The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1865-12-07
The Plot TktCkenS.

Il is now pretty we'll understood that
southern members of Congress are not to
be admitted TO seats in that body until the
States they represent shall have not only
passed the constitutional amendment abol>
ishing slavery and placing the freedmen
under the direct su .oervision of Congress,
but shall also admit them to the exercise
of the elective franchise and permit them
70 testify in all the courts under precisely
the same rules, and on the same terms
applicable to white men. That Congress
has any constitutional right TO impose
terms upon State regulating the qualii-
cations of electors or witnesses, n intelli>
gent honest man pretends. Even Gov
Morton in his late message admits as much
relative TO the control of elections in the
several States, and surely the general
Government has no right to assume the
regulation of the practice in State courts.
To assume such right is no more nor less
than dangerous usurpation by Congress
which ought to be met ON the Threshold
with firm and determined opposition by
all who have Just sense of the liberties
of the citizen, or the rights ola State. We
are aware that the doctrine Of State
Rights" as contended for by the south in
the recent rebellion, has been by the force
of arms permanently settled, and the
country will cheerfully abide the result,
but it by no means follow, that the States
are deprived of all rights. That which
has not been delegated to the general
Government by express grant in the Con-
s.itution, Is by the explicit statement of
that docu mont, Preserved to the States. or
to the people, and the people of the States
shonld see that it remains where it belongs
At least till such time as the States or
the people shall surrender TO Congress the
rights reserved to themselves. This can
only be done by amending the Constitution
of the United States as provided in the
Constitution itself
The radicals just now seem to have
adopted the line Of tactics pursued by q
dutchman of whom We once heard. lis
son having committed some real or imagin-
airy offence, he gave him sound thrashing
which the young hopeful received with
becoming acquiescence The old man
seeing him thus quiet. exclaimed, 'vot
you thinks? ," Nothing" eyes you do;
know vot you thinks, you links d-n it,
and vips you for dat" The south hav :
ing acquiesced with as good grace as pos
Fible in the result Of the war, and havn 2
abolished slavery with less opposition than
was to have been expected, the radicals
insist that they nevertheless think
d-n it, and have determined to punish
them still further. not for what they do or
leave undone, but because they fear the
beople of the south do not think as north
ern radicals would have them think. -
Even if the southern people should accede
with aiacrity TO all the demands made
upon them, (.nd they have done so thus
far, still the radical puritanical element
of New England aad its lick-spittIes in
the west would as strenuously oppose the
re-admission of the southern States as they
now do. Why Because the States
once 4sore in harmony and peace, there
would be an end to much of the govern
ment patronage at present existing, by
means Of which hundreds Of thousands Of
the elect are and have heen amassing
princely fortunes. The Sc sleek-faced
Aminidabs have no notion Of being Just
vet deprived of the golden (greenbock ,,
opportunity Of rearing brown stone fronts"
and of providing Themselves with those
concomitants of wealth enjoyed only by
aristocrats and shoddy nabobs.
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