Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-12-10
vio1at1onssof the Constitutions.

From ,hesN alto nal Intelligencer
The Constitution, article |, section 8, says:
1.-The Senate Of the United States shall be-
composed Of two Senators from each State,
chosen blythe Legislature thereof" &c.
<The Radical party, in most obvious violation
of this clear provision, this imperative shall,
positively and persistently refuses to allow
Senators from ten of the States OF the Union
TO. enter and take their seats in the Senate
Chamber! II lj4rSEf H. 80
"A gain, article III, section 2, The trial OF
all crimes except i'll cases OF impeachment
shall be by jury.
At the recital of this just, wise and beneh-
cent provision of the Constitution, the humane
guard of the innocent, the very bulWark OF
individual liberty, what flood of violations OF
it rush upon the mind The time comes back
when citizens were hunted down at midnight,
like assassins and outlaws, dragged from their
families and homes by hired rufians who lived
by blood money, and thrown into loathsome
prison houses, without knowing what crimes
thew had committed or of what they stood
charged to go through, not tria! by jury, as
ordained for them by the laws of the land, but
the farce of trial by sort of an irresponsible
and illegal Commission, organized not to
try but to convict
Article III, section 3. tNo attainder of
treason shall work corruption Of blood or for
teiture, except during the life OF the person
attainted.
Bearing this plain and imperative provision
10 mind, recur at your leisure to the reck less
and lawless confscations which have already
taken place in various parts OF the Southern
States; and remember, further, the sweeping
scheme of conGscaton contemplated and advo-
Gated by Thaddeus Stevens and other int1uen-
tal leaders of the Radical party. :,
Article Nv, section g.: mo new State shall
be formed or erected within the jurisdiction OF
any other State.
On this point it is not necessary to do more
than simply refer to the territory known as
the estate of West Virginia, carved out of
the State Of Virginia, to promote the rebellious
schemes of Radicalism, in impudent defiance
of the Constitution, which expressly declares
that such thing shall not be done.
Article | Of the amendments: congress
shall make no law + \ abridging the free
dom OF speech or Of the press, &c.
If Radical Congress has not made laws
abridgng the freedom of speech and OF the
PRESS the Radical party has made precedents,
and taught its reckless. turbulent, incendlary
followers, that in these matters they are law
unto themselves. No one can forget, as no
one can enuInerate, the many occasions when
they have sllenced and driven from the stand,
if not driven into dungeon, public speakers
who could not as honest men acqulesce in the I? :
dogmatic Radical doctrines and policy, and did
not share, but condemned and cxecratcd the
prevailing fanaticism of the times.
And turning to the press, who has forgotten
the suppression Of newspapers in all parts Of
the country?
Article H. of the amendment: "a we'll
regulated militia being necessary to the sccurl
ty OF a tree State, the right OF the people to
keep and bear arms shall not be inlringed. .
How many ''well regulated militia" are now
to be found in ten OF the Southern States
though the Constitution declares that such
militia Is necessary to the security OF a free
State and provides that the right Of the
people to keep and bear arms shall not be in
fnnged?' How many ofthe Southern white
people possess arms, or arc allowed to possess
them?
Articles III, ", V, and W. Of the amend
mcnts have all been repeatedly and hagranty
violated. Soldiers have been "quartered' IN
many houses contrary to the third article;
the right Of the people to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers, and effects against
unreasonable searches and seizures" has been
| violated, contrary to the fourth article;
hundreds Of persons have been ''hed to answer
for capital, or otherwise Infamous crime,
Without "a presentment or Indictment Of u
grand jury" who were not in the land OF
naval forces and thousands have been de
prved Of life, liberty or property ilhout due
process OF law, 10 violation of the fifth artl-
Gle. The sixth article which declares it to be
the right OF every accused person to q
speedy and public trial by an impartial jury"
and ito be informed of the nature and cause
Of the accusation against him." has been treat
cd with contempt and derision over and over
again-violated and defied
Thus we find almost every article Of our
great, governing law, the Constitution, has
been shamcfully violated and outraged.