Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-04-13
WHAT Is 10 BE THE NEXT srEpY

Our readers have all learned by this time,
that the "Civil Rights Bill" was vetoed by
the President, and has been passed over the
veto. All who have read the Bill and the
Presidents criticism upon its provisions Gre
aware that 1t is grossly unconstitutional in
every feature, and des .ructive Of every right
reserved to the States In the original COM
pact. Will the Federal Court endorse II
Win the Presi lent execute itR Upon the
answer to these two questions hangs the
future Of the country. If the Radicals can
give effect to the Law, constitutional liberty
10 at an end, and despotism, merci,ess aud
grinding, will be the lot Of o people who
have so long and blatautly boosted Of the
freedom Of their institutions and their capa-
city for self-governmeut. We can not be-
Seve that the infamous bill will ever 20 into
effect, but at the same time, confess our
inability to solve either of the questions
above raised. That the action of Congress
ia reasonable and revolutionary, Is vefy
clear; but how II can be counteracted, Is q
question that involves difficulties of no ordi-
nary character. Of course there Is way to
get decision Of the Supreme Court upon the
oouJtitationability of the bill, and II that de-
cision be adverse, there is an end of the
difficulty. Bat will that Court so decide
If honest Il must but there lies the rub. The
Judges are but men, and accessible to the
influences which have maddened and degrad-
ed % many Radicals to whom the title of
gentlemen, was once conceded.
But should the Court decide the bill to be
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES then 2 The Pres dent
has right to decide for himself, as a CO.
ordinate Department of the Government, the
constitutionality of every law; and as he has
sworn to support the Constitution, will he
consent to enforce law which he has
proven to be unconstitutional, and passed by
body having no constitutional existence
1t is needless to disguise the fact, that the
present. Is not Congress of the United
States, and that oil its acts are, at least, of
doubtful validity.
The Constitution requires that, to consI-
tote Congress- each State shall have, at
least one Representative. Thisrequirement
10 nulli6ed by radical faction-accidentail
sdominant majority in both Houses. Ac.
cording to the letter and spirit of the Con-
stitution, the acts of such Congress are no
more binding than the resolutions ola village
caucus lawful Congress doving tue war,
is not necessarily lawful Congress now
Then the Southern States were unrepessut-
ed, because they so wiaed ID; but those
States have been forced to resume their
former status, and required to send dele
gates to, Congress, and as long as those dele
gntes are excluded, tina, body is not con.
stitutional one. These are eur views, bu,
we know not what the President and the
Supreme Court mag decide upon, 10 relation
to this vexed question.
Whatever may be the solution Of the pre-.
sent difficulties, none viii deny ttnt there
IS even more danger now, to the stability OF
our institutions than during the war; If the
Radicals are successful, uni ~ersal ruin must
De the consequence; and the staraling ques
ton is--can the President standing upon
the constitution, defeat the purpose of the ia.
natics and knaves whose motto is "Iule OF
ruin" In the decision of this question, the
only part the South can take Is that of quie,
inaction. Without a vote to uphold the
President we can better serve him by a
wise silence than BY an ill-advised inter.
vention.