THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT 199 



to commend and nothing to condemn. That there was back of and 

 in addition to this a strong sentiment justifying the enfranchisement 

 there can be no doubt but it seems probable that this sentiment was 

 used to justify any further congressional plans rather than that the 

 congressional demand arose in response to the sentiment. 



With a Congress determined to enforce negro suffrage upon the 

 South, the easiest and most natural plan would have been to submit 

 the amendment which afterwards became the fifteenth amendment. 

 But Congress was not quite ready for so radical a step. There were 

 many who were willing to secure if possible Republican predomi- 

 nance in the South, who were not satisfied that the negro vote would 

 remain inconsiderable in all the Northern States. Again public 

 sentiment in the North could not as yet be safely counted on to en- 

 dorse at the polls such an amendment. There was found to be 

 a considerable feeling existing which demanded that the privileges 

 of statehood should not be infringed upon by a measure which prac- 

 tically took away from a state the right to regulate the elective fran- 

 chise as it should see fit. These considerations made some less 

 radical step advisable. 



The first steps looking toward a solution of the problem were 

 taken by the committee on reconstruction, a special committee 

 which had been authorized to have referred to it all matters relating 

 to the organization of the Southern States. Mr. Thaddeus Stevens 

 of Pennsylvania, a member of this committee and the leader of the 

 extreme radical wing of the House of Representatives reported a 

 joint resolution on January 22nd, 1866, which provided "that when- 

 ever 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." 



This resolution although couched in general terms was obvi- 

 ously drawn up with the colored race in mind. Mr. Stevens in 

 speaking in its support attempted to defend it on general grounds. 

 While a state would be at liberty to fix whatever qualifications for 

 the franchise which it might see fit, this resolution would say : " If 

 you exclude from the right of suffrage Frenchmen, Irishmen, or any 



