Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-12-12
The constitutional Amendment

II AS the iaSJ 1esslou ot the t11ty-nlnLn
Congress moves on the public mind is again
/ stirred into deep consideration Of the So
called Constitutional amendment Itiswith
deep pain that we see journals like the Chi.
cago Times, the Boston Post and the Albany
Argus deserving the ancient faith, and aban-
/ doning principle for the sake of expediency.
Basing their arguments entirely upon the
ground of policy, they seem to forget that
the Democratic party is founded upon the
immutable basis of devotion to principle,
and cannot sacrifice its convictions of right.
Chagrined at the success of the Radicals,
| in the late elections, they wish to adopt the
tactics of the enemy, hoping thereby to at
tain the same triumph. Never was there a
greater mistake. Never was there a more
fatalcause, and the great masses of the Dem
ocratic party, who viii not abate one jot of
their regard for Constitutional rights, and
who Indignantly repudiate any compromise
of principle, will sternly rebuke the co10ard-
" course of those journals in deserting the
ancient faith and going after strange gods. =
The Democratic party is necessity of our
form of government 1t originated as le-
gitimate consequence from the spirit of our
institutions. It is the conservator of our
liberties, and the guarantor of our constitu-
tional rights Its instinct with principle, is
as immutable as principle, and viii neither
pass away nor abandon its high and holy
mission until the Republic is gone, and an-
other form of policy established upon the
ruins of the commonwealth In the name
of the great Democratic party of the country
we Indignantly rebuke the course ef these
Journals above named in recommending the
adoption of the Constitutional amendment,
and protest against their betrayal of the old
faith, their cowardly desertion of their po-
litical brethren, who have fought the good
fight SO sternly, steadily and uncompromis-
ingly. 7ss
The Constitutional Amendment" is a
violation of the letter and spiritof the Con-
stitution, 1t is contrary to the forms of the
pact which writes US one nation. 1t estab-
fishes condition precedent to the admission
of the Southern Representatives, which is
utterly subversive of the equality of the
States Itmakes of Congressa gigantic and
remorseless consolidated aristocracy, chang
ing our form of government at one tremen-
dous blow. It denies the fundamental ak
iom of the Declaration of Independence
that all governments derive their just pow
ers from the consent of the governed. 1t is
naonstrous t0rong, fit sequence to the
aristocratic teachings of Federalism, and
unworthy is any freeman who endor es it, to
enjoy the benefits of constitutional liberty.
1t seeks to plant, at one effort, upon the
broad basis of political azd social equality,
the negro race with the whites. This can
not be done. No mere human legislation,
no tyranical ukase, no despot's command or
minion's slavish obedience, can alter the
imrputable work Of the Lord Cod Almighty.
Between the negro and the white there is a
gulf so deep and broad, dug by the hands of
God Himself, that no human effort can
bridge-no human legislationfill up. Upon
It's face the Constitutional Amendment.
seeks to violate: to disrupt, to destroy, the
sacred provisions of the Constitution and to
alter the work of the Living God Himself.
OF necessity it cannot succeed. 1t must
not, it should not 1t is contrary to every
line of our political teaching-to every iota
of our political tradition-to every tenet of
our political faith. The great Democratic
party of the country are sternly resolved not
to allow such an infamous wrong to be even
temporarily or partially successful, and the
Chicago Times, the Albany Argus, the Bos-
ton Post, which are followed by the Wash
ington Star, will meet, are meeting, with
the unanimous and thoroughly indignant re-
buke of the Democratic party.
A New Book BY Mrs EMMA D. E. N.
SoUTHwoRTH.-T. B. Peterson & Brothers,
Philadelphia, have in press and will publish
on Saturday, December 18th, new book
by Mrs. Emma d. Z. N. Southworth, enti-
tied THE Bride of Llewellyn," which will,
beyond all doubt, proves to be the most pop-
ular and successful work that has ever been
written by her, for she is beyond all question
the most powerful female writer in America,
if not in the world. No one ever read
chapter of one of her works, without wish
ing to read the whole book, and none ever
read one of her books without admiring the
rare genius OF its author, and wishing that
she might soon write another. Her scenes
are life pictures, her incidents are founded
On facts, and her sentiments are character
zed by singular purity both of conception
md expression. She has the rare faculty
of saying what she means, and of saying
t in such manner that her. meaning can
lot be misinterpreted In short, she pos
'esses in an eminent degree those qualifca-
ions which are the peculiar prerogatives of
| good writer, and while she delights the
'eader's imagination with her descriptive
beauty, she applies home truths tohisunder-