The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-01-13

ant OF our country, and clothed with the
power requisite to its fulfllment of this high
obligation. Ours must henceforth and for.
ever be a Union of free States and a nation of
freemen, or Congress will be grossly delin-
IGuent and eulpable. Governor Perrv's OBJ
lection to the second section of the Constitu-
rtional Amendment may indeed have been
" querolous aud unreasonable" since it is
unwise to resist the inevitable or to object to
the strongest possible guarantees of individ-
ual and general liberty ; but ice cannot regard
his construction Of tie great amendment as
strained or illogical. If Congress shall for
bear to "legislate for the negroes" or for
others, it will so forbear simply because the
States act so wisely and justly that no further
legislation is needed.
The construction here given to the
Amendment by the Tribune is sufficiently
startling, yet even this is mild and harm
less in comparison with that now put upon
it by the Abolition leaders in Congress
through their accredited mouthpiece,
Senator Wilson. Greedy is honestenough
to say that the Amendment does not stop
at the absolute. unconditional abolition of
slavery throughout the United States (;
but he does not say, or permit his readers
to know his views as to just where it does
stop. BE it observed however that he
nowhere intimates that the Amendment
is liable to the construction now given it
By his party in Congress.
Readers viii bear 10 mind that, although
the Amendment had been before the
people ever since the last session of Con-
gress, not the slightest idea was ever put
forth by the party which proposed it, and
which so zealously sought to effect its
ratification, that it contained any such
ingredient as that now developed in SEN
ator Wilson's Bill. 1t was not until Gov.
Perry raised the question of the possibil-
ity that Congress might construe the
meaning of the second clause differently
from that which it seemed to bear upon
It's face that the people were permitted to
know that any such ambiguity or vague
ness of expression was Believed to Turk in
the Amendment. But by that time
nearly all the States across the mountains
had voted finally upon the thing, and
therefore, at that late day, when the
people of those States could not revoke
their ratification if they would, the Tri-
bune did not hesitate to ayow. what it
had studiouzly refrained from revealing
while the Atlantic States were yet to pass
upon the Amendment-that it did clothe
Congress with supreme power oyer the
States. even in their domestic affairs
Aud now, let US call attention to another
peculiar fact in connection with this mat
ter. This official eorrespondesce between
Gov. Perry and Secretary Seward occurred
early in November, and the views Of the
Tribune upon the subject invoked were
given broadcast TO the public a few days
later The Legislatures of California and
Oregon were to meet ia December. The
vote of one or perhaps of both of these
States was then deemed essential to secure
the ratification of the Amendment. II
the people of either of these two States
suspected that the second clause was al
all susceptible of the construction barely
intimated in the Tribune, in the face OF
lSecretarv Stewards disclaimer to Gov.
Perry, beyond doubt they would have de-
manded its rejection at the hands of their
respective Legislatures The loyal tele-
graph was the only medium through
which any iatimation of the highly i'm
portant secret could be diyulged to the
people of this coast, until after California
and Oregon, or either of them, had finally
passed upon the Amendment. Accord
ingly a stopper was put upon the electric
wires. No intelligence could have been
so important to u people, or so eagerly
sought after by them, as that pertaining
to an amendment to the Federal Gonsti-
tuition, and especially when so vital a
question concerning its real intention had
been sprung as that developed in the
Perry-Seward correspondence, and in the
Tribune article. But not a whisper, not
Ia shadow of a shade of an intimation was
ever permitted to reach our people by
telegraph of all this most material matter
We simply get it now, by due slow course
of mail, after the ratification is secure
and final, and when, if the people find
themselves deluded and betrayed, they
also find themselves firmly held in the
Abolition meshes, without the hope OIL
power of redress or relief.
And let the few really sincere and
honest men in the Abolition party o
Oregon observe further-that, although
the organs of their party, and theil
leaders in the State also, are now aware
of the fraud and duplicity and treachery
which has been praeticed by their grea
chiefs at the East, they refrain from
offering one word of censure o. regret
and by their silence give at least tact
assent and approval to the atrociou'
wrong. They cannot, as sincere ant
honest men, any longer continue with thu
party which sustains and applauds, o.
even permits such outrages upon the
rights of the people and the States
lTheir only hope, to preserve the country
against this monstrous iniquity, must be