Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-01-27
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The 14th Amendment.

~ ..I
| III q debate in congress, tweor three days
before the recess a bill providing addition
al measures for the reorganization of the
! governments In Virginia, Mississippi, and
Texas being under consideration, Mr..
Bingham expressed the opinion that the 30.
called ratification by Georgia of the article
known as the 14th amendment to the con-
sttutiOn was invalid, and that the amend
ment is not now a part of the supreme law
of the land. The very singular and eau
tious manner in which Secretary Seward
proclaimed that certain number OF states
had assented to the amendment was equiv.
! alent to an assertion by him that he did not
believe that 1t had been lawfully ratified by
three-fourths of the states
Ohio rescinded her assent. So did New
Jersey. The radicals themselves say that
the action Of Georgia in the matter is void.
And, if all this were not true, it ia repug-
nant to common sense to claim that the
pretended ratification by any of the south
ern state governments now in existence was
anything moro than mockery oflAw. Rat
ification was made condition precedent to
admission. Thus states which the partyin
power declared to be out of the union, act
ed upon question which the same party
confesses can only lawfully come within the
jurisdiction of states in the union. To say
that such action is valid, is tie essence of
absuydity. 1t is to say that an organiza-
tion may luwfully do what the law iorbids it
to do.
Kentucky is now reported to be in tribu-
lation because sundry of her state officers
meaning o civil officers within the state
were in the rebel army, and are therefore
excluded from holding civil Office by the
terms of the so-called 14th amendment.
Petitions have been sent to congress to re-
move political disabilities from those who
were confederates, and the radicals of the
state are divided on this question.
Suppose that the authorities of the state
should assume that the s-called amend
ment is of no more force than it was on the
day it came saturated with venom from the
hands of the rotten and proaiqate congress
which concocted and passed it, Must the
recorder of Louisville petition congress tor
leave to take his official oath and enter up
on the duties of his officer Mrstthe clerk
OF Hardin county dance ten 'nnce at
Washington 10 ascertain if he 10 sworn III
and have the custody Of the books and pa-
pers belonging to him as clerk Is not
each branch of the Kentucky legis atuIe
made tho judges ofthe election returns, and
qualifications of its members
1t lis matter of prime necessity that the
question of whether the amendment be or
not part of the constitution shall be de-
cided by competent authority. Mr.. Sew
ards proclamation, to which we have refer
red, dubsit a farce and fraud Mr.. Bing-
ham says it never has been ratified by the
requisite number of states. In this lie is
sustained by the radical congressman who
are eager for the speedy admission of the
confederate states yet left out in the cold.
Why not let the Supreme Court, instead of
congress carry with it. other than n convic-
lion that the same unscrupulous partianship
which conceived the amendment has indor-
sed it, and is willing to employ the power
of the national legislature to enforce ltH
No democrat wishes TO see any violation
of the supreme law of the land No demo-
crat believes the amendment to be II part Of
the constitution. 1t was conceived IN the
lneanest and most wicked spirit which can
animate political action. The attempt to
foist it upon the people as law by such
j lggelry as has been employed for thatpur-
pose, is monstrous imposition and CRIME.
In the installation Of state officers, let the
amendment be treated with cantempt, and
its authors and advocates find their remedy
as best they may.