The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1866-11-29

the amendments to the Constitution juss
proposed by Congress, and adopted in
the recent elections by an immense ma,
jority. Will the people undo their own
work! And undo it for no earthly pur-
pose but to give power to rebels? No.
The American people are incapable of
fickieness and perversisy like that
Happily, the elections have settled the
political power of the country for four
years. Let it remain settled. The am
endments to the Constitution have been
presented to the South as the platform
Of fair and moderate men. There is no
proposition to hang, burn or destroy
rebels, to confiscate their property, or
disfranchise their votes. On the con-
trsry, it is proposed to admit them at
once to their share in the Government,
on assent to three principles: l. The
equal right of all men before the law;
2. That no pevared rebels shall hold
any office whatever, and, 3. Equal repre-
sentation- This is fair and just 1t
leaves the question of suffrage open to
the States themselves The bitter part
to the South-that for which they pro
pose to reject the amendments-is, that
perjured rebels shall not hold office. This
they consider degrading Why? Simply
because these perjured men make up the
greater part of the able and influential
rebels. Without these the people can.
not be controlled, and the political re-
beliion made successful. Amnesty, if
we understand it, proposes to set up
these illustrious villains, and attempt to
control them by the impartial suffrage OF
negroes. Such a scheme as that NAV do
for some political Utopia, whose people
leuium, when no voting will be neces-
sary. Bat if we expect to suppress the
political villainy and corruption, which
we have seen rampant in this country
for twenty years, both North and South.
we must take the bull by the aornes and
chain him to the post And if we don't
the times, that is what
the Western people mean to do The
to the Constitution by Con-
yress are just They violate no State
rights, and they will multiply the power
Of the leading rebels. They know this.
md therefore propose, through their
Northern organs, a scheme which, if
adopted, will give them the fruits of vic /.
,ory, while protesting to adopt Republi-
IAN principles. This is not the first time
such scheme was proposed. When I
Satan whispered in the ears of Eve, he
'aid she should not surely die, but be !
ike the gods-knowins sood fsom eFH.
Conaress has but one thing TO do |
nd that is the voice Of the people
tand on the platform they hare made. and
he President and the South must come
o their feet. Let the members Of Con-
,ress, especially from the West, guard
gainst the schemes, however plausible,
which are presented with view to des
royinss their plan or dividing their coun- |
els. 1t is said the South will reject the
arm done? What would be the practi |
al effect of that? Simply to keep them !
nut till after the Presidential election. |!
What of that? Will that help their /
ause? So fer from it, that they will
certainly adopt the amendments as soon
s they see that Congress remains firm.
And if they do not, what of it? The
world lived long after Caesar died-and |
1t may possibly survive the
oss of rebel votes. Negro suffrage will
lso surely come; and what harm will
hey or anybody suffer for wasting three
II four years? Is voting panacea for ,
IL evils? Then why not confer it on
Fomen? Had New York City any better
andidatc for Congress than Mrs. Eliza
'eth Cady Stanton? No. Let US look
'efore we leap When the Democratic
'artv eats up its words and nullities its
onduct of thirty years, it is simply the
Id cat under the meal Nojustice requires
s to be in any haste to force suffrage on
ny State, and if, as Mr. Johnson and i
he Democrats have constantly asserted, !
be rebel States ar still Stotes, then we /
annot, without absolute annihilation Of
II State rights, force any kind of suff :
age upon them. But sufficient Tor the {
ay is the evil. Let US stand where we ,
re, in the strength of right and justice
and victory. E. u. NJ
Cincinnati Gazette, Nor. 18th, 1866.