The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-06
The Hon. Ben Hill, of Georgia, on the
Constitution.

/
Wepublish to-day letter from the Hon. Ben
Hill, Of Georgia, on the political situation,
| from which it appears that both our great
political parties in the North are off the track.
| Mr.. Hill says that while the great and over
shadowing question of the day is whether, with
all the late slaves of the South set free, ''this
great system Of government can be again made
harmoniously stable and the freedom of the
white race maintained and of all races perpetu-
ated?" Mr.. Hill says he finds ''the republic
cans meeting this great question by proposing
to maintain and perpetuste measures which
are outside Of the constitution" &C., and
that he ''inds the democrats meeting this most
palpable insanity Of the republicans by ex-
hausting all their powers in cent per cent
argument about bonds, gold and greenbacks.
He tells us that the Chicago platform says
nothing about the constitution, that Estates
men have abandoned the constitution" and
that the Union can be restored only by return
ing to the constitution. In fact, the constitu-
ton Is the text and argument of Mr.. Hill, and
he contends that nothing else will give us peace
and sectional harmony.
Very good. But what constitution is it, Mr..
Hilla Do you mean the constitution as it
was" or 'the constitution as it is?"-for, after
all, this Is the main question. If you mean the
constitution as it was then you demand that
the war shall 60 for nothing and that the Union
shall be as It was under Buchanan, excepting
the actual abolition of slavery; that State sove-
al, <1o r;vhk or oha
be, as it was, the supreme law. The demo-
cratic platform issued from Tammany Hall
proclaims all the reconstruction acts Of
Congress unconstitutional, revolutionary
and void" This, it may be logically
held, includes the constitutional amendment,
Article XIV, establishing equal civil rights
and certain conditions of suffrage and repre-
sentation, &C., and also the amendment incor-
porated as Article Kill, abolishing and inter-
dieting slavery; for II the one be unconstitu-
| tional because Of the Southern Publications
resulting from the reconstruction acts Of Con-
gress, the other must be 80 from the coercive
rsconstructive policy Of the President adopted
in the absence of Congress.
We dare say, therefore, that the constitution
demanded by Mr. Hill means the constitution
of 1861, In which Mr.. Buchanan could find no
authority to coerce seeding State But we
can tell Mr.. Hill why the Northern democracy
do not care to fight just now for that constitu-
ton. II is because of the lessons taught them
on this subject in the Northern elections OF
1868, "a, '65 and Sc it Is because the North
/ ern democratic leaders do not care inst now to
make fight upon the constitutions lily of the
amendment interdicting slavery, nor against
that other amendment, Article XIV, unani-
mously approved by the Northern States in
1866 by heavy popular majorities and declared
in 1868 by the Secretary Of State, by Congress
and by Chief Justice Chase, Of the Supreme
Court, officially part and parcel Of the federal
constitution.
We have only TO say, in conclusion, to Mr..
Hill, that before he can rghtfully demand Of
the republicans or the democrats battle for
the constitution he must tell them what Q on
stitution he means-the constitution of Bu-
chanan or the constitution proclaimed by Mr..
Seward as Secretary Of State and recognized
by Andy Johnson. We incline to the opinion
| that this constitution will hold good, inasmuch
as the official vouchers OF the Secretary Of
State have so far been the law to the Supreme
Court in the matter G. constitutional amend
ments. AT all events IL win be useless for Mr.
Hill to waste any further ammunition on the
constitution until he distinctly defines the con
stitution he wants.