Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1869-04-29

TIKI FIvTTRSTH .AsEA Dags- AGAIN
We have already referred IN these columns
70 The ex'raerdinary action Of Congress IN
rrquiriDg OF the .Sto,es Of Virginia. Mis-
-itsippi and TcIa., the ratification of the
Fifteenth Amendment, as = condition pre-
-edsnt 70 The right Of representation
Congress, in the Act Cd this subject,
admits ;h.. they arc States. II so styles
them It say. Tbs, before n, State Of
Virginia. Mississippi and TeIss shah Dc
admitted 10 repre,eDtation.
Now if they are States, they cannot.
without their own consent, be legally de-
prired Of representation
The second section Of The conss tuition
say,, The House Of Repr s,enta,ives 'hoH
he composed Of members ehosen every Sc
eond year By he people Of The '~eera
'.Sf"t''." The language is .imperstive. It
s2mi', Of no option.
Aud so with the Senate The third
section of the Constitution declares The
Senate Of Tie United States .haU &c com
posed Of two Senators from each State. Z
And again. No State. e,sho.t II. cen
,rat. shall he deprived Of its equal suf
frage in the Senate"
Bat here Congress. IN the very act Of
exclusion, admits their Sta,eship, and
then undertakes TO deny their representa-
lion in the common Government, unless
.hey shall ratify nn amendment Of ts own
propofAl.
But again Congress has involved itself
Gin ihis equally inconsistent position 1t
requires these States TO ndopt tao amend
nent before they shall be declared fully
admitted to the Union.
As hos been we'll said This cannot
be Of any force .nd efec, If put IN :he
Constitutions Of the States IN question.-
IF it were, It would not be an adoption OF
tue Fifteenth amendment under the Con-
s,itution. The amendment, if adopted at
all. murt be BIZ the Legislatures Of said
State. after they have been admitted into
the Union By Set of Congress There
will DO no legal Legislature 70 act n the
premises unit! :hnt ~ done. There must
be State FIRST. and th0f Nth reprcsentd-
tton. and then. under the Constitution Of
the United States, the Legislature Of said
State can proceed to act upon proposed
amendments 20 the Constitution.
In other words, the Constitution can
alone Be amended By the sanction Of the
Legislatures or Conventions Of three
fourths Of tho several States. This,
Of course. preruppo.es States in the Ca-
ION. roth in allegiance aud representa-
ton.
But ~ States Of he Union, no condi-
tions can be imposed upon their represen-
fntions, nor can thoy by act of Congress,
be compelled by duress, TO change the
Ce- .t,sus,or ofthc rop-try. It States,
they must stand on The same footing With
all others. And from this position there
!. 40 escape.
The New York Ti~,rs although a Re
publican organ. recognizes the danger Of
this fresh sbsorbtlon Of power BY Con
gress.
Its remarks are 80 applicable to the
times that No give them place
II saws We confess we do not ike
this method either Of admitting these
States or Of amending the constitution, -
It ia departure both from the original
Act Of Reconstruction, and from the fun
ismentsl princi Piles of our Government
The Reconstruction law laid down certain
acts snd principles as conditions of read
mission for all the States that had engag-
cd in the rebellion. A requirement: TO
vote for this amendment was not among
them. 1t is now added as a new condi-
ton. Senators Trumhull and Coukling
both Justly denounced it as violation of
good faith, aud departure from the orig
NAL principles Of ,hc whole policy of re-
construction.
But 49, means Of amending the Con-
st,tution it is open to still graver oNec-
tions We say nothing Of tho character
Of the Constitutional Amendment itself,
which certainly is not beyond criticism
But it i. TO be passed, if passed at all, BY
the vote Of the people, in theory At least,
Blu. this new measure leaves the people
TO voics in the matter-no freedom of
seton whatever, and without such free
dom OF action all pretencs of vote Is
sheer noekcry. They are to be essrced
into voting fer the amendment b Act OF
Congress, If the Constitution IS thus
amended il viii be the sheercst folly to
talk Of ito having heen done by the Will
Of the people or By the seton Of the seve-
raj Stste. II VII hare bee- chdr7ed -
Let Of Corgrr"-Hotk'"g more snd roth
."g lrs.
Dx>rIsrIr 1t may be Of interest 10
apy l.