The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-23
SPIRIT or THE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THR LEADING JOURNALS
uPoN CURRENT ToPICs-OoMPnRD EVERY
DAY FOR THE EVENING TELEGRAPH
The Constitutional Amendment.

IRON the NJ Y. Nation.
The Suffrage Amendment as it passed the
uouse was in these words: s:--"The right of any
oiti1en of the United States to vote shall not
bs denied or abridge2 by the United States,
~ onv State, by reason of race, or color, or
D,svious condition OF slavery, of any citizen,
r. oloss of citizens, of the United States" But
Il Sonate Amendment Ia in these words:-
IN discriminations shah be made in the
1Tnitsd States among the citizens of the United
S,otea In the exercise of tue elective franchise
AZ in The right to hold office in any State, on
account of race, color, natVlty, education, or
.Ssed ~ In other words, the Senate proposes
a. t6a Legislatures of the various States
,,uob more radical measure than that of the
uorse intended to prevent the possi-
In;tv of oppression for which way
might be opened by restrictions based
an sduoation, origin, or religion. The differ
enoes between the two houses will have TO be
reooBciled by a committee oi conference, and
ofwbat conclusions that committee will come
20 M one can be said to have the least idea,
tor tba present result of the long discussion
~ Congress on the subject seems to be that
all the propositions have about an even
chance of adoption, and that no one can say
what NAV turn up enacted at the end. The
amendment is an attempt to restrain Cor
rather to eradicate) the passions OF domi-
nant and hostile race, not by punishment,
3eclaTatory resolution. We say declaratory,
because although the power be given to Con-
Uress to enforce it by appropriate legislation,
the lepislatien will always be difficult OF exc
Oution, and therefore inefficient.
Il is very true that the idea OF the extreme
members of the Republican party is, that until
the negro is educated 10 that point at which
heosn compete evenly with the white he Is TO be
protected by such legislation as may from
30 4;vna that this
article. for example, will enable the North to
deal summarily with any State which violates
its provisions; that States may be excluded
under it from representation, as the Senate
Committee now proposes, even without its
aid, to exclude Georgia; that Mr.. Summers
motto, "Anything Tor human rights, ," will
clear the way OF good deal Of difficulty, and
what little may be left will disappear very
rapidly before the broad light of such minds
as those OF Messrs. Butler, Logan, and Wade.
This method of dealing with the South is that
which one section OF the Republican party has
long advocated, the policy OF extending the
arm of the Government over the black
until he was quite able to hold his own.
1t was, in fact, system of 'pro-
lection" applied to man, such as we
have been accustomed to apply to maaufac-
lures, its principle being Government support
in the struggle for existence" as long as
needed. The Georgia Committees report
offers an excellent example of this theory of
the duties OF Congress, theory to which our
chief objection is that it is impracticable. 1t
might, perhaps, be an excellent thing, if,
while an inferior race was slowly improving
its morality and intelligence, some impartial
agency could come between it and oppression,
could avert evil and cherish good influences,
could, by gradually educating, perform that
office for its subject which a parent performs
for child. And particularly would such
course be advantageous where the Government
was, as in our case, in a great measure itsel
responsible for the existence of the subject
class. While the tutelage continued the world
would have the admirable spectacle afforded il
Of Government engaged in an effort purely
moral, and at the end of it would have result
which would certainly justify its attempt.
But the trouble is that such thing has
never yet been done, and, as far as we can see,
is Just as impossible in America to-day as il
would have been in Sparta two thousand years
ago, though for different reasons. In Sparta
it would have been impossible, because If it
had occurred to any one to suggest it, the
Spartans would have treated him either as a
lunatio or criminal. In America it is impos-
sible, because, in the first place, the LatSSe--
faire system has been so long and so success
fully worked with our own race that no con-
siderable number of them can be induced to
think of any other, except as the merest tenn
porary shift. Any American, or any English
man, at heart believes that a man who cannot
make his way in the world without assistance
from rulers is, and must be, contemplate
fellow, and if he ia negro will begin to call
him "nigger," and prove the contempt in
which they hold him by cheating him; if they
get chance, by ensaving him. They resent
any interference with this natural chain Of
cause and effect as an interference with theiI
liberty. The hardest charge, perhaps, against
which the Republican party has had to
struggle In Its administration of affairs since
Inc war, has been that which was founded or
the military occupation of the South after the
Rebels had laid down their arms.
Another reason why long continued pro
tectlen OF the negro is impossible is that yol
cannot concentrate public attention on tn
matter for any great length of time. 1t ma.
be said that is not necessary, inasmuch as tn
negro has now the ballot aud the right to b
elected to office. But although neither race
nor color, nor religion, nor education, no
nativity could any longer give ground for de
Priving him of his rights, are we to suppos
tnat those hve guarantees would prevent th
clever white politicians of the South fror
lnolng ways In which TO reach their ends
we need only look at Georgia. There, in tn
laceo law granting the negroes suffrage
every negro member of the legislature ha
been turned out Of his seat, and no remed
mas been discovered at Washington except a
unlawful abrogatiOn of the very statu
under which these members wei
elected' We may be sure that for a vel
considerable length of time the SoutheI
whites will find means by which to overriG
any restriction we may impose upon the
love of domination. No amendment can O.
clude the possibility of intimidation such
That which lately rendered the black vo