Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-11-12
PUBLIC LEDGER.
THE SOUTH AND THE AMENDMENT.

THE SOUTH AND THE AMENDMENT
Georgia has declined to ratify tn
Constitutional Amendment. We pre-
same every Southern State, or province
will follow her example. What then
An invitation differs essentially from
command. The first recognizes ire
agency; the latter negatives the idea o
option, and suggests compulsion. III tn
General Government is creation of thu
States, it was created by voluntary con
sent Certainly part of the colonie
did not assume to compel the others t.
ratify the Constitution, as they have
nowhere in that instrument recognized
similar power either in the States or the
National Government 1t was formed
by consent, and can only be amended by
consent. 1t provides the mode, and any
additions or alterations that are not
made in accordance with it are null and
void If the requisite number of States
ratify an amendment that has been
adopted by a vote of both houses OF
Congress, it becomes a part of the Con-
stitution and is binding on all the States.
Until it is adopted, it is not law, and
therefore, not binding. In refusing to
ratify, the Southern States violate no
law, and are guilty of no offense. If
they are recognized as States, they have
right to refuse. If not recognized as
States, they have no right to ratify.
And so, they may decline rightfully on
two grounds. First, that as States they
do not approve, and second, as prov
inces they have no right to ratify the
amendment
Congress may say, we recognize you
as States, and it really does, in submit
ting the amendment to the States of the
South. But they reply, IF we are States,
why have we no representation in Con-
gress? If I'VE are States, we are entitled
to sit there. If we are entitled TO sit, we
are a constitutional part of Congress.
If a constitutional part, that body is in
complete, illegal, and has, without us,
no right to propose a constitutional
amendment" The Southern States were
not permitted to propose an amendment.
Their members we're Washington asking
their beats when the amendment was de-
bated and passed. To pass it, it was
necessary to exclude the South But it
seems that to ratify it, it becomes neces-
sary to include the South. The Southern
States had the same right to elect Sena-
tors that they have to pass an act of rat
ifcation. Congress does not recognize
their Senators as constitutionally elected.
Otherwise it would admit them TO seats.
If the Senatorial elections are void, GER
tainly the amendment, ratified by the
authority that elected them, would also
be void.
But the most serious aspect of the mat
ter remains to be stated. 1t is idle at
this time &c discuss constitutional ques-
tons A party is in the ascendant that
laughs at them. Without blushiDg it
treats the South as a free agent for some
purposes, and as criminal for others.
1t indicts it without allowing it to object |
to the Indictment, condemns it without a
hearing, and then asks it to consent to
the verdict. But what viii be the issue
ofrefusal? Will the South be denounced |
and reduced to territories ? Acts passed |
giving suffrage in local affairs to negroes |
and Withholding it from the white popu-
lation2 General confscation ? Military
occupation? Summary military punish
ments for offenses These are what we /
hear threatened, and the recent elections
have given the dominant party the poicfr
to execute But it i, not quite so blind
as not to forosee that such policy would
beggar the South, beggar the North,
bankrupt the Government and sweep
radicalism from the earth Reduce the
South to a wilderness, and you cover the
streets of New York, Boston and Phila-
delphia with grass you pull down the
factories of New England and render
her sterile hills still more sterile. Before
so mad a policy could accomplish all this
ruin, the people of the North would rise
in their might, restore justice, give free
dom to the South, and roll back the cur
rent Of disaster. To ratify the amend
ment would be an act of humiliation
which no magnanimous peoplein modern
times have invited others, quite as good
as themselves, to commit Conserving
to it would render the Southern people
10 constitute part Of a great
and yirtuous State.
RADICAL TOAST.
The Peoria Democrat says: Tuesday