The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1868-09-30

lcopstr,tcuon law, laid II before them.
and told them it was not constitutional.
lie would not slulifs himself 6y assert :
| ing ,'tsishe feands amy warrant in the
! orRapie, law. COR suelr an; act. ,Whens
tDemocsss ol jecteJ, he said their scru
pies ,were psrely' the sspIintels- of the
old 'bsokeni eConstitu,ion,i fostering in.
theirqikidneys. Some Sof the smaller,
\ Radicals pretended 10 sbelievei'ihat the
f'wmstnaking Power-athe power bestow
\ 81 on Oongress 10 make war upon for
eign nations--woutd justify everv kind
OF interdicted legislation against our
'fowH people in a:iime Of perfect peace.
-ue7sisnced that, pa]lry, twaddle by the
ksSpression- of bis profound contempt
Afterwrdssip a pinted, and published
letter, lie, boldly ayowed That Congress
bad reppdiated the Constitution, and
! that the recpnslruc,ion ACT was usurpa
ton, lie not, only acknowledged that
| be himself had committed that offence,
bnt lie turned States evidence ard les
;ifed that bis associates. were equally
tgnil,s. Ills testimonyis directly TO the
point. He knew the truth aud he pro-
claimed ii .unequivocalIy. Now that
death has disarlned him Vt bis mighty
power il would not be magnanimous in
rs who opposed him, much less in those
who followed him with servi!e adnira-
lion in his life time, 10 vex his spirit
by asserting thai ne fal>ifed the history
Of his party in regard to this most i'm
portant affair. -..a,- . ,,...' -,...
s5sA gain, wher'this bill was first pass
ed, the. President. sent il back with
veto message, in which he showed il To
be unconslitotionalsby pointing out the
particular articles and sections With
| which il, came in direct conflict. And
the demonstration was so clear and
transparent that any child could see it,
Not man in either House had word
to say in reply. They saw themselves
arraiGned before their constituents BY
the Chief Magistrate of the nation and
charged with the violation Of their
most sacred obligations but hey stood
mute and made no defense. What
could this mean bu; n eonscientousness
Of. .gnilt? ... - ........ ~ ..
7 This is NOT all. The Supreme Court,
in the Milligan case, had decided that
Congress ,could not pass a law under
any circ,im stances or. at any time TO de.
! plive any rerson within the United
States of his tight 10 lie ired by an i'm,
tpRr,ial jury IN n rsgfsnr court. This
decision was perfectly we'll known to
the memhers Of Congress wien they
determined to deliver nine. millions of
people at once to- he hung or fmprison
rl without judge or jury. according TO
the pleasure or caprice of tho "SatTaps"
or "IIord Depnties" whom they might
send down &c do the work
i 4. Let me mention another fact which
shows that they acted with eyes wide
open 20 the truth. Last winter-ex
acav a year after the reconstruction act
was passcd-ihc quest n of its consii-
,utional validity was again argued be>
fore the Supreme Court in the McCar.
die case. Congress knew that the
Court must decide, against them and
| .foE, That reason alone they marle a law
Ito forbid any decision at all. The un-
fort unate. individual, gully Of no crime,
who had fled TO that sanctuary as his
{, lasizrefuge and laid his hands upon the
: Ehorns Of the altar, was dragged away
J. End handed back again TO The " slave
. fpower"sof his oppressors.t Ito be impris-
oned, sco"rged, .or' killed, if they should
tthink proper Thus they prev rented the
4 Judicial exposure of one outrage by
Z committing another still more, afro
; ciohs. 5"3 III ra. o.. e
If the majority in Congress has ha-
bituany icgisIa,cdRin wilful and corrupt
idiSregard 'of fiieir constitutional obliga-
II lions, what ought TO be the popular
-J.igdgm enL upon, .Jhem.1 What should
, he the'yerdia upon a candid ale for The
ffViceD Presitency tswho has heen,. the
p Speaker ard 'orgsn Of suclf A. Congress
r What shosld be Your decision upon a
|scandidNe.f E,he Presidency who .hav
ing no.poiicy p-,off lis own. consents
? To- become ahe mere instrument in their
!, hands |? =. !. ,' ... '.',' - s.'..4 IL.
All political. philosophers, and ali
men Of common sense concur in the
+ beIief tila,'public' sirtueris the only Sc
| tcure foundation upon which a govern.
ment ike ours .esn resi-. How lsng
> can public syiftas survive among men
wlio'do not'vecognize the do'yeof ODE
! dience to that Fundamental law which
Is ihs only protection we have for the
y, rights OF life, liberty and proper,yl
}, H. Congress must be st,dlS demoralized
J, rlreadv OF course you vii! NOT be
i Iieye without evidence, that they vote
"A ON money, blh as. they vote on .constif
= tuticHai questions, according to ibeir
4 interests and not according toctheir
public duly. Buff it were proved to
{ your onIre satisfaction that they repre-
IL s.wr. Lii. sz.,,n kraachas nnckat with