The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-09-24
The FATE OF CARPET-BAGGERY.

The New York Times and the World are en-
gagged in a controversy in regard to the IA
tiOnal Interpretation OF that part of the Demo-
cratic platform which relates to the carpet
bag governments. The Times asserts that
the Democratic party in denouncing the re-
construction measures as unconstitutional
revolutionary and void, committed itself to
disperse or overthrow the resultant Southern
governments by force of arms. The World
responds by showing that no such inference
can, legitimately be drawn from the platform,
and elinches the matter, as far as the Times is
concerned, by making the following quota
tons from the address delivered before the
Philadelphia convention by Mr.. Henry J.
Raymond:
" 1t seems TO u.s." said the writer, Gin the ex
ercise OF the calmest and most candid Judgment
we can bring 70 the subject that such a claim, 30
enforced, involves as fatal an overthrow OF the
authority of the Constitution and as complete a
destruction of the government and Union, as that
which was sought TO be effected by the states and
people in armed insurrection against them beth"
Again: We need not stop to show that such &C.
ton not only finds warrant In the Constitution,
but is at war with every principle of our govern
ment and with the very existence OF free institu-
tons" And again: :" Nor do these extravagant
and unjust claims, en- the part Of Congress, to
eminent by the Consultation, find any justification
in the arguments or excuses urged on their be-
halfu And still again: "5uch an exercise of power
is simply q UsURPATIoE; just as ungarrantable
when exercised.by Northern States as IL weuld be
if exercised by Southern States and not to be for
tilted or paliated by anything in the past history
either of those by whom IL is attempted or OF
those upon whose rights and liberties II Is TO take
effect. II finds no warrant in the Constitution. 1t
is at war with the fundamental principles of our
form Of government. If tolerated in one instance.
it becomes the precedent for future invasions of
liberty and constitutional right, dependent solely
upon the will of the party in power"
Mr.. Raymond thus distinctly announced
the doctrine that the policy of the Radical
party was unconstitutional and revolutionary,
and the necessary implication is that policy
which is revolutionary and unconstitutional,
must be void in law. BUTT does not follow
that only force can nullify such legislation.
On the contrary, the reasonable view OF the
case is that what is void in law can be disposed
of by valid law. If this is not true, then the
term "void is absolutely meaningless.
Revolutions are required only to get rid of
laws which though valid may be oppressive,
or Of laws which though theoretically invalid
may be supported and maintained by force
When the intrinsic invalidity of a law is adj
mitted, and when it defes public opinion as
well as legal and constitutional principles no
appeal to force is necessary in order to get
rid of it. If the legal invalidity of the car
pet bag governments is admitted, and if that
admitted invalidity is enforced by the
public opinion Of the country ex-
pressed in the triumph of the
Democratic party, there will be no conceiv-
able necessity for an appeal to force The
World is right in saying that carpet-baggery
will disappear very soon after the principle is
established that the questions which the
Radicals have undertaken to decide at
Washington properly belong to the States.
The case of Georgia shows that even under
the governments resulting from the recon-
struction measures, the carpet-baggers will
not be able to maintain themselves against
the overwhelming force of an intelligent
opinion which they have been able to suppress
only by the aid of the military power of the
United States. The end of carpet-baggery is
sure and not distant