Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-11-07

NNt iNAtNNrAt NI iNaIININNAIIN NN lINNIa
ests, or class, or order, or portion Of
the community. 20 obtain exclusive
control, prevents any one from op.
pressing tho other IL is clear that
oppression and abuse Of power must
come, if at all, from the one or the
other quarter. From no other can
they come. Ii follows that the two,
suffrage and proper organism com
bined. are sufficient to connteract the
tendency Of Government 10 oppression
and abuse Of power; and TO restrict il
to the fulillment Of the great ends for
which il is ordained"
This is a naked statement of Mr.
Calhoun's doctrine OF the concurrent
majority" 1t may be difficult of ap-
plcation bat it is nevertheless sound
in philosophy.
Tho present condition OF the conn
try is practical and most forcible
illustration of what Mr.. Calhoun so
lucidly demonstrates, the tendency of
popular government TO oppression
and abuse of power. In its organiza-
ton, the trainers of our Government
relied mainly upon suffrage as the
means of counteracting this tendency
But experience has shown that all
checks have been absorbed or Ignored
in the unrestricted triumph of the
numerical majority Its will is sub
sttuted for the Constitution, and both
the Executive and Judiciary depart
menls are at its mercy. 1t rules su-
preme over the Union it controls
absolutely a majority Of the Northern
States, and seems determined, through
the instrumentality of the plan Of
reconstruction, 20 enthrone itself per-
manently over the Southern States.
Now what mode Of redress is left TO
the minority if they deem themselves
oppressed! ! Can they resort to nulli-
ficationg That is absurd. under our
system. Can they resort 10 secession
That has been tried and it has tailed.
The right has been successfully denied
by the arbitrament of arms. The
Executive arm is paralyzed He can
do nothing TO protect a helpless mi.
nority 1t is now settled, so far as
precedent can do so, that Congress
can strip him Of the functions confided
to him by the Constitution. The Ju-
dietary can bring no relief, for the
Supreme Court refuses 10 take cogni-
zanee of political questions. 1t is
clear, therefore, that the will of the
majority is substituted for the Consti-
stitution; that the minority have left
to them no peaceablo way Of resisting
oppression aud abuse of power; and
hat Constitutional Government is
practically at an end Its form re-
mains, but the spirit has fed, aud
like a liieless corpse it must soon 90
into decomposition, unless the normal
tendencies Of existing causes can be
counteracted. The doctrine of Mr..
Calhoun, if it should be considered
too difficult fapplication, might prove
suggestive of a wise solution OF our
difficulties, II statesmen and patriots
would lift themselves up 10 the oeca-
sion Two points must be attained in
order TO save Constitutional liberty
First, the governments of the ten
prescribed States-indeed. of all the
late slaveholding States-should be so
organized as 10 secure the political
power TO the intelligent portion of
their people. This is predioated upon
the idea that negro suffrage is a fixed
fact The representative principle
should be so modified and interviewer
into the Constitution 10 be formed as
TO allow negro suffrage, on the one
hand, and on the other 10 protect not
only the whites, but all classes and
interests against their ignorance, or
vengeance, or eupidity. Secondly, the
Federal Constitution should be So
amended as TO afford to the minority
a peaceable mode Of resisting or ar
resting effectually the tyranny and
usurpations Of the majority within
the organism. In this way only can
constitutional government be restored
and its confederate feature preserved.
1t is practicable if the temper Of the
public mind were favorable. Is not
the effort worthy of being made
Why should not the dominant power
of the North pause, ere il be too late.
and take hold Of the subject in the
spirit Of patriotism, and with the ele-
waited purpose of statesmanshipy They
will find earnest and sincere eo-laaor-
ers in tho South-men who desire
nothing but good government, and who.
TO secure il, are willing to sacrifice ali
personal ambition. The people Of the
South are ripe for such amendments
TO their State and Federal Constitu.
tions rs viii result in safety to all
classes. 1t viii soon be too late-.it
is, fear, now too late-for these or
any other suggestions, even if they
came from source more worthy ofl
consideration than am, TO arrest the /
attention of the North. We arc rush.
ing on with a terrible momentum to
consummation. In a few more weeks. /
or months, the Congressional scheme. |
fatal, harsh, and oppressive as il is. .
will have been executed in the ten |
prescribed States We know how
hard il will be TO correct the errors
that viii have been rrystslizod into
Constitutional forms. How easy the
innovation! How difficult is reform /
But ! expect no change in our down
ward course; for the majority, clothed
with power and resolved to keep il. /
are not likely 10 adopt any line Of /
action calculated to curtail or restrain /
II. We must 90 on 10 the end and /
abide, what l regard as inevitable. |
the negroizing OF the Southern States,
nnn fLn final nr-rr-i hrrr.- ..r nnrrti... |