of representation."

On the 22d of January the Reconstruction Committee, both in the Senate
and House, reported their proposed amendment to the Constitution on
this subject. It was in these words: "Representatives and direct
taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be
included within this Union according to their respective numbers,
counting the whole number of persons in each State--excluding Indians
not taxed; provided, that whenever the elective franchise shall be
denied or abridged in any State on account of race or color, all
persons of such race or color shall be excluded from the basis of
representation." The amendment was substantially the second form of
that proposed by Mr. Conkling. He was a member of the Reconstruction
Committee and opened the discussion on the subject with a carefully
prepared speech. The peculiar feature of this amendment was that if
any portion of the people should be excluded by reason of race or
color, every individual of that race or color would be excluded from
the basis of apportionment. As Mr. Stevens expressed it, if one man
should be excluded from the ballot-box on account of his race, then
the whole race should be excluded from the basis of apportionment.

The proposition led to a long debate, the differences being to a great
extent among members on the Republican side. Mr. Jenckes of Rhode
Island objected to it, because it would not effect the object aimed
at. "Suppose," said he, "this amendment is adopted by three-fourths
of the States and becomes a part of the Constitution, and after its
adoption the State of South Carolina should re-instate her old
constitution, striking out the word 'white,' and re-establishing the
property qualification of fifty acres of land or town-lots or the
payment of taxes, there would then be no discrimination of color in
South Carolina; yet, while the number of her voters would not be
enlarged five hundred, the representation would be exactly as it is,
with the addition of two-fifths of the enfranchised freedmen." Mr.
Blaine objected that "if by ordinary fair play we exclude any class
from the basis of representation they should be excluded from the
basis of taxation, and therefore we should strike out the word 'taxes.'
Ever since the Government was founded taxation and representation
have gone hand in hand. If we exclude that principle from this
amendment we shall be accused of narrow, illiberal, mean-spirited,
money-