The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-24
The Case of Georgia.

IHo Oasc vi UeOTbAs
Nom The Boston Post
Governor Bullock, Of Georgia, has given in
his Testimony" before the Reconstruction
Committee on the condition of his State, or
what it needs, eud how the needs ought to be-
answered. lie opposes Mr.. Summers plaster
for the sore he describes. That is a bill which
totally sets aside the existing government,
framed as 1t was by the very men now en-
gagged in an effort to destroy it. 1t also pro-
poses a provisional government in its place.
subject at all points to the control Of Congress-
1t further provides that the Legislature shall
be again called together, for sitting out every
member who declines to take the iron-olsd
oath required by the Reconstruction law, rela-
tive to participation in the Rebellion. Then
Governor Bullock is to be made the supreme
local ruler and to call to his aid as much OF
the strength OF the army and navy as he may
think necessary for his and his party's pur-
pose.
AS to the winnowing of the Legislature by
compelling its members so take an oath other
than the one prescribed by the Constitution of
the State now fairly adopted by the people
and practically accepted once by Congress, it
is only shameless pretext to get possession
of that body for the radical managers. They
were entirely foiled by the action of the Lsgis-
lsture in declaring that negroes could not
under the Constitution of the State hold Office
and this is their revenge. Under what rule
was it that negroes were deprived of their
seats in the Legislature Under none other
than that of the Constitution itself, which
radical convention had framed, and which was
voted for by every negro present in the con-
vention. The clause originally reported by
the committee on this subject permitted ne
groes to hold Office as we'll as whites, but on
putting it to a vote of the convention ma
jority of that body struck it out, and twelve
negroes voted for the motion to 80 strike 1t
out. The Constitution being framed in this
way, it was submitted to the people, and
ratified and generally accepted. To make the
matter sure, tho Constitution on its construc.
tion was submitted to the Chief Justice of the
State and other distinguished lawyers, who
did not hesitate to give their opinion that ne
groes were not allowed, under it, to hold seats
in the Legislature or any other Office in the
State.
Now how otherwise could the Legislature
act in deciding the question, than as the State
Constitution expr essly directed it to act? 1t
bad, in each branch, full control of the quail
fcations of its members to decide on their
suficiency; the Constitution told them that
negroes were not qualified; and the decision
was made accordingly. Then starts up Gov
ernor Bullock, with the other radical marplots
and managers to back him, and claims through
Mr.. Summers bill that the Fourteenth Amend
ment is yet to be adopted by Georgia, when it
has been again and again declared that Geor-
Rla mas 8OOpteu IL. Also LnaL III Oru6r 10 40
it effectively, it must be done subject to the
condition that mo change shall be made, in
fringing the rights Of suffrage OF any class Of
citizens" Now if anything is plain, 1t is that
the Fourteenth Amendment comedies to each
State the right to abridge the franchise; but
its action is balanced by the provision that
all such abridgments are to be accompanied
with corresponding representative disability
in Congress Can Congress thus go behind
its own offer, and undertake to punish-if
punishment it is-a State for presuming 70
proceed on the strict terms Gifts proposal We
suppose that this Congress can, for it has
shown that it can do anything that boldly
illustrates inconsistency and usurpation. 1t
Of course can claim to have the same right to
annul an amendment to the Constitution
which it has to trampIe on the body OF that
instrument.
Consider, again, that Congress has once ac-
epted this entire action OF Georgia by de-
claripg it back in the Union and its represen-
tatives elect entitled to their seats. But not
even this clear qualification impresses the
proposed outrage any deeper on the mind Of
Mr. Sumner, and on the minds of all who fol-
low him in supporting his BILL AS for the
statements of an unsettled state of society in
| Georgia, in which Bullock and Sumner seek
to hide their motive, it is most emphatically
contradicted by the leading citizens of the
State and by the respectable organs of public
opinion there. The blacks are doing well,
and will do still better il let alone. They are
used only to load and fire the radical guns,
and the symptoms abound that they are well
tired of it. Is Reconstruction really accom-
plished, as the Chicago platform announced
or is it to become synonym for resurrection,
practised at every session of Congress2
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