The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-12-21
The state Constitution.


People sometimes ask themselves why, on
the Surrender Of our armies, an amnesty
oath" was rendered to the southern PEG.
pie, of fidelity to tho Union under the
Constitution. What was the meaning o,
that performance There Is at this day nc
Union, and no Constitution. These coun.
tries which were once States Of the Union
are now, It appears, "districts outside OF
1t; and the Constitution is locked up in
Mr.. SrANroS's desk, or trampled In the
mud under General ScHorIELp's armed
heel. We might as we'll have been asked
TO swear fidelity to the old colonial govern.
ors, long in their graves, or to guard and
cherish the snow that fell last year.
Yet, so long rs the dominant faction at
the North even talk about the Constitution
at all, it Is our duty to plead and invoke
that instrument. Such rags and remnants
of II as may still exist are absolutely all
we have to stand between Us and utter
degradation. So long as there is Presi-
dent sworn to execute it, Supreme Court
sworn to interpret ii, we must strive to
hold on by it as our last resource. A hope
less sort Of resource it must appear to-day,
with one Of our fellow citizens on his trial
before drum-hcad and with oil the other
measures now pending, or in active prepa-
ration, for stripping us of the last vcstige
of law and right. Indeed, the language
held by the organs of the dominant faction
leads to the conclusion that the more
openly those measures are opposed to the
Constitution the better they will be relished
at the North. The Erenig Post tells us
quite authoritatively:
Congress will not wait very long. As soon
as IL is satisfied that the southern States will
not have the amendment, IL will proceed 10
other measures.
IN is uSrkSSsto 1rc1, against such a course the
people in the recent elections have demanded
aud justified IL. II isof no use 10 Sto1 that the
,ct0Le proceeding IS extra constitutional, for the
people reply that defiant and unpublished
traitors snail not take advantage OF cOnstitu.
tional forms 10 gain uufair advantages; they
Will not have such a condition of things Us
makes a vote in the South represent twice as
much rs n vote in the North they will in some
way exclude from power the leaders and origi-
majors of the rebellion. DniS SIid the measures
Necessary 10 obtain such legislation trtrd
StUtiORUi, and 10 that Grtei revolutionary, the peO
yisr,pty: Ne acctp. the risk. Justice is 10 be
done, safety secured, and treason punished at
all hazards"
No use TO argue They accept the risk
And thus, without one single qualm, the
ruling majority in Congress is preparing to
destroy our State organization, and to
abolish our courts of justice, which, in
deed, may as well be done at once, seeing
that the action and authority Of those
courts are set at naught and ignored al
ready by military authority. Immediately
after the holidays, Congress will proceed
with a general measure for all the g dis
trictS," founded on Mr.. STEvENS's bill for
the "dlStrict Of North Carolina. econ
greSs will not wait long" We may sud
denly accept the Constitutional Amend
ment, indeed-for that purpose we are still
States, but for no other purpose. We are
10 be allowed to use State forms just to
accomplish the one closing act Of our State
lfe--to declare ourselves traitors and per-
iurerS, and then perish in the evil odor OF
our avowcd crimes. Indeed, ii would seem
that Congress is tired of waiting already,
and any morning Virginia may lind herself
10 longer State.
We may as we'll look the realities Of
things in the face, and not delude ourselves
with high constitutional talk. 1t is well,
indeed. to plead the Constitution and quote
the Supreme Court, but as yet it is more
than doubtful whether that Constitution
aud that Supreme Court are for US. a
Democratic journal in New York, indeed
tells us We may still rely on the Supreme
Court. God knows We would wish to be-
lieve it. Says the World:
"If Congress assumes that the constitutional
amendment is carried by the ratification of
merely the represented States, and proceeds
10 legislate on that hypothesis, the supreme
Court will set aside all such laws. II Con-
sress undertakes 10 degrade States into Terri |
tories its measures will be stranded on the
same barrier. II Congress undertakes 10 re- |
sist the judgments OF the Supreme Court, the
commander in. chief of the army Will have
some duties 10 perform in such conJuncture'
If this soothing prediction be but veri-
fed, we shall almost begin to believe that
the Constitution is not yet dead, but has
only been sleeping.