The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1866-09-20

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Paper.
The subjoincd is taken from a lengthy
article in the New York Post, one of the
ablcst republican papers in the country
We would like to publish the article in
full but our limited space will not per-
nit:
The southern State governments have,
therefore, practically, the recognition of
Congress. But, says some Que, "Con>
grcss has RI ght and duty to examine their
Constitutions, to sec that they arc republi
can in form" We reply, why then, did
not Congress perform its dutyy In an
eight months session it made no attempt
or offer to do So And here VIC desire to
say that this question, whether State
Constitution is republican in FORM" is to
be decided not on the arbitrary judgment
of one Congress, which may be ovcrhauled
and overturned by the next for that would
lead only to endless confusion and anarchy
Evidently State Constitution is ''repub-
lican in FORM in the sense of the supreme
law Of the land, if it contains nothing con-
trary to that supreme law Of the land-the
United States constitution. 1t is to be
compared with that instrument and Judged
by it, and if it conforms with that, Con-
gress has no right or authority to refuse or
reject It.
But, We say further, that it was the A. 4@>
ty OF o. .sress to perform this work at
once, when the States presented themselves
in the ersons Of Senators and Represen>
tatives. 1t has TO right to postpone in
definitely this Important duty or to say,
I'VE will change the Constitution first be-
fore We will compare your State Constitu
tons with it.
1t seems to us a plain requirement Of
the Constitution, that the States should be,
without delay admitted to representation.
1t Is also, in cur view, the only sound poll
cy, and we will cndeavor to give our rea>
sons.ior this opinion. In the first place it
must be evident to all, that while this ques
ton is kept open, all others, however great
their Importance, or however they press,
are kept off Now, there are other matters
most urgently demanding our whole attcn>
ton. Our finances are still in great dis
order, and the most experienced and
thoughtful men apprehend serious and
perhaps fatal trouble to the country, un-
less the national finances are wisely mana>
ged and promptly placed on a sound foot
ing. The credit system in our internal
commerce. is daily spreading the time in
which we can return to specie payments
without deadly shock to industry and
trade is rapidly slipping away the evils to
which we exposed ourselves by our fnan-
cial errors are approaching; we are threat
ened with disasters which are appalling to
those who are able to measure them
which Will, if they are permitted to over,
take Us, PROSTATE every form of industry
in the country, enormously diminish our
revenue. and lead to such general distress
and discomfort as may tempt the nation to
,sentertain dshonorable thoughts in regard
l3dats public debt
Moreover, our whole tax system urgently
needs thorough revision. 1t is now, what
1t has been for five years, the most com lex,
burdensome, wastetul annoying known to
civilized nations. IL is 50 badly arranged
that it largely and unnecessarily increases
the cost of all articles of daily consumption
1t is a clog upon every industry it puts a
stop to railroad extension SO necessary to
our welfare to house building, so necessary
for the comfort the people to shipbuild-
ing, so necessary 10 the profitable cxten
sion of our commerce it checks all improve
ments-ior everybody and everything waits
until the tax system shall be revised. 1t
Expresses the laboring classes. As is shown
by the anomaly Of constant strikes in a
country which Is most sparseiy supplied
with labor. 1t impovcrishcs The people ; it
multfsscs the army of office holders, aud
thus d&noralizcs the people; and no one
denies that even greater revenue than We
now raise might be got By far less inju>
lous system.
Again, it cannot be denied that our State
and municipal affairs, in all the States,
need, ut once, the most careful attention
They were very naturally neglected during
the war, and neglect bred mismanagement
and waste; the war bred heavy State
municipal debts the hlbits Of enormous
expenditures for war purposes infected all
local legislation and now in most of the
States, and unless We pay strict attention
to our affairs. and insist upon most strin-
gent economy aud the most thorough good
management, we shall be ruined in detail
before We know It, Not only orr State
finances, but, as we remarked Yesterday.
our prisons our courts, our public works,
all need reforms, which they will not get
unless the people are suffered to turn their
minds from 1.-The south to their own
homes and their attention from Congress
to their local Legislatures
These things being So, it is oxpedient,
and indeed necessary, in our view, that the
one troublesome question which has too
long absorbed the public mind shall be
settled { once in order that We may qulck>
ly look after these vital matters
Nv uld YOU, then, give over the loyal
blacks to the mercy of those who hate
them ," asks some one. Assureily not
But have we not the necessary guarantees
If the laws in the statute book are enforced,
will not liberty be secure everywhere =
Slavery is abolished; the civil rights AIT
guarantees to the blacks equal rights before
the law everywhere. The States are al
ready very generally conforming their leg
stations to the provisions of the civil rights