mode Of tho
declaration OF oil such Publications with Con-
grcss the two houses may, as proposed by
bill, declare the ratification consummated and
said amendment part and parcel OF the consti-
tuition as article fourteen. But what will be
the effect of the adoption of this article? The
great objection to it on the part OF the out
and-out radicals is the provision which leaves
the regulation Of the elective franchise where
it now lie5-with the several States To be
sure, there is the condition that il South Caro-
lima, for example, shall exclude her black
population from the ballot box that popula-
ton shall not be counted in counting her
people for representation IN Congress- But
how would this exclusion work? Take one
hundred thousand people, for instance, as tue
requisition for one Representative in Congress.
South Carolina, counting all her people-scven
! hundred thousand-would have seven Repre-
sentaiives. Exclude her blacks from The suf-
frage (and there are four hundred thousand Of
them) and she would be reduced to three
Represcnt atiyes in Congress. And so, In refer
encc to any race or class of citizens, the
federal representation ty this amendment Ia
enlarged or restricted 10 the margin Of the
suffrage.
This appears TO us to be perfectly fair and
inst The right to regulate the suffrage, in
being lett to the States without this condition
OF this amendment, might be unjustly exer-
cised but with this condition there Is every
iniucemcnt to every State to extend the suf-
fIage to its males over twenty-onc years
Of all races, classes and colors. But how
is this amendment to be harmonized with the
universal negro suffrage plan Of reconstruction
now in full operation in the ten excluded rebel
Statesi That Is the question and yet, by the
simple assumption that the amendment will
no, apply to said States till duly restored to
Congress, the difficulty may be surmounted.
But the extreme radicals will never consent to
Ohio, for example, the right TO exclude indef-
nitely her negro population from tho ballot
box. The radicals will rather insist upon q
bill from Congress enforcing negro suffrage
upon all The States. That is, in reality, Mr..
Summers ulIimatum. Notwithstanding his intro
duction OF bill TO declare the ratification oil
this amendmen! as article fourteen Of the con-
stitution.
There is, however, some danger 10 be appre
bended in regard to the amendment abolshiug
slavery II nothing shall be done by Congress
upon this other amendment. Mr.. Seward, al
Secretary Of State, officially proclaimed the
ratification OF the amendment abolishing
slavery on the basis Of Its adoption by twenty
seven or three-fourths OF all the States, includ-
ing half does or so Of the rebel States, as
reconstructed ~ President Johnson. But Con-
gress upset those Southern State governments
OF Mr. Johnson IS Illegal and void and 80,
their ratifcations Of the amendment In ques-
ton being qusshed, u follows that unless
.ssfso-fourshs Of 10 States represented In Con.
| grsss are sufficient TO az an amendment IN the
constitution, the amendment abolishing SLAYER ,
amounts g nothing, and slavery, under The
Constitution, may be re-established in Kentucky
| Tomorrow. 'a- a. S-A4e -
/ VT ~~n~s.tl- A..