Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-10-30

Radlcalism. 4 country abounding in the
elements of wealth and greatness has been
paralyzed by their policy, inficting a seri-
GUS blow thereby on the commerce and
manufacture OF the North, and greatly di-
mlnishing the national revenue. Let the
Government of the United States restore
constitutional liberty and protection, and.
with them, confidence will spring up, in
dustry will be invigorated, prosperity will
rapidly follow. imparting its benefits to
every part Of the Union and with their
return We can pledge a much higher devo-
ton to the constitution than that shown
by Radical leaders, for we wish to get un-
der the constitution instead of outside
of it.
By what authority have States-and some
Of the old thirteen-been put out of the
Union and treated as provinces The Con-
gress of the United States more than once
during tho late war, by solemn resolutions
and enactments, declared that a State
could not place herself out of the Union
| by any act Of her own. The same great
issue was definitely decided by the sword.
Can Congress, by any act, expel a
State from the Union or reduce it to the
condition of a territory? This transcendant
power is nowhere given in the constitu-
tuion. Can it be believed that, while the
constitution Carefully defines other dele
gated powers of far less Importance, that
if it had been intended by it's trainers to
confer this most transcendant of powers
that it would not have been expressed p
! The constitution gives power to the Gov
eminent Of the United States to execute
the laws as against persons in the States,
but nowhere gives the power to punish
State Or change its condition. The States
made the Federal Government, and it
would be an anomaly if the creature could
destroy its creators.
The States are part and parcel of the
Constitution Of the United States, each of
the Old thirteen being described by name
in the instrument, and the new States since
admitted were brought into tho same re-
lation. Having fixed position as States
Oh the face of the instrument, it
is e gross absurdity to suppose that
the mere Legislative power can alter the
constitution and change the condition of O
State.
1t is clear, then, as a State cannot by her
own act withdraw from the Union, and as
the constitution delegates no power to
Congress to expel her from it or change
her status, that the States are yet States,
and, as logical consequence, that the Re-
construction acts are unconstitutional. To
adopt different conclusion would be to
say that Congress, like the British Parlia-
ment, is omnipotent, or possesses the same
power of the old Germanic Confederation,
whose Diet could put one of the States
under the ban. | know Of no way in which
the constitutional status Of State can be
changed except by an amendment of three
fourths of the States, as provided in tho
instrument itself.
A word as to the colored race Nothing
can be moro absurd and unfounded than
the charge that the people of the South
wish to restore slavery. We would not II
we could. We could not if we would
Once rid of them, we desire. for the most
obvious reasons, never to haVo them
again although our ancestors bought
many of them from New England traders,
We give them up without even claiming
that which seems to be in the nature of a
warranty.
It is, [ believe, q remarkable fact that,
while Virginia and North Carolina voted,
in the convention which framed the United
States Constitution, to suppress the Afri-
can slave trade, Massachusetts, and Rhode
Island voted tc continue it. The question
was compromised by continuing it till
1903, by which this curse was greatly in
creased in the South, by New England and
other traders, who brought them for sale.
So late'as 1925 and 6 a Senator from the
| State of Rhode Island sat in the Senate of
the United States, who had accumulated
an immense fortune by the African slave
trade Taking all these things into con-
sideration, are we not entitled to some
leniency, some justice from our brethren
of the North, between whom and ourselves
common fraternal feeling should exist
All good men should desire fraternal re-
lations to be restored between the two
sections With this brilliant future would
open itself to this great family of States,
Or those that were once States. Never did
any people, by rising above the passions
Of the hour, have SO great an opportunity
of vindicating the capacity of man to
govern himself, than our brethren of the
North and West by restoring constitu-
tional government, and thus uniting, in
lasting fraternal bonds, the oppressed peo-
pie of the South.
have the honor to be,
Very respectfully and truly yours,
BEDFORD BROWN.