The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-01
The Constitutional Amendment and tn
Political Parties Of the Day.

From the N. y Herald.
Article fourteen of the amendments of the
Constitution declares, first section, the equality
of all citizens In their civil rights, and that
persons of all races and colors born or natu-
rallied in the United States are citizens
thereof and of the State in which they reside;
second, that representation in Congress shall
be restricted or extended in proportion as the
right of suffrage may be restricted or enlarged
by the several States; third, that certain
Rebels shall be disfranchised and disabled from
holding certain civil offices, state and national,
until absolved by twO-thirds vote OF each
House of Congress-; fourth, that the validity
of the national debt pensions, and bounties
shall not be questioned, and that all Rsbel
debts and claims for slaves shall be held illegal
and void; fifth, that Congress shall have
power, by appropriate legislation, to enforce
these provisions This article the Secretary
of State has proclaimed as duly ratified by
'more than three tourths OF the States, =" and
that, therefore, it is "valid to all intents and
purposes as part of the Constitution of the
United States"
Here then we have a definite settlement of
the questions of civil rights, suffrage, distran-
chisement, and civil disabilities, the national
debt and all Rebel debts and claims for slaves
"a settlement which, in the State elections of
1866, was overwhelmingly approved by the
people from ocean to ocean. But how stand
the political parties of 1868 upon this settle
ment? 1t is the work of the Republican party,
and, although it opens the door for the re-
moval of the Congressional policy of universal
negro suffrage enforced upon the Rebel States
in their reconstruction and restoration, even
Sumner was an active instrument in securing
this ratification. He and his fellow radicals of
the universal tanatical negro suffrage school
doubtless believe that whatever party may
come hencetorth uppermOst in any of the
Southern States it will give the negroes the
largest suffrage in order TO have the largest
possible representation in Congress and in the
Electoral College, which elects the President
and Vice President of the United States. The
Republicans, then, radical fanatics, and wO.
mems rights men, and all, will adhere to this
amendment although it limits the suffrage
to males above the age of tweuty-one years
and restores to the States respectively the right
to establish universal or qualified suffrage
on the basis of property, education, race or
color.
The administration, next with Mr.. Stewards
proclamation of this amendment, is bound by
it, for il is an official act of a recognized officer
of the administration. But what of the Demo
cratic partyY According to its Tammany
platform the Southern reconstruction acts o
Congress are unconstitutional, revolutionary
and void" Against the universal negro suf
frage experiment Of the Republicans there
was Democratic Legislature elected in OhiC
in 1867, and also in New Jersey, and the frs
regular proceeding of each of these Legisla
uTes was the indignant repeal of the ratifca
ion of this Constitutional amendment mad,