The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-21
Nonsense In the Senate.

Nonsense In the senate
from the Tribune
This is a thought which we fancy often enters
the heads OF those who, for their sins or tneir
solace, peruse the reports OF Congressional
doinps and debatings. Most public creatures
who talk for the sake OF talking partly, and
partly for the sac of being reCtionized the
next morning, III the journals, to an immortality
of from seven to ten days, have something
smart, sweet or savage to say about american
Principles which would be more satisfactory
if they would deal a little more in particulars
and little less in generals. Mr.. Davis, for in
stance, who is, as they say in Erin, kno Wedge
able man. besides being Senator OF the united
States, was good enough, a day or two since, TO
tell us that "it is "a fixed American prlacple Jhat
suffrage pertains exclusively 10 wnite men,
This looks promising at first, but When you
scrutnize it. you lind that Davis Is talking as
loosely about Xity as the rest. 1t is trlghtful
presumption, we know, to crOss-questlOn an
honorable Sena or, but perhaps blT. Davis will be
good enough to at rlbute it to our uncomfortable
thirst Tor knowledge, II we INQUIRE the principle
being fixed, who nXed it, and when 1t was fixed
By whom was the principle first enunCiated
BY what body was H. reduced to an enactment
BY what popular vote was 1t confirmed aud In
CCrporated into our fundamental law? For
should be there, il anywhere 1t is dangerous
10 the public sa ETY. to nave principles lying
aVout lOose-they should be cOdlded, en9rosSed
upon S0eeDSHlO, DTluJGu duu DuDllSutu lOl
study, for instruction, and for reference. Nov
il is our opinion. whatever may be its value,
that to save his body from destruction and his
soul from torment, 1t Is not in the power OF Mr..
Senator Davis to put his finger upon the smallest
authority tor his GLIB assumption-f we except
the dCtum of Judge Taney, which, indeed, has
long ago ceased to be authority at all, If it ever
was, which is a matter Of grave doubt. Sut-
frage for white meu an American prlrclple
Why, ever since tue foundation of the Govern
mcUt in many of the States, the black
men have been voting. MASSACHUSETTS,,
for instance. one of the oldest States,
one of the creators OF the nation,
whose great men were among the most lllustrl-
Gus trainers OF the Constitution, has never
dreamed of oufning suffrage TO white men,
and has never mace in this matter the least DIS
tinctiOn on account OF color. Don't they know
IAN American principle" in Massachusetts, when
they see 10? Here IN New York we require of
cOlOred men,. e., men colored black-a certain
special qualification, but, possessing that, they
vote; 80 that here, too, Mr.. Davis American
principler is quite as tar from being authorita-
lively recognized as anywhere else. So, too, in
North Carolina Tor years qualified blacks were
voters. What was the American principle"
doing all this time! Was it discarded? Not at
all. Nothing can be discarded which never
existed.
= The written word alone remains. And 1t is
safest to stick by it. The underlying axiom Of
our institutions is the freedom and equality of
all men. Every deviation from that has proved
to be both a CRIME and a blunder. And If
0lemD0rS OF congress-, pTOlOuuu anu sag
as we know them to be, win permit us to say so,
it is their business not to establish principles
but TO enact laws IN accordance with principles
already established and clearly asCertained aud
defined, not by Senator Davis, who has neither
call nor warrant for the work, but by the De-
Caration OF independence, the American Magma
Charta and by all the traditions of the Repub-
lie, as illustrated and interpreted by common
sense, without special pleading or the bubbles
OF a desperate sophistry. As for the empty
eftigies OF "prIncipes," which such men as Sena
tor Davis are always manufacturing and setting
up and falling down to worship, We know the
hearts that conceived them anl the hands that
made them too well to crook our knees in their
presence. We have seen scores of them elevated
and praised, and pulled down to rot awhile and
then utterly to disappear. We have been called
upon to salute them and assured by Presidents
and Senators, aud representatives, and GOV.
ernors, and Mayors, that the world would cease
to move upon its axis if they were disregarded
We remember when human slavery was an
american principle" We remember wheI
catching runaway slaves was an "Amer'caI
principle" We remember when numbering the
1ree-State emiGrants in Kansas was an Amer
can principle - We remember when acqui
escence in all the demands of sword-bearinG
Rebels was an American principle" We re
member the distinctive american principles
of MIR. Salisbury, of Mr.. Vallandigham, and o
many others whose heads were OF copper alt
whose hearts were OF adamant. And now W
have the american principle OF Mr.. Senate
Davis, which turns out to be just about as uu
American as possible. In slOrt, whenever
scheming actionst, or a discontented disturbe
OF the peace has n notion to support or pom
to carry we may be sure that he will have a
american principien to match the one or In
other; but the time for bl inging suc' goods {
market has gone by Tor the present.