Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-01-24

States nor any State shall assume or pay
any debt or obligation incurred in aid Off
ins1prection orrebe bellion against the United
States or any claim for the loss or emanci-
patton ofany slave; but all such debts, OBJ
legations and claims shall be held Illegal
anI VOlu" = -ulIp 'ilus 3hl unG -JyyIl
Yes theyalidity Of the,public debt
shall R9t be qHe4toqed Mark the words- -
q" shall not be questl0hed.p 1t would be TN .
constitutional? pr SUPPOSE to claim ithats
Government bonds or rather the money iara
vested in5bOnds should, be ,taxed.,,r ,.,t,,r
Suppose the Representatives OF the peo-' .
pie should at some popular election, be in-i
structed to pay off some ofethOse bonds ben
fore maturity, 0rapy OF the many questions
inregaTd toIthe public debt should arise.
The rich d-holder77paying no taxes
bearing none OF. the burdens ofthe people,
at large Claiming contract with the Cow
ernment, and holding the Obligations Of the
Government as part of the Ypublic debt"
would confront the people with this pro-
vision. They would seek to sti1le public
discussion, silence the public press-strike
downfree speech every where, because, for
soOth, the validity of their obligation
"shdU not be Questioned" An inquiry shall
not be instituted in our Courts, or any
where else in regard to that contract. ''Nor
shall the United States or any of the States
assume the payment of any part of the
Confederate debt" .' "''t,
The Southern States have themselves re-
pudiated these debts. W hat man in the
North wants to pay more than the debt we
have been contracting TO put down the re-
bellion? The whole section Is a superflui-
ty and Is intended only for sort of an in
dorsement to push through the preceding
iniquities to catch the favor of these who
do not feel the pressure of our public debt.
These then are the provisions we are
called upon to engraft upon the Federal
Constitution. ..U.-. .,.I g.5 Ylfg--.a
1t is hereafter to be the supreme law of
the land, as regards the limitations ofpOw-
ers placed upon States, instead Of as here-l
tOfOre delegated expressly to that Govern
ment. We have heard 10 arguments from
gentlemen why this should be done. They
open not their lips. They make no reply,
but treat the arguments of the representa-
tives of over two hundred thousand white
freemen of Ohio with silent contempt. ,
We can only suppose what their argu-
ments would be, while endeavoring to re-
1ute them. lt rH3'f 20 .p-r
We need not argue, that it conters di-
rectly the right of citizenship, and the con-
sequent right of suffrage upon the colored
population. I think gentlemen would ad-
nit that circumference is a iair one. Why,
not leave the people of the several States to
consult their own feelings in regard to this
matter? In this, as / before remarked, 1t
changes our whole system and theory OF
government. 77i'aIlG3 .iaaIlH 7sdf 10
1t is part of that same line of policy,
which has been pursued for years. Indeed
in the same line with the general tendency
of affairs Since the foundation of the Cow
or M lfTIt laid .IYt fot hap Tho Ou-
ernment at Washington has steadily been
becoming stronger. 1t is already more
grand, more powerful, better paying Gov
ernment than those insignificant ~ State
Governments. Ambitious men already use
these only. as stepping stones to enter the
other, AS.they rise in power therein, they
continue to ask for more power fflofeSAu-'
thority, until soon State Legislatures will
have but little work to do.ylvauT q.rrL
But | hear sOme gentlemen say that we
must prevent Southern traitors from ever
again obtaining sufficient power in.ithe
Federal Government, for when united withi
Northern Democrats, they may be able ,toi
destroy the Government. .-,. .i,oog 50.
This opreteXt is alleged by al, but per-
haps believed only by the most credltlors.
/ have already adverted to The fact that
itisonly for the purpose of preserving
pdrty,, and keeping it. in power, that this
amendment is sought to be forced upon the
country. Is there then any possible dan
CERT the country from such coalition?
Time was when these Southern men were
United with the Democrats of the North
The secessionists severed their connection
with the only National party then in exist
ence, and With hthat severance came the dis
solution of the Union-temporarily so, Lam
willing yet to believe. Did the Democratic
party of the North follow their Southern
partisans into the vortex of rebellion |?
Did not Stephen A. Douglas, tile Ccom-
petitor of Mr.. Lincoln, make his last tour
through the country, and make his last APP
peal to his supporters urging them to
stand by the Government of our fathers,
and did they not doit? Did not the Young
Democrats enlist with your own partisans?
Did they not march side by side under the
same banner, i'll the same company and reSi-
ment, fight the common foe upon the same
5nttle-iields, s,achieve the same victories par.
take of the same glory, and fall side by side
with each other on the same CORY fields?
They now lie buried side by Side all over
the South, and the evidences of mourning
for their, loss is yet seen in Democratic
households all oyer the North. Did, the
Democratic party of the North refuse to
Did they fail in their duty |? When YOU
appealed to them to help you save the
Government, did they refuse to assist?
You know they did not; you dare not deny
it. and yet you say you are afraid, in view Of
all that is past, to trust them.(O You say so,
you do not mean it! You could not have
saved the Government without their assist
ance, and you well know it. But we op-
posed the administration carrying on the
warlj ~ es we did do that, in several par
ticulars. We did denOunce as runconstitu-
tional the trial of civilians by courts mar
tial; we dtd protest against the suspBnsion
of the'iw Of ihabeas corpus ilplaces,
where the civil courts We're open eand cun-f
obstruetedn - we did denounee, the arrest of
civilians without a1idavits or warrants at
thetinkling Of Sewafd's Bell land their trafisIt
portation beyond the limits of their Statespl
and we did protest against their incarcera-
tion in military bastiles. We did do all that;
yealsoPF9testsd against the ssqppression0f
free, speech and free press, While discuss
ing tile necessity and Possible tendency or
ltheseiunlawful proceedings. but were wef
notright in doing sonh Does not nowgtlle
supreme Court of your own reorganizing,
decide that the positions you then 30 stren-
uously contehded for were wrong, and that
iiWeiwere right? HWho now isVindfeated,a at
the hands of the highest tribunal in. the d
Hand known, TO our, ,lawsY Yes, the, ,De-o
iIIhoeraey are, fully. ,yipdicated- again
fully yfndlcated, as being right, and. as &C.
.clpyihg the correct cohstiU6ti 6tionap gfonnd;h
,Yindicat6tlaas being tleyab to the Gonstituro
aon, and laws rOf our country !, and, their,
opponents subject to the charge OF having
been disloyal to their Government and
'enenAies'te it, aThe man whoiyiolates ttH6
(NOnStituti0n or tho lawc 20 a dicIovoI ,,,o,, =