The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1866-08-29

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hiorc than maintain it. It could only
yinlicate and rc-cstablish the di3pu$.
cd supremacy Of the Constitution. Ii
could neither enlarge or diminish the
authority which, that Constitutio,
fonters upon the enlargement CT
abridgment of constitutional power
fan be effected only by amendment OF
the Constitution itself, aud such
amendment can be made only in tho
modes which the Constitution itself
Wcscribes. The claim that the sup
| prcssion Of an insurrcction against the
Government gives additional authori.
ty and power to that Government, cs.
| lecially that it cnlarges the jurisdic-
uon of Congress and gives that body
ttc right to exclude States from repre-
sfntution i'll the national councils,
without which the nation itself can
h2vo no authority and no existence,
sdems to be at variance alike with our
! principles o. the Constitution and
With public safety.
| fThird But it is alleged that in GER
thm pa, ticu!ars the Constitution of
tic United States fails to secure that
absolute justice and impartial cquali-
I y which The principles of our Govern
moEU require ; that it was III these
respects the result Of compromises and
Concessions TO which, however ncccssa-
| ~ whom the Constitution was formed,
we arc no longer compelled to submit,
and thai now having The power though
successful war and just warrant for its
exercise in the hostile conduct of the
nsurgent section, the actual Govern
mcnt of the United States may impose
its own conditions, and make the Con-
stitution conform oall its provisions,
to its ideas OF equality and the rights
of man. Congress at its last session
! proposed amendments to the Constitp-
ton, cnlarging in some very important
particulars the authority Of the Gene
ral Government over that of the snvc-
ral States, and reducing by indircc.
! GigSranchiscmCnt the representative
power Of tie States in which slavery
formerly existed and it is claimed
that these amendments may be made
valid as parts of the originHl Constitu-
ton, without tue concurrence of the
States to bcsnost seriously affected by
Chem; or may be imposed upon those
States BY thrcc-fourths Of the rcmain-
ing States, rs conditions of thcsr read
mission to representation in Congress
and in the Electoral College.
1t is the unqucstionablc right of the
people Of the United States to make
such changes in tho Constitution as
they, upon due dclibcration, may
deem expcdicnt. But we insist that
they shall be made in the mode which
The Constitution itself points out-in
conformity with the letter and the
spirit of that instrument, and with the
principles of sclf-govcrnment and Of
equal rights which lie at the basis Of
our republican institutions. We deny
the right of Congress to make these
changes in the fundamental law, with
ont the concurrence Ct fthrcc-fourths of
all the States, including especially
those to be most seriously affected by
them or to impose them upon States
or people, as conditions of rcprcsonta-
tion, or of admission to any Of the
rights, duties or obligations which be-
long, under tho Constitution, to all the
States alike. And with greater ON
phasis do we deny the right Of any
portion of the States excluding the
rest of the States from any share in
their councils, to propose or sanction
changes in the Constitution which arc
to affect permanently their political re-
latio,s and control, or cocrce the lc-
gitimate action of the several members
Of the common Union. Such an cxcr-
else of power is simply an usurpation I;
just as understandable when exercised
by Northern States as it would be if
exercised by Southern, and not to be
fortified or palliatcd by anything in
the past history either of those by
whom it is attempted or Of those upon
whose rights and liberties it is to take
effect. 1t finds no warrant in the
Constitution. 1t is at war with the
fundamental principles of our form Of
government. If tolerated in one in
stance, it becomes tho precedent for
future invasions of liborty and consti-
tntional right, dependent solely upon
the will Of the party in possession of
power, and thus leads, by direct and
necessary sequence, to the most fatal
and intolorablo Of all tyrannics-tho
tyranny of shifting and irresponsible
political factions. It. is against this,
the most formidable of all the dangers
which menace tho stability Of free
government, that the Constitution of
the United Statos was intended most
carefully to provide. We demand u
strict and steadfast adherence to its
provisions. In this, and III this alone
can we find q basis of permanent union
and peace.
Fourth But it is alleged, in justi-
fication of tho usurpation which VIC
condemn, that tho condition of tho
Southern States and people is notsuch
as renders safe their rcadmission to q
share in tho Government Of the coun-
try; that they arc still disloyal in SEN
timent and purpose, and that neither
the honor and credit nor the interest
of nation would be safe ifthey were
roadmittcd to share in its councils.
We might reply to this;
!, That we have no right, for such