Year: 1869

keepe on 0Asy at MS woFE and seems the least In
terested ef any Of the parties. He knows he VIII oe
sustained by Clapp, the Government Printer, and


that b all that really concerns him. d


The Lnbors Of tho Census Commitiee-Emect


vf the Fifteenth Amendment en- the Basis


Of Represent alton.


Among the subjects discussed by the Census Com


mttee at their recent session in this city was the


apportonmept OF representatives, to be made on the


basis OF the census OF 1870. The subject was Incl


dentaly brought mp, but It proved one of the most


interesting. not to say exciting, questions that


was considered Mr.. Haldeman, OF Pennsylvania,


the only democrats who was In constant


attendance upon the sessions OF the COM


mittee pointed out the fact that in accordance with


the provisions OF the fourteenth amendment to the


constitution some important changes would take
place in the representation Of Q number Of the
Northern states, especially II the fifteenth amend
ment should fail OF ratification prior to the taking OF
the census. This was news 70 the prominent radi-
cal members of the committee. Tney stared at each
other as II new idea had suddenly dawned upon
them. The second section Of the fourteenth article
Of the amendment provides that '~" '9'''s t


Representatives shall be appointed among the
several States according 70 their respective num-


bers, counting the whole number Of persons IN each


State excluding Indians not taxed: But when tne
for President and Vice President Of the United
states. Representative IN Congress- executive and
nereo denied 70 sny q the ais
inhabitants OF such State, being twenty-one
Abridged except for participation IN rebellion or
other crime the basis of representation therein shall
be reduced in the proportion which the number & Of
citizens twenty -one years OF age In such State.


There has been no spportionment Of representa-
tives among the several States since this amendment
became part Of the constitution, ana Of course
Its eject has not been felt 1t Is question
able whether the radicals In Congress In
passing the amendment or the Legislatures in rati-


tying it, anticipated Its consequences. It win be OBJ
served that 1t will have effect whatever upon the
representation OF the Southern States because those
who dlsfranchised for participation in the rebel
lion are not counted out In the apportionment. In
the Northern States, however, where the negroes
not allowed to vote, and in some of which there are
property educational and nativity tests, its effect
will be sensbly felt Heretofore the negroes in the
Northern States well as all other classes dsfran-
chised from whatever cause have been taken into
the account In making the app0rti0dment for repre-
sentatl0n In Congress. In establishing the basis
under the Of 1870 they will be left out, and
the ratio Of representation reduced accordingly.
Large States like New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio,
which refuse to enfranchise their negroes, Will lose
from one to two and perhaps three, representatives
EACH and other smaller States in proportion. So
much for the erect OF the fourteenth amendment.
The adoption OF the fifteenth amendment would Of
course change the aspect Of the to q consider
able extent. All the negroes in the Northern States
would then be voters. The only persons disfran-
chised would be those coming within the scope Of
the property, educational and nativity qualification
OF such States as Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
1t is not believed that there are sufficient Of these
In any Of the States to AFFECT their representation
The best informed among the radical politicians re-
gard the rau1cation Of the fifteenth amendment by
the requisite number Of States, prior TO the taxing
Of the census in June, 1870 as extremely doubtful
So Tar the Official records OF the STATE department
show that but twelve out Of the requisite twenty
eight States have ratified the amendment About
two Of these, Missouri and Kansas, there s some In
formality. Some other States are reported to have
ratified the amendment; but there is dis
pute about 1t, and the State Department
has no Official Information on the subject
Taking it for granted that the fifteenth
win not be ratified in time the four
teenth amendment, which, 1t win be remembered at
the time Of is passage, was supposed to be
punitive measure for the South, win really prove an
injury to the North. The basis OF representation
once fixed under the new census remains unds-
turbed for ten years. So that even should the
fifteenth amendment be ratified the next year after
The census is taken 1t will only result in the negroes
the Northern States being allowed to vote without
being represented in Congress. This Is trap
which the radicals set for others, and there Is a
brilliant prospect just now Of themselves being the
first TO fail into 1t.